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HAITIAN HOTELIERS FORGET THE MAXIM – LOCATION! – LOCATION! – LOCATION! WHEN BUILDING IN HAITI. INSTEAD, THE BUILD IN SEMI-SLUM AREAS WHERE GUESTS WILL HAVE NO ATTRACTIONS – MONEY LAUNDERING OR A TAX DODGE FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS OF NO USE TO HAITI OR HAITIANS-Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth

   October 22, 2013

Above: the soon-to-open NH El Rancho

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Haiti currently has five hotels and 644 rooms in its active hotel development pipeline, according to data from STR.

The country recently saw the opening of two major hotels in the last year, including the 109-room Best Western and the 128-room Royal Oasis, both of which are located in the Petion-Ville suburb of Port-au-Prince.

The total is based on data through the end of September.

Another major property, the new four-star incarnation of the historic El Rancho hotel by Spain’s NH Hotels, is tentatively scheduled to open this month, following the completion of construction over the summer.

Another hotel in the pipeline is the Marriott project, a partnership between Turgeau Developments and regional mobile giant Digicel. That property is slated to open in 2015 with 175 rooms.

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In real estate there is a classic comment about the three most important factors for a piece of property; LOCATION – LOCATION – LOCATION!!!!

The Haitians seem to have forgotten that set of values, that are really without any realistic challenge.

Haiti’s hotels are being constructed in areas with absolutely no saving grace.

The Oasis, Best Western and the Digicel 175 room Marriott are build inhave selected  mid-level slum areas with nothing to draw people. Who would want to pay  $200 – $400 per night for a room in the middle of nothing, without 24 hour room service?

Why didn’t they select some beach location where people have water to look at, boats to ride, water skiing, swimming….?

The Minister of Tourism is a well-meaning lady$. Unfortunately, she will wake up in the morning with some bird-brained idea…. And the country will pour millions into it.

Tourism is a cash cow, if handled properly.

Unfortunately, those in charge are aiming too high. They are looking for people who will pay for 5 Star accommodation, without the things required to make a 5 Star vacation possible.

Aim lower.

Focus on something like SCUBA TOURISM and draw people who really don’t want much more than a place to sleep, good food, and lots of hours in the water. Haiti can provide all of these in vast quantity. Then these basic tourists will go home, ambassadors for Haiti, and more will follow.

The 5 Star concept is doomed to failure, unless it is a way to hide drug money or as a tax shelter for foreign investors, who don’t really care if the project succeeds or fails.

TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK!!

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2 thoughts on “HAITIAN HOTELIERS FORGET THE MAXIM – LOCATION! – LOCATION! – LOCATION! WHEN BUILDING IN HAITI. INSTEAD, THE BUILD IN SEMI-SLUM AREAS WHERE GUESTS WILL HAVE NO ATTRACTIONS – MONEY LAUNDERING OR A TAX DODGE FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS OF NO USE TO HAITI OR HAITIANS-Added COMMENTARY By Haitian-Truth”

  1. While I agree that true 5-star hotels will not work in Port au Prince, I disagree that the concept is doomed to failure. Properly developed, marketed and managed, a 5-star property in one of the larger provinces will work. I have been to Les Cayes on many occasions and the drama of the landscape is something akin to the fiji islands or maldives with mountains plunging into blue waters. Ile a Vache is a tourist destination like no other and with the proper regional infrastructure (airport, port, shopping) can quickly become an international class destination.

    Scuba Tourism is fine, but it can certainly co-exist with the 5-star experience. ALWAYS Aim Higher.

  2. Chevrier is on point.

    There are many places around Haiti that could support the 5 Star concept.

    Unfortunately, a big hotel, next to DIGICEL, is not likely to break even. For the OASIS to service its investment – barely – it must have something like 20 room nights per day.

    La Gonave is a great possibility.

    The coastline between Port Salut and Jeremie has good beaches and shallow water to a half mile from shore.

    And, Port Salut is a great spot, but it takes forever to make the drive.

    We must decentralize from Port-au-Prince.

    And spending money on an ice show, in Haiti, shows a lack of simple common sense.

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