Haiti’s Historic Hotel Oloffson Burnt By Gangs

By Staff Writer

News Americas, PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, Tues. July 8, 2025: One of Haiti’s most treasured architectural landmarks, the iconic Hotel Oloffson, was reduced to ashes this week after gang members reportedly set fire to the property in the upscale Pacot neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.

The hotel’s owner, Richard Auguste Morse, confirmed the devastating loss via social media.

“The Hotel Oloffson has burned to the ground…” Morse posted on X (formerly Twitter), marking a somber end to the centuries-old cultural institution.

Authorities have attributed the arson attack to the notorious “Viv Ansanm” gang coalition, which continues to sow chaos across the capital. The destruction of the Oloffson represents not just a loss of property, but a blow to Haiti’s historical and cultural fabric.

The front of the Victorian-style Grand Hotel Olaffson in Port au Prince, Haiti before it was burnt by gangs in July 2025.

Built entirely of wood in the intricate “gingerbread” architectural style, the hotel was originally constructed in the 1890s as a private residence for the family of Haitian President Tirésias Simon Sam (1896–1902). During the U.S. Marine occupation of Haiti beginning in 1915, the property was repurposed as a military hospital until the occupation ended in 1934.

In 1935, Swedish Navy Captain Werner Gustav Oloffson converted the building into a hotel, which quickly became a hub for artists, intellectuals, and global celebrities. Over the decades, it hosted names such as Jackie Onassis Kennedy, Mick Jagger, Graham Greene, and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

However, the hotel’s popularity waned during the 1980s under the repressive regime of Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier. In 1987, musician and cultural figure Richard Morse took over as owner and began reviving the space with weekly performances by his band RAM and other cultural events, reestablishing the Oloffson as a heartbeat of Haitian artistic life.

Despite its legacy, the hotel had not been accepting guests in recent months due to escalating gang violence in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. The fire marks yet another tragic chapter in Haiti’s ongoing security crisis.

Photos circulating online show the once-vibrant structure reduced to smoldering ruins – a haunting image of a nation struggling to preserve its cultural identity amid lawlessness and unrest.