| Le Bristol Hotel Beirut | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Beirut, Lebanon |
| Opening | 1951 |
| Closed | 2020 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Jean Royère |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 157 |
| Number of restaurants | 3 |
| Website | |
| Official hotel website | |
The Le Bristol Hotel Beirut was a famous 5-star luxury hotel located in the Verdun neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon. It opened in 1951 and was famous for both its architecture and guests it hosted. [1] [2] The hotel closed permanently in 2020. [3]
Hotel Le Bristol first received guests in 1951. The hotel’s first General Manager, Georges al-Rayess, was known for his contribution to the culinary arts and wrote a series of cookbooks that contributed to make the hotel famous for its cuisine. Le Bristol hosted the first ice skating rink in Lebanon, [4] and the Arab world, [5] which was later converted into a political meeting area in the seventies. During the 15 years Lebanese Civil War, Le Bristol managed to keep its doors opened despite the fights that took place in the capital. In 1999, Le Bristol briefly joined The Luxury Collection. [6] In 2013, the hotel underwent a major renovation to refresh the building's exterior and interior. [7] In June 2015, when the renovation was complete, Le Bristol held a ceremony named "Le Bal de Beyrouth" attended by major figures in Lebanon and in the Middle East. [8]
The hotel closed temporarily on March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [9] On April 18, 2020, it was announced that the hotel's closure was permanent, due to the combined impact of the Lebanese economic crisis and the pandemic. [10]
Since its opening, the hotel has hosted famous guests like Albert II, Prince of Monaco, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the former Shah of Iran and Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiari, Jacques Chirac, former president of France, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, former King of Saudi Arabia, King Hussein of Jordan and Princess Dina bint 'Abdu'l-Hamid of Jordan. It is also inside Le Bristol's walls that politicians from all Lebanese parties frequently hold meetings.
The hotel consists of a triangular 6-story building that's hollow in the middle to accommodate a garden. The hotel interior was designed by the famous French decorator Jean Royère [4] and was upgraded in 2015 by Galal Mahmoud. [1] The hotel has 157 rooms including suites, a pool, an oriental lounge and restaurants. After the renovation in 2015, the rooms were designed to represent the Lebanese and luxury design history. [4]
The oriental room has a touch of oriental luxury and colours mixed with the design of the 21st century.
The 1960s rooms uses colors and modernized 1960s furniture.
The modern classical room represents the 21st century design and has modern furniture.
Near the hotel's lobby is the Oriental Lounge which features an architecture specific to the orient that was crafted by hand by Lebanese artisans in the 1950s. After the renovation, the original work was kept and mixed with colorful furniture.
Le Bristol is recognised for its cuisine and pastries. Les Gourmandises which was affiliated to the hotel served sweets and pastries. The hotel itself provided high-end catering services.
Pan Pacific Singapore is a hotel located in Marina Centre, Singapore, and operated by the Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts. With 38 floors, it is the tallest among the three hotels which are part of the Marina Square development, the other two being the Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay and Mandarin Oriental Singapore. The hotel has 790 rooms and suites, arranged around an atrium extending 35 floors of the building.
Lebanese cuisine is the culinary traditions and practices originating from Lebanon. It includes an abundance of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and seafood. Poultry is eaten more often than red meat, and when red meat is eaten, it is usually lamb and goat meat. Dishes include copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, and dishes are often seasoned with lemon juice. Chickpeas and parsley are also staples of the Lebanese diet.
Kowloon Shangri-La is a five-star hotel of the Hong Kong–based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts group. It is located on Mody Road in Tsim Sha Tsui East overlooking Victoria Harbour and the Hong Kong Island skyline. It is the sister hotel to the Island Shangri-La in Admiralty district, Hong Kong.
The Disneyland Paris Hotel is located in Disneyland Paris, between Main Street, U.S.A. and Fantasia Gardens. The hotel is situated above the entrance gates and ticket booths for Disneyland Park, providing easy access to the park.
The Hotel Plaza Athénée is a Brunei-owned historic luxury hotel in Paris, France. It is located at 25 Avenue Montaigne in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, near the Champs-Élysées and the Palais de Tokyo. The hotel is part of the Dorchester Collection group of international luxury hotels. The hotel has five restaurants and a bar, and it has room rates ranging from US$1,254 to US$20,000 per night for the hotel's premier suite.
