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Reviews of Hotel Oloffson

3 out of 5
Hotel Oloffson
Ave Christophe #60, Port-au-Prince

Reviews

7.6

Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 23 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 28 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 10 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 11 out of 75 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 75 reviews" "

7.6/10

Cleanliness

7.4/10

Staff & service

7.6/10

Amenities

6.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
If one is interested in "glitz", the Oloffson is not your place. It is very full of history (read Graham Greene's The Comedians, set here during Duvalier years). The place and rooms are unique, clean, certainly functional and with fascinating grounds.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2020

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Business traveler
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The atmosphere is enchanting. The rooms are large and comfortable with nice showers. The food is well prepared and very reasonably priced - and the view from the dining room is calming. The Hotel Oloffson is a historic property with much charm but not as much upkeep. While the facilities are well maintained, they are a bit stodgy and parts of the grounds are still in disrepair. Air conditioning is not available during the day. WiFi works well in the common areas but doesn’t reach the rooms. And of course nothing beats the famous Rhum Punch -especially when you can enjoy it on a night that RAM is playing!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Patricia

It is a beautiful and charming place. Service is slow and breakfast is way too little. Our shower was running for no reasons from time to time with no way to stop it...However, I still recommend for people to experience this unique landmark. The Thursday night RAM night is amazing.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

2/10 Terrible

DS

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
I arrived at the hotel and they informed me they did not have a room available and there was nothing they could do for me. I was not able to check in and I had to go to another hotel. I received no advance notice. I nowmust fight through my credit card company not to be charged for the room I paid for in advance.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Mardi, Toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We stayed at the Oloffson based purely on the history of the place. It's a stately old property (classic "gingerbread house") that we enjoyed staying at for a couple of days mid-trip around Haiti. Our room was quiet (not in the main house) and very large. We had good hot water, a huge fan and aircon (though the electricity went out intermittently) and slept comfortably, despite the absence of proper curtains on the windows (just lace). Hotel staff was very friendly and accommodating (they let us leave our rental car and some luggage with them for 3 days while we visited Can Haitien) and were always very pleasant and helpful. Breakfast was just some bread with jam/ peanut butter/ butter and coffee but there were a few other items you could purchase (fruit etc...). We didn't get the chance to enjoy a drink at the bar or eat in the restaurant but it was a lovely space. Don't miss the RAM concerts on Thuesdays (they were not playing the week we were there but we caught them at a different location on another night).
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

Trevor

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wish the condition of the country was safer.
Location, amenities, special prices and service.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
I was very comfortable with the bed size. The art works were great and reminded me of the greater Haiti
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

4/10 Poor

Fabyby, Valley stream, NY

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Need to have a better service and a cleaner area. The breakfast service was not good.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The grounds were very unique, neat place for visitors to take in the voodoo culture
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2018

2/10 Terrible

Raquel

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Arrived for check in the evening. There wasn't any signs to make it easy. When we arrived for check in, they gave us keys for two rooms. But later brought me back to tell me that my reservation was for one room. She showed me the reservation and I pointed out it was for two (it said multi room booking, 2 of 2 rooms). The staff refused to call Expedia and kept us standing around for the longest to try to get us to pay additional $115 for room. In addition to the three hour check in, the food was the smallest portions ever - not good - and they charged is $107 for 5 meals. Breakfast was $63 and the food was cold. The beds were dusty and there were stains on towels and sheets
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2018

10/10 Excellent

Barbara

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Atmosphere and Comfort
If there is a hotel in Port au Prince with more character, I can't imagine what it is. The Oloffoson is in a class by itself. You can feel the atmosphere is not drastically changed from when Graham Greene used it as a setting for "The Comedians." The restaurant food is good, but the menu is limited. The voodoo accoutrements displayed on the grounds are (I think) for decoration, and they do add atmosphere. The rooms, each named for a past famous patron, are clean and comfortable. The hotel is walled and feels secure. I would definitely happily return to the Oloffoson on my next trip to Haiti.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2018

4/10 Poor

niko

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Room was very unpleasant, TV not working in the room, , discomfort inside the Room, but staff was nice to me, That's the only good thing I can remember about this staying.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2018

8/10 Good

Audrey

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Definitely stay here~Beautiful place,rich history!
No Complaints-- wonderful place in a great area of the city!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness
Descent for the price
The staff's have not fully grasped the full concept of customer service. I have stayed there two days, and had to request towel for both days. Wanted to take a swim but the pool was dirty.However, the food was exquisite and the whole aspect of the 17th century was impressive to say the least. With that say, i would not mind giving it another try because I presumed it was due to the carnival season.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

