Hotels full
for the holidays

Stability boosts hospitality

Travel reservations from December 10 till early January are fully booked, according to Jean Abboud, Chairman of the Association of Travel Agencies. More than 110 daily flights will arrive at Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport during this period.

Abboud said that airplanes are full to capacity and that the passenger list includes expatriates, as well as Arab tourists.

“Political stability is the reason behind this revival,” he said.

Hotel occupancy rates five days prior to and after New Year’s Eve are expected to reach 100 percent, according to Pierre Achkar, Chairman of the Syndicate of Hotel Owners.

Achkar said that 95 percent of arrivals during this period are expatriates.

Hotel reservations at Le Gray hotel have until now reached 95 percent, according to Rita Saad, Public Relations Manager at the hotel. She said that they have prepared events for the Holidays in their three outlets: Indigo, Bar 360, Gordon’s café.

“We expect to close the month of December at 70 percent occupancy rate,” said Fadi Musharafieh, Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Beirut. The five days prior to and after New Year are fully booked.

Musharafieh said that the act of last minute bookings has become a trend and that the hotel’s expectations are definitely better than last year’s.

“We expected a better performance because the country usually recovers more quickly than it has done following good news such as the election of a new President,” he said.

According to Achkar, room rates are still 30 percent less than regular prices seen in 2010. Hotel rooms have increased since the election of the President

Achkar also said that in order to break even, hotels require a minimum 15 day full reservations during the Holiday period. To recuperate the losses suffered by hotels during the last four years, he said that there must be a 70 percent occupancy rate during 265 days of the year, and full occupancy rates during one hundred days mainly in national holidays and the summer vacation.

“If there is an improvement in relationships with Gulf countries, the sector will experience a revival because Arab tourists tend to visit for a minimum of 15 days and spend,” said Achkar.


Starting rate per night ($)

Le Gray $200
The Four Seasons $311
Phoenicia Beirut $172
Monroe Hotel $95
Radisson Blu Martinez $88
Kempinski $87
Le Gabriel $169
Gefinor Rotana $96
Le Bristol $122

Disclaimer: Taxes should be added to prices stated above. Figures were obtained from online sources and are subject to change. They are indicative for the purpose of this piece of news, not to make reservations. Please consult directly with hotels, travel intermediaries, and online for available pricing.