MPW.64 / 2012 Troy's Indian Hotel by Antonio Butt
Photographer
Antonio Butt Sausalito, Calif.

Team Cliff

Story Summary

Troy's Luxury Inn & Suites is run by the only Indian family in a town that hasn’t seen much integration.

Jagmohan Swan is the proprietor of Luxury Inn & Suites. Along with his wife, Santosh, and their four children, the entire family works full time to keep the business afloat in a rough economic climate. Jagmohan has confessed that he worries whether they will survive and that some days the business has felt like a nightmare. One of the biggest obstacles was finding good, reliable employees. Hence, the solution came with the commitment of his entire family. The Swans are a very united clan committed to the notion that with hard work and their Hindu faith theIr hardships can be overcome.

The Swans epitomize the notion of a 'family- run' business". Together they manage, operate, finance, market and housekeep around the clock. While the younger siblings attend local schools, the eldest daughter, Vaishali, pursues an online bachelors degree. Sagar, the eldest son is described as the "backbone" of the family and takes on any task at hand.

The family maintains a strong cultural identity. Their unity and support for each other is unwavering in a land that is very far removed from home both culturally and geographically.