One year of MiRA Mirissa

One year ago we were running around like headless chickens in the rain, trying to get MiRA open on time — and we haven’t really stopped since. Here’s what happened, and what’s coming next.

Season 1: a wild, bumpy ride with lots of fun

We went from the seed of an idea to opening in 3.5 months. That’s fast anywhere, let alone in a place where things move slowly. Our season was then sandwiched between Cyclone Ditwah and the war with Iran — a period of around 86 days. Overnight arrivals to Sri Lanka fell by at least 25%, with ripple effects on travel plans extending well beyond the immediate impact on Middle Eastern airports.

And yet, in those 86 days we just got busier and busier, adding more classes each week and peaking at 7, sometimes 8, per day. There absolutely was demand for a dedicated wellness offering in Mirissa. Demand was so strong that we had to add a third afternoon Reformer Pilates class to keep up. It quickly became clear that our decision to take the risk on Mirissa was being vindicated.

We slowly but surely upgraded the space too — adding coworking, upgrading to Starlink, and even small touches like free filtered water and night security helped us stand out.

If Ditwah gave us a wet, slow start, by Christmas things were clicking — the pile of shoes outside the studio kept growing until 18+ people were regularly coming out of classes. It strained our young, all-female team, and yet everyone rose to the challenge. Along the way we adopted a cat (Jacky), ran a pop-up store, hosted a puppy for a short stay, and had several of our parents call in to check out MiRA.

A first season in a new space with a new concept was always going to be difficult, even without the challenging conditions. But it’s given us the springboard for our off-season, and the momentum for Season 2.

Season 2: community and new features

That people love the concept is clear — guests changing their plans to stay longer, extending their trips, and reviews averaging 9.5 on Hostelworld, 4.9 on Google and 8.8 on Booking.com. But when we dig deeper into the feedback, we see we haven’t quite nailed the community and social side to the level we hoped.

So in Season 2, we’re bringing the vibes. We’ll use the shoulder season to test a few concepts, but we’re going full social host — with activities every day outside our core wellness programme. Some ideas are staying secret for now, but here’s what’s coming:

• Weekly run club
• Coconut tree sunset walk + family dinner (at Dhana’s, of course)
• Wednesday group trip to Doctor’s House (yes, we’re about wellness — but everything in moderation)
• Sunset volleyball, Pilates and yoga on the beach
• Outdoor cinema at The Picture House
• Ice bath party — after several trials, already a proven winner
• Cooking classes
• Temple visits, especially on auspicious days

And what about Mirissa?

Love it or hate it, Mirissa is catching up step by step with its cooler cousins Hiriketiya and Ahangama, and the demolition of illegally built structures in both places can only encourage more people to take another look at Mirissa’s 2km stretch of sand. Mirissa went through its own beach clearances much earlier, back in 2018.

Since we opened, Mirissa has added a Donna and a Gusto, epic-level sushi at Gami, and The Picture House has become an absolute must-do — especially on a rainy evening. These additions, alongside established favourites like Shady Lane, Lost Paradise and Milky Wave, plus Mirissa’s location at the heart of the south coast, are encouraging more people to make Mirissa their base rather than just a day trip. That’s on top of the weekend and holiday boom from the Colombo crowd, who’ve long known Mirissa as the go-to weekend getaway.

3 million when? Looking ahead to 2027

In 2027, Sri Lanka is again aiming to finally reach 3 million tourist arrivals — and barring another major geopolitical catastrophe, it’s well on track. As MiRA looks into 2027, we’re expecting SLTDA approval in a new, highly specialised category as a Wellness and Mindfulness Space with Accommodation.

We’re also looking to add a rooftop gym, a food concept, and — finally — the much-anticipated, long-overdue sauna.

Right now we’re still running two classes a day, and we’ll be back up to four by mid-September.

See you on the mat — or in the ice.