The Langham, Boston is a luxury hotel in a historic building located at 250 Franklin Street in the financial district of Boston, Massachusetts. It is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World and managed by Langham Hotels International.
The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas, formerly the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, is a 47-story luxury hotel and condominium building in the CityCenter complex on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is managed by Hilton Worldwide as part of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts brand. It is owned by Tiffany Lam and Andrew and Peggy Cherng.
The InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut is a historic 5-star luxury hotel situated in the Minet El Hosn neighborhood of Beirut, Lebanon. It is located on Rue Fakhreddine near the Corniche Beirut promenade and walking-distance from Beirut Central District, and a few kilometers from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.
Le Bristol Paris is a five-star hotel located at 112 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, France. It opened in 1925 and is famous for its historic architecture. The hotel is part of the Oetker Collection, Masterpiece Hotels, which is owned by the Oetker family and was founded by Rudolf August Oetker.
Le Vendôme Beirut Hotel was a five-star luxury hotel in Beirut, Lebanon. Considered one of Lebanon's most upmarket hotels, Le Vendôme is located in the Ras Beirut district of Beirut, on the shoreline of the Mediterranean Sea.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, is a five-star hotel, located in the Knightsbridge area of London, owned and managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Housed in a historic, Edwardian-style building, the hotel originally opened in 1908 as the Hyde Park Hotel and in 1996 the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group purchased the property and conducted a full renovation, consequently re-opening in May 2000.
Le Richemond is a 109-room luxury hotel located in Geneva, Switzerland. The hotel was established in 1875 by Adolphe-Rodolphe Armleder and after World War II, his grandson, Jean Armleder, transformed the hotel to what it is known for today.
Taj Coromandel is a five-star luxury hotel located in Chennai, India. Named after the Coromandel Coast, the HACCP- and ISO 14001-certified hotel was opened in 1974. Owned by Oriental Hotels Limited, an associate of the Taj Group of Hotels, it is classified under the group's luxury hotels section.
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown, Washington, D.C., is a luxury hotel located in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is near The Kennedy Center and the Georgetown waterfront. It is an AAA 5-star luxury hotel, and has 86 rooms, 27 premier suites, and five luxury suites. All rooms and suites have a view of the Potomac River and historic Georgetown. It contains a 140 feet (43 m) smokestack coming from the lobby fireplace. It is a small hotel and is known to be good for privacy. The hotel contains a restaurant, bar, and a fitness center with a newly refreshed spa after a $1.5 million renovation in 2016. The rooms are on average 450 square feet (42 m2) in size and is located in a historic industrial building.
InterContinental Geneva is a luxury hotel operated by InterContinental in Geneva, Switzerland.
Fairmont Nile City is a hotel located in Cairo, Egypt and is a part of the global Fairmont Hotels and Resorts brand. The hotel has 531 rooms, 8 restaurants, and 25 floors and is located alongside the Nile River.
Middle Eastern cuisine or West Asian cuisine includes a number of cuisines from the Middle East. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley, and popular dishes include kebabs, dolmas, falafel, baklava, yogurt, doner kebab, shawarma and mulukhiyah.
Conrad Bangkok is a hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, that is part of the Conrad Hotels brand owned by Hilton Worldwide. It opened in 2003. The hotel has 392 rooms and suites. There are six restaurants and lounges at the hotel including KiSara restaurant which serves Japanese cuisine and Liu restaurant which offers traditional Chinese food. The hotel also has a gym, a spa, a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a rooftop jogging track.
Mandarin Oriental, Taipei is a luxury hotel located in Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan, close to Taipei Songshan Airport, Breeze Center and Taipei Arena. The hotel, opened in May 2014, is managed by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. The hotel includes 303 rooms and suites, 6 restaurants and bars, and the Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Taipei.
Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei is a five-star luxury hotel located in Da'an District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is managed by Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. The hotel has 420 rooms and suites and opened in December 1994.
Media related to Le Bristol Hotel Beirut at Wikimedia Commons