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Wednesday 12-12, was the opening night gala of Haiti’s Royal Oasis; 5 stars*****
I received a highly coveted invitation to one of the most talked about and anticipated events in Haiti, the opening of The Royal Oasis Hotel. To add to my delight, one of my favorite local designers, Prisca Milliance offered to dress me. Prisca recently created an amazing gown and other looks that Miss Haiti will be wearing in the Miss Universe pageant. So needless to say I was excited! She gave me carte blanche, and I selected a beautiful beaded and embroidered skirt made of silk chiffon sari from her Mina Tinera Line. She said she would leave the styling to me of course.
As I arrived at the grand 10 level structure that is
The Royal Oasis hotel, I
immediately got the feeling of showing up to an award show. Cars
pulling up to the gates, one by one, as spectators packed along the sidelines hoping
to catch a glimpse of someone “famous”. At
times even cheering as the car doors opened, revealing their mystery guest. Once inside the gates, you move across the red
carpet to a large outdoor space where the festivities were taking place. Now, I wont say it cause I hate when peoples say, “I felt like I
was in Miami” as if it were impossible in Haiti, but this was beyond. Haiti has some of the most beautifully crafted elegant sites and Royal Oasis is one such
example.
Nature was the main design element here, where locally
grown and cultivated items such as bamboo, and orchids filled the space. Small tranquil pools of water were surrounded
by beautiful flowers, and lounge seating were scattered about for guest
to sit on. Singers Mikaben and Belo took
turns entertaining the crowd of almost 800 people; government officials,
foreign diplomats, and who’s who of Haiti. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails were passed around by well
dressed wait staff, as guest socialized.
The official part of the evening took place with several
key people, and President Michel Martelly, addressing guest before cutting the
ribbon and officially opening the doors of Haiti’s Royal Oasis Hotel. I was again lucky enough to be part of a small
group invited along with Martelly, to be the first to tour the hotel. You first step into the grand lobby with its high
ceilings and notice the front desk with an amazing wall design made of
beautiful blue tiles. I was happy to see,
that though very modern, there were hints of traditional Haiti everywhere. From the colorfully beaded vases that adorned
a wall in the lobby, to the handmade chairs used in the rooms. The rooms…what can I say? You can almost understand the almost $300
USD/night bill. The rooms are very
spacious, with a clear attention to detail, and all the amenities of any
stateside hotel. Most rooms look onto
the beautiful courtyard garden, and others get to marvel at the luxury boutique
across the walkway.
It was a long three
year wait, but well worth it, Haiti now has an amazing 5 star hotel and it’s
called The Royal Oasis.
Testing out the bed in the junior suite
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| Shirt: Ralph Lauren Skirt: Mina Tinera Shoes: Gucci |
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| With actor Jimmy Jean Louis
HM
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** TO FOLLOW, PLEASE GO ALL THE WAY OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT AND A DROP DOWN MENU WILL APPEAR...WELCOME!
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