Maybe it has something to do with the historic role of the diwan in our culture, but when it comes to hotels, we Arabs don't really do boutique.
There is something about the affected grandeur of the big five-star, in-your-face hotel that sits well with the Arab psyche. These places tend to have vast lobbies, and we Arabs like our lobbies. Lobbies are where we hold court.
Arabs look at hotels differently from, say, Americans or Europeans, who view them as places to sleep after perhaps a day of vigorous sightseeing. The Arab age of discovery ended in the 14th century with Ibn Battuta, arguably the greatest ever traveller, so there is no point in trying to emulate the rigours of his achievements. So when we do travel, we tend to sit around. Hence you really can't beat a really good lobby with waiters endlessly bringing you refreshments and where, in a state of blissful torpor, you can watch the world go by.
The hotel has played a huge role in the development of the modern Middle East, most notably the Gulf during the past 40 years. There, if one wanted to meet, one did so at a hotel. If one wanted to dine, it would be at a hotel. Hotels were more often than not the first places to open as part of the advance guard of services that caught an early whiff of an economic boom.
In Beirut, I divide hotels into two broad categories: lobby and non-lobby. My favourite hotel is the Albergo, situated on the magnificently named Rue Abdel Wahab El Inglizi, but it is definitely non-lobby. The ground floor, while achingly cool, simply doesn't have one. That the Albergo has only 30 rooms might also (unfairly) mark it as pokey, while the decor, by the London-based Lebanese designer Tarfa Salam is, I suspect, too kitschy. As a rule of thumb, I would say, the lobby crowd prefers functionality to aesthetics.
Le Gray, one of the newest hotels in town, is also non-lobby (although its London sister, One Aldwych, has one that we Arabs could really settle into even if it sits outside our usual stamping grounds). It could have something to do with Le Gray's hollowed-out middle that does not appeal to the lobby crowd's sense of grandeur. I'm not saying that Le Gray isn't imposing; it's just non-lobby.
So where does the lobby crowd go? The emperor of the lobby hotels has to be the InterContinental Phoenicia. Before the war, it was the loud upstart to the more low-key glamour of the Hotel St-Georges, and the Phoenicia's lobby was what made it more Las Vegas than Levant.
I spent my childhood summers around the pool at the Phoenicia (I guess that makes my parents lobby people, which would make sense). There was a bar downstairs in which patrons could view swimmers gaily treading water or cavorting under the surface. The flashier customers would order drinks by swimming down and tapping on the glass and signalling to the barman that they needed a refill. Very lobby!
The St-Georges on the other hand was more elegant. It had a diving platform 50 metres out into the bay on which couples could discreetly sunbathe in blissful seclusion. The St-Georges was the place to get a tidbit of info or broker a deal, but I would venture that it wasn't a true lobby hotel.
Sadly, the party came to an end. In the first year of the civil war, both establishments, along with the nearby Holiday Inn, became killing fields as militia fighters slaughtered each other.
In the late 1990s, the Phoenicia was rebuilt almost as it was. Today, the pool is a different shape but is basically in the same place. Even the fez-wearing doormen look the same. The lobby is still magnificent and fulfils the Arab need to sit and talk in a setting that equates to our sense of self-worth.
Around the corner is Le Vendome, another InterContinental and the chain's boutique Beirut hotel. I suppose that by "boutique", those nice people at InterContinental mean it is small - it has fewer than 100 rooms - but its lobby still exudes the opulence beloved of the Middle Eastern nabob.
The UAE Al Habtoor, no doubt with GCC travellers in mind, built the Metropolitan Palace Hotel in the drab suburb of Sin el Fil. No one expects to do much sightseeing in Sin el Fil, so when guests are not strolling through the Souks shopping mall in the Beirut Central District, they can enjoy a most opulent lobby, one that compares favourably with and may even eclipse the Phoenicia's.
The lobby hotel really came into its own in the early 1970s during the heady days of the Opec oil crisis and raffish PLO warrior savants. The region is once again turbulent, and oil is once more on our minds. So get out your worry beads, order a coffee, chain smoke and contemplate an uncertain future.
Michael Karam is a publishing and communication consultant based in Beirut
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
How much sugar is in chocolate Easter eggs?
- The 169g Crunchie egg has 15.9g of sugar per 25g serving, working out at around 107g of sugar per egg
- The 190g Maltesers Teasers egg contains 58g of sugar per 100g for the egg and 19.6g of sugar in each of the two Teasers bars that come with it
- The 188g Smarties egg has 113g of sugar per egg and 22.8g in the tube of Smarties it contains
- The Milky Bar white chocolate Egg Hunt Pack contains eight eggs at 7.7g of sugar per egg
- The Cadbury Creme Egg contains 26g of sugar per 40g egg
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Arabian Gulf Cup FINAL
Al Nasr 2
(Negredo 1, Tozo 50)
Shabab Al Ahli 1
(Jaber 13)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Brief scores:
Barcelona 3
Pique 38', Messi 51 (pen), Suarez 82'
Rayo Vallecano 1
De Tomas Gomez 24'
BELGIUM%20SQUAD
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Results
5pm: Al Falah – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bshara, Richard Mullen (jockey), Salem Al Ketbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: AF Musannef, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Al Dhafra – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: AF Mualami, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud
6.30pm: Al Khaleej Al Arabi – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Hawafez, Adrie de Vries, Abubakar Daud
7pm: Al Mafraq – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
7.30pm: Al Samha – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Patrick Cosgrave, Ismail Mohammed
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FLIP%204
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More on Quran memorisation:
Ferrari
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Michael%20Mann%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Adam%20Driver%2C%20Penelope%20Cruz%2C%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Patrick%20Dempsey%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Falling%20for%20Christmas'
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Janeen%20Damian%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EStars%3A%20Lindsay%20Lohan%2C%20Chord%20Overstreet%2C%20Jack%20Wagner%2C%20Aliana%20Lohan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%201%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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