Ode to the Mont Joli Hotel…Cap-Haitien, Haiti

 

People will forget what you said, forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.—Maya Angelou

This quote is how I think of the Mont Joli Hotel in Cap-Haitien, Haiti.

I have a short-lived homance (hotel romance) with this hotel that sits high on a hill on the west side of Cap-Haitien overlooking both the city and the bay.  I have stayed here on four visits to Haiti.  It never changes…and that is a good thing.

The staff has always been friendly and the service has always been very good.  Could it use a fresh coat of paint? Sure.  Could it use a plumbing overhaul? Sure.  But there is something special about this place that always captured my heart.  Maybe it is the history, built in 1954 and changed very little, that gives it depth.  Maybe it is the location that gives it soul.  I believe it is the romantic spirit of this hotel I feel whenever I sit on the veranda or at the open bar and gaze on the city and the bay, always feeling a cool breeze waft up from below.

I think about the time when Haiti maybe wasn’t so poor and it was actually a tourist destination.  Cap-Haitien was once called “Paris of the Antilles”.

I apologize for the many photos.

The veranda, a perfect place to relax.

Morning sunrise over Cap-Haitien Bay, seen from the pool.

A seat at the bar with the original wood craftsmanship.

The most recent view out of my window.

The courtyard of the Mont Joli Hotel.

The open air dining room ready for the evening meal.

Tiled pillar outside the dining area.

Tiled wall in the dining area.

Appetizers of hot slaw, cheese balls, and bruschetta.

Breakfast usually has some sort of eggs, spaghetti, fresh fruit, fresh juice, and coffee.

There are often pancakes and french toast served for breakfast.

This evening meal consisted of goat in a delicious sauce, a salad, some cooked root vegetables and french fries.

Artwork is everywhere.

Many flowers are evident on the grounds.

Comfortable sitting rooms abound at the hotel.

Open air lobby at the Mont Joli Hotel.

Upstairs open sitting room.

A stairway up to another open area for sitting.

Coffee on the upstairs porch, a most relaxing place.

A final view of Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral before departing.