Look at the photos of the Hotel's webside and if you like them just go there! Nothing is new, but it is probably the most charming place I have ever been and the staff is great! I felt safe and at home away from home! Great food, art, views.....and... and...and...!

Just what I needed when I wanted to escape the scene of Pétionville and have an unexpected experience. I loved the artsy feeling, music dj by the pool, the cracking uneven floors. Don't expect anything spotless and modern, it seems to be about to colapse but reason more to see it before it does and hey, it survived the quake afterall!

I stayed here on two separate nights. For the first, I was in room 5. The bathroom itself had mold on the upper parts of the walls, which really should be addressed. This didn't bother me at all, but if I was staying longer or had allergy issues, I might have been upset. The other night I stayed in room 9 (Jean Claude Van Damme), which had absolutely no problems. I don't have high expectations in Haiti because of the difficulties of running a business and because of the lack of comfort I could experience in a less secure place in Haiti. Unfortunately the Oloffson's wifi did not reach out to the cheaper ($100) rooms so I had to work from the crowded restaurant off of battery power.

The hotel always has an interesting mix of people. If you're around long enough you might run into Haitian elite, activists, politicians, celebrities, etc. if that's your thing. In the theater space in the yard the artists from Grand Rue were selling some of their work, which was welcome since it made them more accessible. I don't know the Grande Rue and I'm sure many would be hesitant to visit on their own.

Service in the restaurant was decent by American standards. By Haitian standards that translates to "amazing." I was recently at Jet Set in Petionville where it took us an hour to get our bill and we were literally the only non-staff in the restaurant. Service can vary in Haiti, but it typically varies from bad to awful. That's not to say that the Oloffson's staff don't have room for improvement. When I went to check out a waiter presented me with a bill for food I hadn't eaten. Luckily, they didn't press it and accepted my initial refusal.

Overall, two really great experiences. Catch a RAM show if you can.

If you are artistic, a political lefty, lover of Haiti, all of these, you will love the Oloffson. I was there before, during and after the earthquake. It is and remained even during earthquake streses, the Greenwich Village of Haiti. Of course the famous press stayed at the Plaza, but the intelligent press remained at the Oloffson. It is the place where the intelligentsia feel comfortable. The collection of art is astounding. Some pieces were damaged by the quake, but many survived because the hotel is wood, built over 100 years ago. I was sitting on the porch and heard the horrible sounds of building around us falling, but we only swayed as the land beneath our feet became unstable. We had no idea that over 150,000 people had died. They continued service. Rarely was there not a choice of food. i have no idea how they did it. A loyal staff. Richard, the hotelier's terrific wife and children, all did their best for us. I lost my shoes and walked around in Richard's son's huge sandals for days. I got wonderful photos, though, because anyone on the streets could see that I had been there for the quake. I recommend this hotel above all others. I loved my stay and want to hurry back.