Broken Promises: Ducor Hotel

In the 1970s and 1980s, so many promises were made to Liberia and by Liberians. All of them would be broken over the next two decades. As part of a long term project I’m beginning, I plan to document the spaces of these broken promises. A couple of weeks back I posted about the Ministry of Defense, the first part of this series.
The Ducor Hotel was once a four star resort with a French restaurant and rooftop bar. The hotel promised to bring tourists and revenue to Liberia. Perched atop the highest hill in Monrovia, the view is breathtaking and the traces of grandeur are evident. During the war, the hotel became home to hundreds of squatters who left rural areas thinking Monrovia might be a bit safer. But war followed them to Monrovia.
After the war, many stayed until they were forcibly evicted a couple of years ago.
Now, the word on the street is that some Libyan investors have purchased the hotel and plan to renovate. Depending who you ask, they’ve been held up either because of the squatters still living in the area or because from the hotel, you can see straight into the American Embassy’s new compound.
The people living there just wait for life to make another decision for them. And until then, Nigerian peace keepers, former hotel employees, and a mishmash of other people call the Ducor home.