The Hôtel Montana is a four star luxury hotel in

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

. It is located on Rue Frank Cardozo, Bourdon on one of the only three main roads connecting the capital to its southeastern outskirt city

Pétion-Ville Pétion-Ville (; ) is a commune and a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the hills east and separate from the city itself on the northern hills of the Massif de la Selle. Founded in 1831 by president Jean-Pierre Boyer, it was named after Alexa ...

. It was one of the most luxurious hotels in Haiti until it was destroyed by the

2010 Haiti earthquake The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake that struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (departm ...

. It opened in 1947 and remained a family-owned institution. It welcomed international personalities (heads of State, ministers, diplomats, famous actors and businessmen).

History

Hotel Beau-Site

The hotel was built in 1947 on the plans of the architect Franck Cardozo and inaugurated on the occasion of the bicentenary of the foundation of the city of Port-au-Prince. The establishment was then called the "Hotel Beau-Site" (English translation "Beautiful Site Hotel") and stood on the hillside, rue Franck Cardozo. It offered 12 rooms with views of the Haitian capital and the bay that opens off onto the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere, located south of the Gulf of Mexico and southwest of the Sargasso Sea. It is bounded by the Greater Antilles to the north from Cuba ...

View of Port-au-Prince from Hotel Montana

Hôtel Montana

Subsequently, the hotel's popularity grew and its installations followed suit. By 2005 the building stood on seven floors and had 145 rooms. By 2009, the hotel had a swimming pool, shops, eight conference rooms and a small chapel. The flagship of hotels of Haiti, it was classified four-star hotel. The hotel accommodated the international jet-set as well as politicians and businessmen from around the world. The former US President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

, the Governor General of Canada,

Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian former journalist who served as the 27th governor general of Canada from 2005 to 2010. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person to hold this office. Jean was the Organisation i ...

, and the actor

Brad Pitt William Bradley Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. In a Brad Pitt filmography, film career spanning more than thirty years, Pitt has received list of awards and nominations received by Brad Pitt, numerous a ...

had stayed there among others. On 12 January 2010, at 4:53 pm, a 7.0M earthquake shook Haiti. The 45-second shock-wave caused the collapse of the hotel and many other landmarks. The government of Haiti estimated that 250,000

residences A residence is a place (normally a building) used as a home or dwelling, where people reside. Residence or The Residence may also refer to: * Domicile (law), a legal term for residence * Habitual residence, a civil law term dealing with the s ...

and 30,000

commercial building Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

s had collapsed or were severely damaged. In just a few minutes, the hotel became a heap of white stone and twisted steel wires causing an estimated 200 of 300 guests to be reported missing the day after the collapse. The hotel donated what could be salvaged from its freezers to restaurant Muncheez, which was at the time working as a community soup kitchen, serving free meals. Hotel Montana Haiti - Memorial Garden

The complete demolition of hotel buildings still rising among the ruins began on 28 January, 2010. With the encouragements of staff and guests, the hotel's reconstruction was set in motion. As of April 2011, the hotel underwent reconstruction, with the bar, pool, restaurant and some rooms already being open to guests. The hotel dedicated a quiet garden on-site for those who were victims of the tragic earthquake. Fifty-two people lost their lives, including a seven-year-old member of the owners' family. Every year, a mass is held on the memorial in remembrance of the victims of the tragedy. The hotel reopened with eight rooms, but eventually added dozens more.

References

External links

"Fearful relatives focus on collapsed hotel"
''thestar.com'', 15 January 2010 – includes video clip
Lonely Planet hotel profile
* {{2010 Haiti earthquake Hotels in Haiti Hotel buildings completed in 1946

Hotel Montana The Hotel Montana may refer to *The Hôtel Montana The Hôtel Montana is a Hotel rating, four star luxury hotel in Haiti. It is located on Rue Frank Cardozo, Bourdon on one of the only three main roads connecting the capital to its southeastern ...

Hotels established in 1946

2010 disestablishments in Haiti Buildings and structures demolished in 2010 Pétion-Ville