4/10 Poor

Carmel

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
There was no hot water the entire stay couldn’t take no shower because the water was cold
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018

4/10 Poor

Emd, England

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Although I wasn't expecting loads, given Haiti's levels of infrastructure, it does seem this hotel is trading off its legacy. Given the price of the room, the hotel is tired and old, the staff were completely indifferent. The 'standard room' has no towels, no hot water, no toiletries, no WiFi, no view. Such a shame.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

6/10 Okay

Rudy, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Good Character Hotel
This hotel is close to downtown Port au Prince. It has lots of character and history. There is voodoo art everywhere, which is very interesting. When we arrived they didn't seem to know about our Expedia booking. We had booked a deluxe room and needed a rollaway bed because we were travelling with our adult daughter. They ended up giving us an upgraded room in one of the cottages with two queen beds instead. The staff were friendly enough, and the food was good. Breakfast was bread with peanut butter and jam and a couple of cold cereals, coffee and tea. My understanding is that breakfast isn't a big deal in Haiti. The rum punches were very good. It was nice to have the pool to cool off. The air-conditioning didn't work, but this is probably more a function of the lack of state electricity than anything. Because we needed to keep the windows open for cooling, the street noise was a bit of an issue, but you're gong to find that anywhere in PaP.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

John, Austin, TX

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Oloffson is a cultural institution.
There are many more polished hotels in Haiti, but staying at the Oloffson is experience that every visitor to Haiti should have. The rooms vary in refinement, this is a 140 year old hotel, but most are quite nice, the beds comfortable and the space is more than adequate, but the real draw to this hotel is the mixture of cultures--ex pats, visiting artists, locals that you'll find here, especially on Thursday nights when RAM plays. I'm a writer, and the storied history of the hotel was the first draw for me (Graham Greene set much of The Comedians here and was a regular), but I've kept coming back because of the social environment that exist here. You meet memorable people every time you come. The internet may go off for an hour, and some other little electrical hiccup might occur from time to time, but there is nothing sterile or westernized about the place. And RAM, the resident band is one of the most relevant experiences that you can have in PAP. I keep coming back, and every experience is rich. In my travels, I could not recommend a place more.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2017

6/10 Okay

Genevieve , Atl

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Neutral
This hotel has a long history and I wanted to stay there for that reason . It's very dated, TV in the room doesn't work, nice simple breakfast in the morning, one friendly dog on site. RAM performs every Thursday at the hotel, no admission fee if you're a guest. Not to forget, the staff is very friendly.
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

junior, New york

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Great place to be in haiti, I love the atmosphere there, the staff are really friendly, close to place jeremie and only 10 to 15 minutes to champ de mars
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everything about this hotel is great - the staff, rooms, music, food and drink are all fantastic!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

Andrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
You must go to the Oloffson
The Oloffson is one of the few remaining great hotels in the world. You could stay in a sterile, anodyne hotel in Petionville but you would be missing out. The Oloffson is a treasure and you would do yourself a disservice not visiting. I cannot recommend it enough.

8/10 Good

Vernon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Plenty of character. Original "gingerbread " house. Rooms in the main house have certainly seen better days. Some rooms have a great patio.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
historic hotel
great atmosphere at this historic hotel

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This place is epic cultural art, with music on Thursday night that lights up the town, Kompas Rock Fusion. Food is excellent, staff is gracious

10/10 Excellent

anthony, san francisco

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Haiti at her best!
This stay was worth the trip alone. Amazing performance from legendary Haitian band RAM on Thursday night and a very friendly staff. I loved it here so much that my one night stay became 3!

4/10 Poor

Mark, New Zealand

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Personal indulgence by the owner?
I had read about the interesting history of this hotel and was really looking forward to staying there. Unfortunately I was very disappointed. The staff seemed very surly and disinterested. I dont expect perfect English in a French-speaking country but I expected more English from reception and restaurant staff given that this is regarded as one of the better hotels in Haiti. There was no hot water at all in the room and this appeared to be a permanent state of affairs.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Fascinating property with amazing Haitian art. The service is a bit slow, but not unpleasant.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Old, neat historical place.
First, I realize this is Haiti, not the developed world. But, pool was to dirty to see through. I was bummed. Otherwise the people were super nice, it was clean, great rhum punch. I want to come back for this band everyone was talking about.

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A superior hotel with a lot of character.

