Christopher Hotel

Christopher Hotel, also known as Hotel Christopher, was a three-star hotel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Built into a hillside overlooking the capital, the five-story property had 74 rooms and became closely associated with international diplomacy, Haitian political activity, and the United Nations peacekeeping presence in the country. It was selected in 2004 to house the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, commonly known by its French acronym MINUSTAH. The hotel was chosen through a local assessment that reportedly found it to be one of the few premises in Port-au-Prince able to satisfy the mission's requirements for space, water, and electricity. Its location was also considered relatively safe in 2004. A 2008 statement from the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations said that the mission paid monthly rent of US$94,000 to a private individual identified as Dr. Gerard Desir. The property's role as a UN headquarters made it an important operational site, but also placed it at the center of later questions about building safety and emergency preparedness. Before the earthquake, the hotel had hosted or been involved in several significant Haitian events. In 1993, Port-au-Prince mayor Evans Paul reportedly survived an assassination attempt at the property. The Haitian Civic Political Front held its first congress there in 1999. In 2005, a Filipino UN peacekeeper was shot by a sniper at the hotel, underscoring the security risks surrounding the mission and the broader instability in Haiti. The hotel was reportedly not compliant with the UN's Minimum Operational Safety Standard. The mission's 2009 procurement plan allegedly included a US$400,000 allocation intended to bring the premises into compliance, although the available reference material does not establish whether the work was completed. On 12 January 2010, a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Haiti and caused the hotel to collapse. Numerous people were trapped, injured, or killed. UN head of mission Hédi Annabi, deputy head Luiz Carlos da Costa, and international police commander Doug Coates died in the collapse. More than 150 UN personnel were initially reported missing. A Chinese rescue team recovered the remains of ten people, including the three senior UN officials and eight Chinese nationals who had been meeting with them, on 16 January. Senior UN humanitarian officer Jens Kristensen survived after being trapped for five days and was rescued by a team from Virginia Beach, Virginia. The hotel was not restored as an operating property and is treated as defunct.

Christopher Hotel was a three-star, 74-room hotel constructed into a hillside in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Its elevated setting provided views over the capital and helped make it a notable hospitality property, although its precise opening date and original developer are not identified in the available reference material. The hotel also accommodated institutional and political activity, becoming a site whose importance extended beyond ordinary tourism. In 1993, Evans Paul, then mayor of Port-au-Prince, reportedly escaped an assassination attempt at the hotel. Six years later, the Haitian Civic Political Front held its first congress there. These events reflected the hotel's role as a venue in the political life of Haiti during periods of substantial instability. In 2005, a Filipino United Nations peacekeeper was shot by a sniper at the property, illustrating the security environment faced by international personnel operating in the capital. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti established its headquarters at Christopher Hotel in 2004. According to a 2008 statement from the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, the selection followed a local analytical process. The assessment reportedly concluded that the property was among the few locations in Port-au-Prince able to provide the mission with sufficient space, water, and power. The same statement said that the neighborhood had been considered one of the safer areas of the city in 2004. The UN was reported to pay monthly rent of US$94,000 to a private individual, Dr. Gerard Desir. The arrangement later attracted attention because the hotel allegedly did not satisfy the UN's Minimum Operational Safety Standard. The mission's 2009 procurement plan reportedly contained a US$400,000 provision for work intended to bring the premises into compliance. The available reference does not establish whether the proposed work was completed, nor does it determine the extent to which any safety deficiencies contributed to the building's collapse. On 12 January 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude-7.0 earthquake. Christopher Hotel collapsed, trapping, injuring, and killing people inside. Hédi Annabi, the UN head of mission; Luiz Carlos da Costa, the deputy head; and Doug Coates, the international police commander and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police superintendent, were among those killed. More than 150 UN personnel were initially unaccounted for. Annabi, da Costa, and Coates had been meeting with eight Chinese nationals—four peacekeepers and four senior police officers—when the earthquake struck. A Chinese search-and-rescue team recovered the bodies of those ten people on 16 January 2010. Jens Kristensen, a senior humanitarian officer, survived five days beneath the rubble before being rescued by a team from Virginia Beach, Virginia. The destruction ended Christopher Hotel's operation as a hotel and headquarters. The property is therefore a defunct hotel brand and historical site rather than an active hospitality business.

• 2010

  Hotel destroyed by earthquake

  [1]Christopher Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The 12 January Haiti earthquake caused the collapse of Christopher Hotel and ended its operation.

• 2009

  Safety-compliance funding proposed

  [1]Christopher Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The MINUSTAH procurement plan reportedly included funding to address alleged non-compliance with the UN's Minimum Operational Safety Standard.

• 2005

  UN peacekeeper shot at the property

  [1]Christopher Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  A Filipino UN peacekeeper was shot by a sniper at Christopher Hotel.

• 2004

  MINUSTAH headquarters established at the hotel

  [1]Christopher Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti began using Christopher Hotel as its headquarters.

• 1999

  Haitian Civic Political Front congress

  [1]Christopher Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  The Haitian Civic Political Front held its first congress at the hotel.

• 1993

  Assassination attempt involving Port-au-Prince mayor

  [1]Christopher Hotelen.wikipedia.org

  Mayor Evans Paul reportedly escaped an assassination attempt at Christopher Hotel.

A mid-market, three-star hillside hotel positioned around accommodation, views over Port-au-Prince, and practical facilities suitable for institutional tenants. Its historical identity became more closely associated with hosting MINUSTAH and Haitian political events than with consumer-facing hotel marketing.

• Hotel accommodation

  Christopher Hotel accommodation

  The hotel's core offering was conventional lodging in a three-star, 74-room property built into a hillside above Port-au-Prince. The reference material does not provide room categories, amenities, rates, or detailed guest-service specifications.

• Business and institutional hospitality facilities · 2004

  Institutional headquarters and office facilities

  From 2004, Christopher Hotel provided space used by MINUSTAH as its headquarters. The site's value to the mission was linked to available space, water, power, and location rather than to a separately documented branded product line.

• 2010

  Closure following earthquake destructionOther

  Background

  A magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 while the hotel was serving as the MINUSTAH headquarters.

  Action taken

  The hotel ceased operations after collapsing during the earthquake.

  Aftermath

  The collapse caused extensive casualties among hotel occupants and UN personnel, and the property did not continue as an operating hotel.

  Source

• 2009

  Proposed safety-compliance workOther

  Background

  The hotel allegedly did not meet the UN's Minimum Operational Safety Standard.

  Action taken

  The MINUSTAH procurement plan reportedly allocated US$400,000 for measures intended to bring the premises into compliance.

  Aftermath

  The available source does not confirm whether the work was completed before the 2010 earthquake.

  Proposed safety-compliance allocation. US$400,000 allocated in the reported 2009 procurement plan (2009)

  Source

• 2004

  Selection as MINUSTAH headquartersStrategy

  Background

  The UN needed premises in Port-au-Prince with adequate space, water, and electricity. A local assessment reportedly identified Christopher Hotel as one of the few suitable sites and judged its neighborhood comparatively safe at the time.

  Action taken

  MINUSTAH established its headquarters at the hotel and continued operating there until the earthquake.

  Aftermath

  The hotel became a major UN operational site and reportedly received monthly rent of US$94,000 from the mission.

  Monthly rent. US$94,000 per month (Reported in a 2008 UN statement)

  Source

1. 1Christopher Hotelen.wikipedia.org