The necessity of decadence

At a time when most 5-star hotels in Lebanon are reporting record low occupancies, Achour Holding has invested $25 million into transforming the Royal Plaza Hotel in Raouche into Lancaster Plaza, a 5-star hotel, marking the company’s third venture into hotel ownership and management under the Lancaster Hotels and Suites name.  Two years ago, company chairman Wissam Achour acquired what was then the Royal Plaza Hotel from the Chehab family and began the process of completely renovating and upgrading the property. Achour is not new to the hospitality business and has two 4-star hotels — the Lancaster Hotel and the Lancaster Suites, both also in Raouche — which he bought from previous owners and rebranded and renovated in the same manner as the Lancaster Plaza. The Lancaster Group, a division of Achour Holding, owns and operates the hotels. The breakdown Set to begin welcoming guests this month, Lancaster Plaza is