Lebanon’s hotels facing a bleak last quarter

ENAR

During the winter holiday period hotels are typically full of life, from locals dining at the in-house food and beverage outlets, to tourists checking in to their rooms at the lobby—everything and everyone is covered with a festive sheen. This year, however, if October and November performances are any indication, a busy festive season will not be on the cards for Lebanon’s hotels. When visiting five star properties in preparation for this story throughout November, this writer was struck by how eerily quiet the lobbies and adjacent cafes of visited hotels were. Bright beginnings The year did not start this way. On the contrary, all the hotel managers Executive interviewed spoke of an extremely positive year—marked with high occupancy at competitive room rates—up until the last quarter. Both Le Gray and the Four Seasons told Executive that until the onset of the October protests 2019 was set to be a