My name is Mihir Ignatius Nayak and this is the story of how I started the Mitaroy Goa.
From a very young age (I think I must have been 2 or 3 years old), my parents used to take me on a number of holidays across India. My father was one of India’s first travel journalists and he got to stay at many hotels as part of his work. My mother, who had a really stressful job as a Doctor, loved to travel.
My earliest recollections as a small boy, were packing our stuff, getting into our small car and driving away to some new, exciting place. And when my little sister was born, we used to bundle her into the car too, nappies and all!
When I started school, we used to go every summer for a week’s holiday to Goa. Delicious Goan food, miles of untouched beaches and the knowledge that school was a full 2 months away meant that I looked forward to the summer holidays the whole year round. For me, the summer holidays were undoubtedly the best time of my childhood.
It was then at the tender age of 10 that I had a dream. One day I would open my own hotel in Goa and it would be called “Mitaroy”.
When I told my mother about my dream to open my own hotel someday, she must have smiled to herself, wondering how I could ever dream of owning my own hotel.
When I finished high school, my parents wanted me to study law like my grandfather. But I was determined to study hotel management and pursue my childhood dream. After looking at a number of hotel schools in the UK, Switzerland, Australia and Austria, I finally decided on the Salzburg Tourism School in Austria, where many famous hoteliers from across the globe had studied.
5 years later, I graduated with excellent grades, topping my class, even though all the subjects were in German! From making beds and polishing cutlery to checking in dignitaries and cooking with a Michelin chef, I worked my way from small bed & breakfasts to Grand Hotels. But I never forgot my boyhood dream of opening my own hotel some day.
When I returned to India, I was looking to start out on my own. My parents owned an old house in our ancestral neighbourhood of Fontainhas. They didn’t know what to do with it and it was lying in a dilapidated condition. I decided that I would take up the job of restoring the old house and convert it into a hotel.
And 15 years later, I actually did open my first hotel, thus making boyhood dream a reality.
In the future, I plan to open hotels in Salzburg, London, Berlin and Cape Town.
But whatever the future might hold for me, I have learnt that if you dare to dream and believe in yourself, all your dreams will come true…
I’m proud of you dude!! The youngest and the most dynamic hotelier I know 🙂
Cheers Buddy !
I am thinking of reworking this blog post to make it more detailed and passionate…
Cheers
Mihir
God bless you! Hope you opened one in Austria .
What a great story, Mihir. It really makes a difference to know who’s behind a hotel, and you’ve done a fantastic job of that in many ways. Can’t wait to visit!
Cheers Daniel !
Coming from the Master of Storytelling (I really enjoy reading the stories and reminiscences on your blog!), your comments are all the more valuable and appreciated 🙂
PS. I truly believe that it is personal branding that reduces the perceived risk of first time guests. People buy people and our hospitality industry is no different !
very inspiring story..i mean this blogs teaches me to have unwavering determination…….and yes personal belief whatever u undertake give it ur best…
commendable that u took up n not so prestigious profession and managed to do well….
wishing you goodluck,
NK
Great and inspiring story my friend.
I you know I admire your clear and defined niche.
This is the real clue about being a great hotelier – share your stories with your consumers. And if you can combine your story telling skills with a great servants hart then you are in for the long haul.
You have done a hole lot more with your dream then many others done. And I am sure we will see great things from you in the future.
Keep up with the great job…
Cheers.. Are
Thanks for your wonderful comment and compliments, Are!
I saw a wonderful video on TED that prompted this post.
Its always interesting to know why people do what they do.
Cheers
Mihir
All the best buddy! I guess there were no doubts you would become a hotelier. May be we can chat over a coffee again at one of the cafe’s in Queensway.
Take Care
Bharath
Cheers buddy !!! Lets have that chat over coffee in Queensway sooner rather than later…
Stay Romantic!
Mihir
being in hospitality industry your success story has inspired me a lot and forced to think about “entreprenuership”…cheers