Albergo Hotel

We’ll skip over all the usual caveats and acknowledgements and just assume you know what you’re doing going to Beirut at this current moment in world history. But if you do, the first order of business (aside from possibly checking with your embassy, and giving the international headlines a quick scan) is making sure there’s a room available at the Albergo Hotel.

It’d be a shame to stay anywhere else. This Thirties mansion in the upscale Achrafieh district is a world apart, a classic luxury hotel, with thirty suites outfitted in a variety of lavish styles, from Oriental fantasy to Parisian chic — each individually and ornately decorated, and all equipped with the full complement of modern comforts, from LCD televisions and stereo systems to marble bathrooms with jacuzzi tubs.

What more does it need? The neighborhood is a gastronome’s paradise already, but the hotel’s own French restaurant holds its own against the competition. It just might be the ninth-floor terrace that nudges the Albergo over the top, from a very good hotel to a must-visit hotel — with sweeping views of the city’s rooftops all the way out to the Mediterranean, it’s the perfect vantage point for taking in all of Beirut, whatever the city’s current mood.

Please note:
Renovations to a neighboring building may be audible during business hours Monday through Friday.

How to get there:
Albergo Hotel is approximately a 10 minute drive to Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.