About us

Merrimac Ventures is a diversified real estate investment and development firm located in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Its primary focus is on waterfront resort operations and development, however it is involved in retail, commercial and residential real estate as well.

Started in the late 70’s by the late Ramesh “Bob” Motwani and his wife Ramola Motwani, the firm initially began as an import/export business in St. Charles, MO. In the mid 1980’s, Merrimac Ventures expanded into the resort business by purchasing hotels along Fort Lauderdale’s famed A1A. With the elimination of Spring Break in the late 80’s, most hotel owners in the area suffered and were either foreclosed on or left the area, however Bob and Ramola continued to acquire properties with a common vision of redeveloping and transforming the Fort Lauderdale Beach into a world-class resort destination, a vision also shared by the local community and government at the time.

Unfortunately, Bob Motwani passed away in 1994, however Ramola has continued to pursue that shared vision with a tireless determination. Under her guidance, Merrimac Ventures has continued to expand its holdings by purchasing additional properties not only in the Fort Lauderdale Beach area but also around the US and in India, and has also expanded its businesss into Real Estate Development.

Currently Merrimac Ventures is a Development Partner on the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Fort Lauderdale Beach, which is being built on the site of the first property Bob and Ramola purchased in Fort Lauderdale. Merrimac Ventures was responsible for the land acquisition and entitlements for the project, and also assembled a world-class development team including Donald J. Trump.

In 2004, Ramola brought in her eldest son Nitin Motwani, who was working with Goldman Sachs at the time, to help expand the business and oversee the day-to-day operations. In 2006, her younger son Dev Motwani left his job with Credit Suisse to work with Merrimac Ventures. Today, Ramola serves as Chairwoman and CEO of the firm and is responsible for setting its long-term goals and vision. Dev is responsible for the day-to-day operations and oversees investments in which the firm acts as the principal. Nitin is currently overseeing expansion opportunities for the firm and is involved in a major development project in the Miami area.