Petion-Ville - Haiti Observer Blog

Petion-Ville, is going to be home to Haiti's first U.S. luxury hotel, a Best Western, just outside Port-au-Prince. The country is desperate for private investors to inject much-needed revenue into their sagging economy, especially after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010 leveled it to the ground.

Carabimmo, owner of Best Western Hotels, had the foresight to recognize a void existed for business travelers in Haiti. He contracted with Haitian-based Aimbridge Hospitality, to operate the 2,000 square-foot property, the Best Western Premier Petion-Ville, a luxury hotel that will serve business travelers, set to open fall 2012.

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Laurent Lamothe, Haiti's new Prime Minister (PM), flew to New York on June 16, 2012 to conduct exploratory talks with Haiti Consul General Charles Forbin about New York labor laws. As part of his visit, PM Lamothe was scheduled to meet with Oscar-winning Actor, Robert De Niro, to discuss his plans to build a hotel in Haiti. If the actor commits to building one, this would be more good news for Haiti, who needs to ramp up its tourism trade as part of the recovery effort from 2010's earthquake, which completely leveled the Port-au-Prince region. Recently, U.S. Best Western began construction on a luxury hotel in Petionville, near Port-au-Prince.

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Haiti's 2010 earthquake, which shook the country to its foundations, especially Port-au-Prince, displaced tens of thousands of Haitians. They were reduced to living in the streets, without adequate sanitation. Nine months later in October of 2010, a cholera epidemic began, and has continued afflicting the poorest segment of Haitians, many of whom remain living in tent cities.

The Ministry of Public Sanitation and the Population has recorded 581,952 cases of cholera as of July 2012, with a 7,455 death tally since October 2010. A noticeable rise in cholera cases have been reported since early 2012 in Centre, Nord, and Port-au-Prince. Port-au-Prince neighborhoods reporting cases of cholera include: Carrefour, Cité Soleil, Delmas, Kenscoff, Petionville, and Tabarre.

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Jimmy Jean-Louis, birthdate of August 8, 1968, is a Haitian-actor-model, who found fame as "The Haitian" in Heroes, an NBC series. He lived in Pétionville, near Port-au-Prince, from infancy, until at 12 he immigrated with his family to Paris, to begin a modeling career.

There Jimmy Jean-Louis studied at Academie International de Dance. By 1991 producers discovered him dancing at a French club and hired him for a Coca-Cola print advertisement, which was highly successful. This opportunity raised his modeling profile and enabled him to work with haute couture fashion designers, Gianfranco Ferré and Valentino.

He had come a long way, from his homeless days in Paris to dancing in videos with the likes of Mariah Carey, Seal, and George Michael. He continued dancing and acting in musical theater, and getting exposure in an erotic French TV program.

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The 56 year old Guiteau Toussaint who is the current President of the Board of Directors for Haiti National Bank of Credit ( Banque Nationale de Crédit (BNC), was assassinated yesterday, Sunday June 11, in Petion-Ville Haiti.

According to Haiti National Police, several individuals entered the residence of Mr. Guiteau Toussaint in Petion-Ville, to rob him. The "Haitian Joudalist" learned that he was shot in the head and while being taken to the hospital for treatment, passed away.

The report also stated that the bandits left the home with jewelry and other valuables

Mr. Guiteau Toussaint was planning to debut his new mortgage program in a ceremony where president Michel Martelly was expected to attend

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For the past seven days, Haiti has been getting more than its fair share with heavy rain in the Port-au-Prince region. According to Haiti's Civil Protection Department, so far a total of 13 people has been reported dead. However, according to officials, this number is likely to rise as the Haitian authority are assessing the damage caused by the recent rain and flood.

On Monday night, the southern region of Haiti received between four and six inches of rain within a six hour period. The rain has caused floods and mudslides. The situation got so bad that some people to find refuge on their rooftops.

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It was reported that the Actor turned humanitarian Sean Penn excused himself from the Dubai Film Festival this week as he was scheduled to receive a lifetime achievement award to fly to Haiti because as he stated "the situation in the crisis-hit country has worsened".

Sean Penn's JP, Haitian Relief Organization, manages a large tent city on what used to be the Petion Ville Country Club. The Actor turned humanitarian.

Penn arrived in Haiti immediately following the 2010 earthquake of January 21 that killed close to 300,000 people. Founded with philanthropist Diana Jenkins, Sean Penn's JP, Haitian Relief Organization started to work drainage around Port-au-Prince. Shortly after that, Sean Penn's organization has become responsible for a tend city on the grounds of a former golf club in Petion Ville.

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