Melanie Reffes
Petion-Ville, HAITI
The ride from the international
airport in Port -au –Prince to the suburb of Petion-Ville is long, rocky and
dusty. On either side are snapshots of
street life in in a country that is still struggling from an earthquake that
struck one quiet night in January more than three years ago. Women and men walk
purposefully down potholed streets balancing baskets on their heads that are
crammed with flowers, toiletries and live animals like chickens and goats which
presumably will end up in a stew pot. Roadside vendors sell t-shirts that
judging from the slogans might have been donated after the quake, kids play in
the rubble, the tent cities are still open,
mechanic shops are busy and minibuses or 'tap-taps' are a colorful addition
to the parade of traffic. The recovery may be slow but the locals are generous
with their smiles and demonstrate a resiliency of spirit that can only be
admired.
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| Tap-Tap ( credit: connect.state.gov) |
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| Flower Man ( credit: M. Reffes ) |
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| High School Port au Prince ( credit: M. Reffes ) |
Although aid
workers and government officials make up the bulk of foreigners in the country,
the ministry of tourism is determined to attract cash-spending tourists who will
choose Haiti as a vacation destination, not a country that only welcomes those
working for the relief efforts. Positive
initiatives are in full gear including at The Karibe Convention Center which is
undergoing a US$10 million expansion, Digicel, the
largest telecommunication company in Caribbean, moved its French
speaking call center from Martinique to Petion-Ville and investment is being
aggressively courted for resort development in three target areas of the
country.
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| Street Dance ( credit: Ministry of Tourism) |
Locals are also making a mark like Carine Clermont
who with her Group of Concerned Citizens provides training in the schools and
businesses. “We are like the local Red
Cross without the red tape, “she said
teaching a class of high school students , “ we make sure every person has
knowledge and training so that if there is another natural disaster, we will be
prepared. “
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| Carine Clermont & Melanie ( credit: Mark Rogers ) |
Although many speak French and a bit of English, it
is Creole that can be heard everywhere with two colorful two expressions the
locals like to share when describing Haiti’s firm resolve to stand on its own
two feet. “Piti piti, zwazo fè nich”
translates to ‘Little by little birds build their nests’ and ‘Anpil men chay pa
lou’ literally means ‘Many hands make a load lighter.’
The
Pride of Petion-Ville
The first
U.S. branded full-service hotel to open in Haiti in fifteen years, and the
second high profile property to open in the past six months following
the Royal Oasis, owned by the Spanish firm Occidental, Best Western Premier
Petion-Ville opened in April. In the suburb of Petion-Ville, named after former
President; Alexandre Petion, the seven-story hotel is
liberally laced with security guards, both uniformed and plain-clothed, keeping
everyone they deem not suitable out. All part of everyday life in Haiti where
the unemployment rate hovers between 65 and 75 percent and 3,000 people applied
for the 100 jobs at the hotel. Wedney Rameau was one of them. Formerly a math teacher, he’s now happily serving hotel guests in Le Michel, the restaurant on the second floor. “I had a job but I wanted to do better, “he said refilling a cup of espresso brewed from the beans grown in the mountains, “when the hotel was advertising jobs, I just knew I had to be lucky enough to get one.” Also serving his contagious smile and infectious enthusiasm, he’s happy to discuss his country with anyone who asks. “Yes, we've had many troubles recently but we’re coming out of the hole and I know we will be better than ever. “
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| Wedney Rameau & Melanie ( credit: Kathy Casper ) |
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| (credit: BW International) |
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| (credit: M. Reffes) |
The only non-Haitian employed in the hotel, general
manager Ronald Maidens has worked in the hospitality industry for decades
including in Switzerland, Puerto Rico and at the Stanhope in Manhattan. “I was, quite frankly, overwhelmed “he said
referring to the thousands of people who applied for jobs, “I did nothing else
for one month but look at resumes. “ Although
the front desk staff and the bellmen are required to speak English, teaching
the rest of the staff has been a challenge. “ We are now offering classes to
all our staff with the goal that everyone eventually become fluently bilingual
in both French and English. “
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| Ronald Maidens, General Manager ( credit: M. Reffes ) |
Built from the ground up, Dallas-based
Aimbridge Hospitality, Haiti-based Carabimmo SA Corporation and Best
Western International joined forces to open the property with 106 rooms
including three suites, awesome views of the sherbet colored houses on the mountain, Wi-fi access, Oxygene spa, whisky bar, pool, conference
room and the French-inspired Le Michel restaurant. "With global support
from our partner Best Western, not only will this hotel be a success in Haiti,
but it will attract additional investment into Haiti and help drive expansion
of the Haitian market globally," said Stanley Handal, co-owner.
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| (credit: M. Reffes ) |
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| Le Michel Restaurant ( credit: BW ) |
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| Whiskey Bar ( credit: M. Reffes ) |
Designed for the business traveler, the hotel is
also targeting the leisure crowd although that is slow to arrive and the local
romance market which is starting to book the Grand Ballroom for weddings large
and small. "The opening provides critically needed hotel rooms, creates
jobs and revenue for the local economy and is a reflection of the continuing
progress being made towards the recovery of Haiti," said Mark Williams,
vice president, North American development, Best Western International, “this
hotel is proof that Haiti is open for business and it will help encourage additional
business investment in Haiti."
