Hilton to Open Hotel in Haiti

By: - April 10th, 2014

Above: the signing ceremony on Thursday in Port-au-Prince (Photo: OPM Haiti)

By Alexander Britell

Hilton has signed an agreement to open its first hotel in Haiti.

After what was reportedly a four-year-long process, the company signed an agreement on Thursday to open a Hilton Garden Inn in Port-au-Prince.

The project will have at least 150 rooms, according to the Ministry of Tourism. It will also be the first Hilton Garden Inn in the Caribbean region, where the company currently has eight branded hotels.

Tedd Middleton, vice president of development for Hilton World Wide America, was on hand for the signing ceremony, which took place at the Visa Lodge Hotel. The Visa Lodge will be a partner in the project, according to the Ministry of Tourism.

Middleton said he was proud to see that Haiti would be home to its first Hilton Garden Inn.

Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, who was also on hand for the ceremony, said the agreement sent a strong message to businessmen around the world to come down to invest.

“Haiti is moving forward to attract investment,” Lamothe said.

It would be the latest large hotel brand to enter the Caribbean country, which has been making a renewed tourism push in recent years.

A Marriott hotel is set to open in 2015, and a Best Western Premier hotel opened in Port-au-Prince’s Petion-Ville suburb in the spring of 2013.

The property is slated to debut in Haiti in 2016. .

It would be Hilton’s first entry to the country after originally planning to open a hotel in Haiti in the early part of the 2000s.

Haiti

Caribbean Cookbook: A Recipe For Callaloo Dumplings From Grenada

THE LATEST Caribbean Cookbook comes to us from the Villa Belle Morne Rouge in Grenada, which sent in this delectable recipe for callaloo dumplings that the owners call “a fabulous example of Austro-Caribbean fusion comfort food.” “These are one of our favorite dumplings,” say owners Christine Hagen. “I make a big batch and keep them […]

Haiti

New Trinidad Tourism Minister Makes First Visit to Tobago

Above: Tobago (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff Incoming Trinidad and Tobago Tourism Minister Gerry Hadeed has made his first official visit to Tobago. The trip included talks with Tobago Chief Secretary Orville London and tourism officials including Tobago Tourism Secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine. Hadeed, who called his Ministry “facilitators of the tourism product in […]

Haiti

The Caribbean Mourns a Visionary

Above: Norman Girvan By the Caribbean Journal staff The Caribbean is mourning the loss of one of its greatest intellectuals, Professor Norman Girvan. The Jamaican-born Girvan, who died this week, was one of the pioneers of the regional integration movement and a major scholar in the region. He passed away in Cuba on Wednesday. “His […]

The Best Caribbean Hotels For Meetings

 You’re planning a major conference. Or a business getaway. Or a small forum for company executives. Well, the Caribbean is the perfect place — with scores of hotels with top-level meeting space and all the perks you want during downtime — beautiful beaches, great golf courses and more. We put together this ranking of the best […]

Grenada Names Soca Artist New Cultural Ambassador

Above: Hollice Mapp aka Mr Killa By the Caribbean Journal staff Grenada’s government has named Caribbean soca artist Hollice Mapp as the country’s newest cultural ambassador. Mapp, whose stage name is “Mr Killa,” is being given an official passport. The decision, which was made by Grenada’s Cabinet, was announced following a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. […]

Trinidad and Tobago Mourns Loss of Former PM ANR Robinson

 You’re planning a major conference. Or a business getaway. Or a small forum for company executives. Well, the Caribbean is the perfect place — with scores of hotels with top-level meeting space and all the perks you want during downtime — beautiful beaches, great golf courses and more. We put together this ranking of the best […]

Barbados, China Talk Agriculture

 Above: Bridgetown (CJ Photo) By the Caribbean Journal staff China’s government has “reiterated its intention to provide financial assistance” for a number of projects in Barbados, the Caribbean country said Wednesday. Chinese Ambassador to Barbados Wang Ke made the pledge during talks with Dr David Eastwick, Barbados’ Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management in […]