The Hotel Oloffson has a long history in Haiti. Located in the city center of Port-au-Prince, the Hotel Oloffson was previously the site of a Gothic gingerbread mansion in the 19th century.
A rich and powerful family built the mansion to use as their residence. Simon Sam was the head of the family and the Haitian president between 1896 and 1902. The mansion is said to be the inspiration for the 1966 fictional book “The Comedians,” which was written by Graham Greene.
In 1935, the mansion was converted into a hotel. For 85 years, the hotel has been visited by creative artists from all over the world. Everyone from photographers to writers has gotten their inspiration from visiting the hotel. Some of the most famous artists to visit the hotel included Charles Addams, James Jones, and Graham Greene.
In 2010, the Hotel Oloffson made headlines because it was one of the few Haitian hotels in Port-au-Prince to survive the infamous earthquake of that year. Many journalists and civilians took shelter there during the disaster.
As of today, Hotel Oloffson remains as a picturesque hotel with traditional architecture. It is a three-star hotel with all the modern conveniences and amenities included. It is surrounded by a lavish tropical garden and other beautiful scenery.
Reviews
You can feel the history of Haiti when you step foot into the hotel. It may not have four-star accommodations, but that is okay. It is a down to earth hotel with a mixture of local culture and international culture thrown into the mix. The staff members will help guide you around the city.
If you want to visit some cultural sites, you can walk 14 minutes to the Museum of Haitian Art or walk 18 minutes to the Champs de Mars Square. If you have a rented vehicle, you can drive 6 minutes to the National Pantheon Museum or 6 minutes to the National Palace.
Amenities
There are 22 rooms in the Hotel Oloffson. Some guests call it their “home away from home.” Perhaps that is due to all the convenient amenities that come with each room. They include free Wi-Fi internet access, air conditioning, hairdryers, irons, ironing boards, coffeemaker, teamaker, showers, complimentary self-parking, toiletries, blackout curtains, phones and desks.
As for the outside amenities, guests can take full advantage of the terrace, pool sun loungers, swimming pool, picnic area, and garden. The rooms do not allow smoking, but you can find designated smoking areas near the lobby of the hotel. If you want to try out some fine local or international cuisine, you can head on over to the Gingerbread Restaurant. It offers a variety of cultural cuisine choices like Italian, Cajun & Creole, and French.
Wedding Space
Hotel Oloffson offers wedding services to guests. You must call ahead of time to arrange for wedding services. The staff members speak both English and French, so all the French tourists will appreciate that. The hotel doesn’t offer any extravagant wedding services, but they can arrange for you to have a small wedding in their meeting room. Otherwise, you can have your wedding on the outside of the property. Just note that there is no ocean around the hotel, so a beachfront wedding is not going to happen at this hotel.
Conclusion
If you’ve ever wanted to stay in a historic mansion, then this is the perfect opportunity. Hotel Oloffson allows you to rent a room in this sizeable former residence at a price of only $100 per night. It is truly one of the most affordable Haitian hotel getaways that you could take. If you don’t mind traditional architecture rather than lavish modern architecture, then you will love it here.
More Hotels in Haiti
