New Damour beach club, Lost at Sea, opens despite Lebanon’s economic crisis

All that can be seen in the drive down the narrow road in Damour, south of the airport, that leads to the country’s newest beach club, Lost at Sea, is the glittering Mediterranean. This serene seaview provides a soothing backdrop to the white sunbeds, the turquoise pool, the natural wood bar, and the restaurant seating area that makes up the 450-person capacity beach club. Within that environment, it is easy to forget the stresses of daily life in Lebanon nowadays—be it the longer than usual daily power cuts, the non-functioning traffic lights, or the increasing number of businesses that are shutting down—and to make believe, even for an afternoon, that all is well in the country. Michel Abchee, CEO of Damour Beach Resort sal, which owns and operates Lost at Sea and Damour Beach Club, is quick to bring things back to reality. He points out that all the infrastructure