I was travelling with my boyfriend, who is Haitian, and a very dear friend of mine, who had never been to Haiti (or anywhere like it) before, and I really wanted my friend to see the beauty and potential in this singular country. Cormier Plage did exactly that. The beach is incomparable -- sandy and clean with the nicest waters I have yet experienced in the Caribbean -- and the hotel owns a small boat and provides snorkeling trips to nearby reefs and islands, a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. Rooms are huge, all with private porches or balconies facing the water, and although the linens and toiletries are not of the best quality, the spaciousness and comfort of the rooms more than make up for this. We spent very little time in our rooms at any rate, so these small deficiencies did not in any way lessen our enjoyment. Surrounded by lush vegetation and decorated with fresh flowers taken from the grounds, the structure that houses the bar and restaurant, along with a breezy, cozy sitting area was surprisingly elegant, which was a happy surprise. We spent every evening there,enjoying drinks, fresh air, and company; there were moments where it seemed that we were experiencing the best of all possible worlds. Perhaps most worthy of praise is the restaurant, which is rated as one of the top seafood restaurants in Haiti, no small feat. My friend had lobster every night and she and the boyfriend enjoyed their food so much, I was truly desolate that I am allergic to shellfish and could not share their gastronomic bliss. Breakfast and dinner are included in the rates, and they take your dinner order early to ensure that they are able to provide the freshest food possible, most of it taken straight from the sea in front of you by local divers armed with snorkels and small pikes. Also, I am a vegetarian (but eat fish, eggs, and dairy) and was never disappointed by my options or my food, which is rare in meat-loving Haiti. Meals were served by an impeccably trained staff; the manager (who speaks English fluently) and bar tender were similarly competent, friendly, and accommodating. What I loved best about Cormier was that although it appears to do a fair amount of business, it is generally quiet and relaxed; one never felt like just another touron flooding just another mass-production mega-resort. Nothing compares to this hotel, truly. It is worth the inconvenience of the dilapidated access road and in the end, we stayed an extra night before heading back down the coast to Port-au-Prince and my friend, who is well-travelled and had spent a week at a top-rated Hawaiian resort just the week before coming to Haiti, pronounced Cormier Plage to be her favorite vacation spot -- ever.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC