Haiti’s luxury brand hotel is a showcase for Haitian art

PETIONVILLE, Haiti — To followers of high fashion and the latest Haiti design trends, she is the young, hip luxury designer whose $600 handbags and beaded leather accessories are must-haves among the fashionista set.

But step into the first U.S.-brand hotel to open in Haiti in 15 years, the Best Western Premier, and another side of Haitian designer Pascale Théard quickly emerges.

“I want people to see that Haitian art can be extremely modern,” said Théard, 38, the creative eye behind the locally inspired touches that have transformed the upscale hotel from ordinary to contemporary, Avant-garde Haitian.