Mont Joli Hotel – Big Surf Daddy's Pix, Tix, and Licks

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.

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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.

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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.

If you are going to write, then write a novel with a Haitian woman in it and try to describe her accurately. When you can do that, you can write about people.—Jeff Buckley

I will confess, I did not go to Cap-Haitien as a tourist, but it is such an interesting place to see and experience.

I feel that to experience Haiti, typical touristy things don’t apply. You have to drive the streets and roam the countryside. I will admit, it is not for the squeamish tourist.

I found truth in the above quote. The Haitian women are remarkable. They glide through the city streets with grace and composure. It is a sight to behold. I love to watch the Haitian people going about their daily lives. I marvel at them. Amidst poverty and poor conditions, they seem to smile and carry on.

This trip, we did a touristy thing by going to Cormier Beach. This is a very nice beach, about a 30 minute drive from Cap-Haitien. It is a scenic drive across the mountain. The beach is small and has a hotel and nice restaurant. There are many trees to provide shelter. Our group ate lunch at the restaurant on the beach. I ordered a shrimp cocktail and a dish of seafood rice. Both were really good and fresh. The shrimp cocktail was more like a salad, so that was a surprise.

We stayed at the Mont Joli Hotel in Cap-Haitien. This hotel was built in 1954. Though it isn’t luxury, it has a wonderful location, high above the city and it is clean. It is a very romantic hotel with a nice pool, a very good open air restaurant, bar, and lobby. The veranda above the pool is a great spot to just sit and look and converse. This is where we spend most of our time when we are at the hotel.

I went to The Citadel, or as called in Haiti, Citadelle Laferriere , a few years ago. This may be the most important tourist destination in all of Haiti. It is definitely worth the trip up the mountain to see. The ruins of the Sans-Souci palace, the palace of King Henry 1, sits at the base of the mountain on the way to the Citadelle. It is about an hour drive outside of Cap-Haitien near the town of Milot.

Cap-Haitien is more for the adventurous tourist. Lanquage would be a problem for most visitors unless you can speak French or Creole. We had interpreters with us.

Haitian art is readily available for sale, however be ready to haggle and don’t be surprised if another seller comes up to you while you are haggling. You may have 3 or 4 haggles going on at one time.

Haiti is a beautiful country with friendly people. You can find mountains, valleys, beaches, villages, and chaotic cities all on the same trip within an hour drive.

Cormier Beach

Shrimp Cocktail at Cormier Beach

Seafood rice at Cormier Beach

Fried plantains at Mont Joli Hotel, this is also a very good street food.

Delicious breakfast at the Mont Joli Hotel. Spaghetti is often eaten at breakfast. It took me a little while to adapt to this for breakfast, but it actually is quite tasty in the morning.