Oloffson Hotel Fire: A Memory Destroyed by Armed Gangs and the Absence of the State

On the night of July 6-7, 2025, the Oloffson Hotel, an iconic landmark in Port-au-Prince, was ravaged by a fire attributed to armed gangs operating in the capital. This jewel of Haitian heritage, known for its gingerbread architecture and cultural history, is now nothing more than a pile of rubble.

A place of intellectual, artistic, and diplomatic gatherings for over a century, the Oloffson symbolized a living part of national memory. It hosted writers, journalists, artists, and even film stars. Its destruction therefore goes beyond mere physical destruction: it is a fragment of collective identity that is disappearing.

According to several witnesses, heavily armed men entered the area before the flames engulfed the building. No police intervention was reported, confirming once again the authorities’ powerlessness in the face of the armed groups that now control several neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince.

It should be remembered that the house that housed Oloffson was built by Démosthène Simon Sam, son of former President Tiresias Simon Sam. The Sams lived there until 1915, after Vilbrun Guillaume Sam was appointed president.

The United States would use this deed to land in Haiti. Throughout the American occupation, from 1915 to 1934, the Oloffson residence served as a military hospital.