8/10 Good

Andre

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Robert, Minneapolis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Good place to meet people that enjoy adventure and sharing conversation. Seems like a place that journalists, photographers and authors would hang out.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
The Olofsson was great, be sure to stay for a Thursday night to see the band. Beautiful place.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Room comfort
A classic historical a hotel -seen better days
The front desk was inconsistent. When I arrived, the person at reception was not all that welcoming. However, the staff member on another day was much friendlier and willing to assist me with some questions that I had. The room was very, very basic. It had all the charms and quirkiness of an aging hotel. The food was decent, but not great. Location was excellent – able to walk to the center of town. Overall, felt safe in this area of the city.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

4/10 Poor

Lee Merril, Manhattan Beach, CA

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stay was fine. Service was extremely slow and took an hour to get food. Towels were hard to get.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Could be a lot better
This hotel has such potential. Kooky vodou sculptures. History. A live band every Thursday night. But, especially at these prices, it *could* be so much more. Better food. Up-to-date and working hardware. Etc. Etc.

6/10 Okay

Lee Merril

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The stay was comfortable however service was significantly challenging. We would order a meal and it would take an hour to come. Very challenging to check in and out. Could not find reservations. We had to ask for towels.

4/10 Poor

Edward, San Francisco, CA

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
Unique, but should be much more
The Hotel Oloffson is a unique, special, and historic place rescued by owner Richard Morse in the 1990s that features an exciting show by his band every Thursday night. However, the food is subpar; the service is weird; and everything is slowly falling into further disrepair. Mr. Morse has an opportunity to make the Oloffson an example of a place that shows both the soul of Haiti as well as its potential for advancement. Right now, it shows only the soul—a soul that still feels a bit too much like despair.

10/10 Excellent

Natasha, Brooklyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My Favorite Hotel on Earth
There is nowhere like the venerable Hotel Oloffson. The staff are gracious and accommodating, the rooms superb, the rhum punches legendary. I cannot wait to return!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Real Port au Prince
There are many reasons why this is a legendary hotel: large rooms with high ceilings, fantastic verandahs overlooking beautiful setting ( I was in one of 3 suites ), an otherworldly charm, history. The staff is wonderful, the bar a throwback to earlier times and the food is very good.

10/10 Excellent

Daniel, New York

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
One of the world's great hotels
The Oloffson is a legend, and the standards are still high. The excellent restaurant on the terrace is an added plus.

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Historic Charm, but in a Dire State of Neglect
The Oloffson may have the old-Haiti charm of the famous gingerbread architecture, and it's lively Thursday night concerts (RAM) are unrivaled, but it appears the management is coasting on its reputation. The rooms in the older part of the hotel are totally neglected. Consider the following: (i) the window AC unit is precariously askew, works intermittently, and the exposed electrical wiring threaten to shock a passerby; (ii) there is no furniture, only evidence of a past bureau given the outline on the wall of where it was once painted around; (iii) the bathroom mirror is plopped against the wall and stained with drops of brown paint; (iv) dust and crumbled concrete litter the upper edges of the shower; (v) water pressure is close to a trickle; and (vi) the staff, as kind as they are, regularly forget to bring towels or fill the clean water pitcher. All these issues would be acceptable if the hotel were priced accordingly (at, say, $20/night), but at $94/night it's grossly over-priced. I recommend staying at the Le Plaza Hotel up the road, where $81/night provides you a respectable 3-star hotel.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Oloffson is a unique glimpse of Haiti. The ambience and design of the hotel and grounds is wonderful. The room are nice, though not super fancy (like some of the new hotels in Petionville). The food is fine, though you don't really go there for the food. Rum sours are great. Definitely worth a visit.

8/10 Good

Damien, Cap-Haïtien

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Charm and atmosphere
Definitely not the highest comfort and level of service you can get in Port-au-Prince for that price but it is still the place to stay if you like your hotels with personality. I will go back for one of the RAM concerts on thursday.

6/10 Okay

Steven

8/10 Good

Antoinette, Palo Alto, CA

Funky but fun. This was my third visit.
It's difficult to answer "Would I recommend the Olaffson to a friend. It definitely depends on the friend. Some would love the hotel as I do, but not everyone is into shabby chic. like the Olaffson much better than the rating indicates. It's not a place for everyone, but I love it. The "steamboat Gothic" architecture is totally unique. The views are spectacular. It's a quiet oasis, a place to relax after the hustle, bustle and PRESSURE of down town Port-au-Prince. The dining room staff are a bit slow moving (by U.S. standards) but well intentioned; they're nice people. I look forward to returning some day.