Lebanese born and raised, George Ojeil was the hotel manager at the Intercontinental Hotel in Amman, Jordan, when he was offered the position of general manager (GM) of Le Gray Beirut, which he describes as a “very sexy product which any hotelier would love to run.” What further facilitated the decision to accept Le Gray’s…
Private schools in Lebanon struggle to provide quality education at a reasonable cost
This year marked the 200th anniversary of the death of al-Muallem or the master Butrus al-Bustani, a writer and scholar, who founded one of the first schools in Lebanon, Al-Madrassa al-Wataniya (the national school) in 1880. The school was based on national principles and was open to all without discrimination—a change from the religiously run…
Lost in Trainslation
Kan ya ma kan (once upon a time), Lebanon had a well-developed railway network established by the different foreign authorities that governed the country before its independence. The first major rail line was developed during the Ottoman period in 1895 and ran from Beirut to Damascus. It was constructed by the French upon a concession…
Public transport projects in Greater Beirut and beyond
While it is true that exaggeration is somewhat of a national trait, when it comes to congestion getting in or out of Beirut—and driving inside it—it often feels that no hyperbole is enough to describe the sense of despair evoked when inching forward in bumper to bumper traffic breathing in exhaust fumes and listening to…
Lebanon’s informal public transport system
Public transport is part of Lebanon’s mobility heritage, as is evident by our popular culture. In the song entitled “Ala Hadir el-Bosta,” the late Joseph Sakr sings of his love Alia’s pretty eyes while on a shared bus from Hammana to Tannourine, humorously describing the passengers who were with him—the song was composed by Ziad…
Five star hoteliers preparing for forecasted boost in tourism from Saudi Arabia
The rising temperatures in Beirut signify a rapidly approaching summer, typically a peak tourism season in Lebanon and one that five star hoteliers in the country are eagerly anticipating. Tourism in Lebanon has been slowly getting back on its feet over the past four years—thanks to a diversification of markets that included European and South…
The potential for year-long sustainable tourism around Lebanon’s rivers and lakes
Following a particularly long winter that included snowfalls as late as mid-April, Lebanon has truly come alive this spring. The lush greenery dotted with colorful wildflowers, the swarm of bright butterflies, and the gushing rivers and serene lakes all make visitors to these areas pop out their phone cameras far too frequently in an attempt…
Developing year-long tourism in Lebanon
The tourism industry has long been touted as a main contributor to GDP in Lebanon’s services-oriented economy, but it endured an almost four-year long downturn following the onset of the war in Syria in 2012 and the Arab Gulf countries’ travel advisories against Lebanon that have been issued on and off since mid-that year. The…
The nightclub business in Lebanon
When The Axis of Evil comedy tour performed in early 2008, Lebanon—for the first time in its history—did not have a president, and was in the midst of a politically unstable and tense period that culminated with the Doha Accord later that year. Despite the situation, Maz Jobrani, one of the group’s stand-up comedians, humorously…
E-banking lands in Mar Mikhael
A walk in Mar Mikhael reveals that it has become the hub of hospitality for millennials in Lebanon; during the day, its appealing restaurants and quick snacks attract those who work in the area, while in the evening, it’s a destination for gatherings with friends over drinks or bistro dinners. As such, Banque Libano-Française (BLF)…