15 Nov 2001
The Florita is a 19th century French
townhouse, shipped to Haiti piece by piece I believe, and more a bed and
breakfast than a hotel. It once belonged to Seldon Rodman and is now owned by
an American, Joe Cross. The Florita is simply the most beautiful house I've
seen in Haiti. There are four bedrooms in the main house and I think four
more in a connected building. The rooms in the main house are large and airy
with French doors opening up either onto the interior courtyard or onto a
large verandah overlooking the Rue du Commerce. The rooms are furnished with
antique canopy beds, other period pieces, ceiling fans and the walls are
covered with the work of local artists. Downstairs on the second floor is the
kitchen, dining room and a large salon with a television, VCR, videos and a
small but good English language library. The first floor has a bar and has
been converted into a dining area where they serve lunch and perhaps dinner
as well now. The interior courtyard is stunning: faded pink brick, flowering
almond trees, bougainvillea and a small fountain. The prices are a bit
steep--comparable with the Jacmelien down the block--but if you can afford
it, it's well worth the cost. The house is blissfully peaceful, well run,
with 24 hr electricity and hot water and the sound of the ocean lulls you to
sleep at night. I used to go there when I really needed a relaxing break from
everything.
Here's the contact information I have for the Florita:
Hotel Florita
Rue du Commerce #29
Tel: 288 2805
Fax: 288 3182
| TOURISM | MAIN HAITI PAGE |
| Art, Music, & Dance | Book Reviews | Film | History | Library | Literature |
| Mailing List | Miscellaneous Topics | Notes on Books | People to People | Voodoo |