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| Mark Williams, VP Best Western ( credit: M. Reffes ) |
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| (credit: BW) |
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| (credit: M. Reffes ) |
Designed by the Dallas firm Studio 11 in conjunction
with Haitian architects, the hotel is also a gallery showcasing Haitian art. Honoring one of the owners’ late wives who
died in the earthquake, artwork can be purchased with proceeds going to a
foundation that aids in the rebuilding of the country. Pascale Theard is the art director and
meticulously picked every piece in the hotel. “I selected art made from recycled
materials like car tires and discarded pieces of metal, “she said, “cushions are
made from old t-shirts and the entire floor in front of the spa was crafted
from cork from old wine bottles.”
(photo credit: M. Reffes )
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| Pascale Theard |
With three treatment rooms and four therapists, Spa
manager Fabienne Souffrant is optimistic the spa will attract guests to the
hotel. “All of the products are made in Haiti from locally-sourced coconut oil
and other fruits that grow here, “she says, “our Coconut Bliss massage is the
most requested as our therapists spend fifty minutes with each client for a rejuvenating
experience that can’t be beat. “The Spa
also offers facials, manicures, pedicures and a unique ‘oxygen blast ‘facial
treatment.
With
an eye to the future, travel agents are invited to experience the hotel either
individually or as part of FAM trips which will start in the fall. “We
encourage travel agents to visit the hotel by contacting our management
company, Aimbridge Hospitality or myself directly,” added Ronald Maidens,
general manager. Room rates, per night start at $139.00 through the end of June
with Carnival packages offered for July.
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| (credit: Ministry Tourism) |
The Bigger
Picture
With
a goal to ready the country for vacationers, tourism minister Stephanie
Villedrouin is targeting three areas for future development including the Caribbean
Coast, North Coast and Arcadins Coast.
Offering assistance and expertise, FONATUR, Mexico’s National Fund for
Tourism Development, advised tourism officials in Haiti to look beyond the
product that already exists in Cancun and Punta Cana. "Our added value is our culture, our music,
food, history, art and voodoo, our original religion,” said Stephanie
Villedrouin, tourism minister.
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| Tourism minister, Stephanie Villedrouin ( credit: Haiti News ) |
Including the stretch of coastline between the towns
of Anse-à-Pitre and Tiburon, development on the Caribbean Coast includes 850
new rooms, with 550 targeted for the historic port town of Jacmel. With a
proposed completion date of 2014, plans also include a convention center and
international airport.
Promoted for its agri-tourism, the North Coast
includes the city of Cap-Haitian, Haiti’s second capital. Tourist draws include the UNESCO World
Heritage site of Citadel La Ferrière and the port of Labadie, where Royal Caribbean
delivers 600,000 cruise shippers each year. 1,000 new rooms and a new
international airport in Cap-Haitian will open later this year.
Forty-five minutes north of Port-au-Prince, the
Arcadins Coast will see USD$150 million invested in new hotels, improvements to
the roads and natural attractions including the picturesque waterfalls.
In January, Air Transat began offering an air and
hotel package that included two nights in Port-au-Prince and five nights on the
Arcadins Coast. The Montreal-based operator
is also considering a two country program between Haiti’s North Coast and
Puerta Plata in the Dominican Republic. “We are extremely proud of the Air
Transat tours and optimistic the flights from Montreal will resume in the fall
and winter, “said Stephanie Villedrouin, “
we’re currently working with the team at Air Transat to start selling
the tours during the summer months so tourists can book a week away far in
advance of the cold Canadian winter months.
“
With a market that
is primarily business travel and humanitarian workers, the tourism minister is
determined to change the image of the country from one that is in constant need
of international assistance to one that is a vacation destination. “I will not
meet actors or celebrities who come here only for aid work, “she said, “I tell
them I will be happy to meet with them only when they come to Haiti for a holiday. “
Although the road may be long to recovery, her
optimism is undeterred. “We’re rebuilding and repairing, “she added, “we’re
open for business and tourism will lead the way. It is our goal that visitors
see our beauty, not just our tragedy. That is what we have to market and
promote. “
(credit: Ministry Tourism )
Eye to the Future
A 173-room Marriott will open in Port-au-Prince
in 2014. JetBlue will begin service to
Port-au-Prince on December 5 including one daily nonstop flight between New
York’s JFK Airport and Port-au-Prince and two daily flights between Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port-au-Prince. ‘’ With expansion into Port-au-Prince, we
plan to meet the demand for quality service to Haiti by offering competitive
fares to the large Haitian diaspora in the United States,” said Scott Laurence,
vice president, network planning JetBlue.
American, Delta and Spirit offer service
from several U.S. gateways. Air Canada and Air Transat also fly to
Port-au-Prince.
Get in Touch
www.visithaiti.gouv.ht (credit: M. Reffes )
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