Le Commodore Hotel Beirut


The Le Commodore Hotel Beirut, also known variously as the "Beirut Commodore Hotel", "Hotel Commodore", or simply "the Commodore" is a five-star luxury hotel located at Rue Baalbek on the Hamra district of Beirut in Lebanon. During the Lebanese Civil War, the Commodore became the international news media's hotel of choice, providing a safe haven for many Lebanese and foreign correspondents and diplomats on assignment in the war-torn Lebanese Capital between 1975 and 1987, and served as a global centre for news and information.

History

Unlike other foreign journalists, Robert Fisk, the Middle East correspondent for The Times who set residence at Beirut in 1976, recently stated that he never stayed in the Commodore, describing it as a seedy hotel with extremely high prices, where he met regularly with Associated Press colleagues to have lunch with them at the hotel's restaurant.

Famous guests

The hotel consists of a rectangular seven-story building that features 203 spacious guest rooms and suites, some with private balconies; three interconnected rooms, triple rooms and family suites are also available, as well as non-smoking rooms. Other facilities include an outdoor swimming pool and assorted gym, a Business Center, a ballroom, a Lobby lounge bar, two restaurants and a Patisserie.

Culinary

Le Commodore provides high-end catering services and is known for its cuisine and pastries. The hotel's own dining facilities include the Benihana restaurant that specializes in Japanese Cuisine, the International Cuisine a la carte restaurant, and the "La Brasserie" patisserie, which serves breakfast buffets, sweets and pastries.