After the catastrophic war that engulfed the Lebanon in the seventies and eighties, it is difficult to pick out hotels built prior to that. The Commodore is one of those and was the home-away-from-home for the hardcore of journalists who remained in Beirut in the dark years. Today it has been revamped into a modern design of dark wood and clean lines...
Telephone: +961 (0) 1 350 406
Price: from USD 140
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The Commodore, the hotel of choice for foreign correspondents, had a refit a few years back when the Meridien chain took it over. The makeover has been sympathetic, bringing luxury restaurants and a dark, sultry, sophisticated feel to the place.
Tracing its popularity back to the war years, when it was one of few hotels that journalists made their own in West Beirut, it was famous for its bar, where alcohol fuelled debate as bombs dropped – the Commodore has a deserved reputation for style and gritty glamour.
The 204 rooms are comfortable but business-like, with some of the higher floors looking out over Beirut’s muddled urban roofscape. The Commodore is now the leading hotel in Hamra, with its chic, urbane style and low-key glamour. Unfortunately the guests no longer consist of grizzled, whisky-soaked journalists but more mundane tour groups and businessmen.
