Orizon Byblos venue opens its first phase

Full-fledged resort scheduled for 2014

Orizon Byblos, a new venue for weddings and ceremonies, will open on June 15 in Hboub, a few kilometers away from the city of Byblos.

The project is the result of four years of preparation, of which two for studies, and the other two for execution. It was brought by Orizon Byblos, a real estate company co-owned by Joseph Khoury and Pierre Zghindi.

Nirvana Moujaes, Director of Sales and Marketing at Orizon Byblos, said the initial investment in the project exceeded $6 million.

The venue stretches over 45,000 square meters of landscaped area, with a current built-up area of 20,000 square meters, including indoor and outdoor restaurants and kitchens, and an open space for weddings. Orizon Byblos can host up to 900 guests. It has a parking capacity for 450 cars.

Moujaes said that they chose Hboub because of its strategic location, neither too far nor too close to Byblos and Beirut. She said that the project aims to be a main touristic destination all year long and not just a seasonal resort: “Choosing a higher altitude or lower altitude for the project would have restricted it to a seasonal project.”

“We are willing to promote the area and develop it from an economic and touristic point of view, thereby expanding the wave of touristic projects that has covered Byblos's seaside,” said Moujaes.

Moujaes said that the project’s second phase will include a resort with 48 bungalows and additional amenities. “Phase two is expected to be accomplished by 2014,” she said. The project will include a small farm and a hut for traditional food preservation, as well as various activities, like horseback riding, a gym and spa, and a Lebanese restaurant and a café. The resort will also include a gallery for artisanal work and a motel. “The plan is to turn Orizon Byblos into a traditional-style village able to host different kinds of ceremonies,” said Moujaes.