Since opening its doors in 1961, this hotel in Beirut has hosted countless kings, queens and celebrities, risen from the ashes after the Lebanese Civil War, suffered the battle scars of political struggles and appeared in several films. Here's to a legend that lives on.
One of the main architects, the American Edward Durell Stone, was also the man behind Radio City Music Hall. During the hotel's pre-war heyday, a lower-level bar offered underwater views of the pool and its swimmers; now the people-watching goes on at ground level instead.
The Phoenicia prides itself on its substantial art collection and even pioneered the concept of video art streamed in the rooms back in 2014. This year there is 'Love to Love', a collection of seven contemporary video pieces for art lovers in the bedroom.
You can take your cue from Bardot and book a sitting at Studio Phoenicia to immortalise your stay with some stylish black-and-white portraits. After a few lengths in the indoor pool followed by a massage in the spa, we recommend an appointment at the Pace e Luce beauty salon for a world-renowned Lebanese make-over.
The hotel boasts five solid restaurants, but we are partial to the Phoenicia's impressive selection of the world's rarest and oldest cognacs, Armagnacs, single malts and Kentucky Straight Bourbons, and to a sommelier's list running to more than 1,000 different wines.
