Choice Hotels International, a franchise of American hotel will open this year 2 new hotels in Jacmel. Choice Hotels controls more than 6,000 franchised hotels totaling more than 485.000 rooms in the United States and in 35 other countries.

A spokesman for the Maryland-based company said that the hotels "Comfort Inn", with a capacity of 32 rooms will be operational by May 2011 in Jacmel.

On the other hand, the same businessmen are planning to launch at the end of the year the construction of a luxury hotel, the "Ascend Collection" with a capacity of 120 rooms in the area's new Belle Rive development project, which will also include a residential community, retail, dining, entertainment, recreational and marina facilities. The hotel "Ascend Collection" will be the second of its kind in the Caribbean after the "Le Consulat hotel" of San Juan (Puerto Rico) opened in late 2008.

These two projects represent the first significant investment in hotel infrastructure in Haiti for decades.

"Choice is extremely proud to take a leadership position in revitalizing Haiti's tourism product," said Brian Parker, vice president of emerging markets and new business development for Choice Hotels.

Lesley Kernisant, President of the Société Immobilière d’Agriculture, de Commerce et de Tourisme (SIMACT), founded in 1996 by Haitian professionals, welcomed the timeliness of this initiative "The new collaborative relationship between Choice Hotels and SIMACT will have a significantly positive impact on the burgeoning tourism industry of the southeastern coast of Haiti."

Article by S/ HaitiLibre