The Oloffson Hotel, located in the heart of the upscale Pacot neighborhood (southeast of the capital), surrounded by lush gardens, was burned down by terrorists from the "Viv Ansamn" coalition. "The Hotel Oloffson has burned to the ground..." confirmed its owner, Richard Auguste Morse, leader of the RAM group, on his X account on Monday, February 7, 2025.

The establishment was an architectural treasure built in the 1890s. The Oloffson Hotel was built entirely of wood in the "gingerbread" style.

The destruction of the Oloffson represents an immense loss to Haiti's heritage and cultural identity; an entire part of the country's soul has just disappeared in the flames...

Erected at the end of the 19th century, the building initially served as a private residence for the family of President Tiresias Simon Sam (1896 - 1902)

In 1915, when the U.S. Marines began their occupation of Haiti, the building was converted into a military hospital (1915-1934).

In 1935, Swedish Navy Captain Werner Gustav Oloffson and his family transformed the building into a hotel, which it named after. The hotel became a popular meeting place for artists, writers, musicians, political figures, and celebrities (Jackie Onassis Kennedy, Mick Jagger, Graham Greene, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and many others).

The Oloffson's high attendance came to a halt in the 1980s, as the regime of Jean-Claude Duvalier drove away foreign visitors.

In 1987, Richard A. Morse became the hotel's owner. He revived the artistic activity with weekly concerts by the band RAM and numerous cultural events. It should be noted that the hotel had not been accepting guests for several months due to the increase in gang attacks in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

SL/ HaitiLibre