Sofitel Beirut le Gabriel

good hotel

An amazing hotel in Beirut, perfect atmosphere and nicely located close to the central parts. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Johnny at the reception was efficient with his advices. The room was comfortable, clean and spacious. The only concern was the poor internet connection inside the room. Other than this, it was a good experience

This definitely is not a 5-star hotel, and well below the standards one would expect of a luxury hotel. The hotel is in need of refurbishment - the lifts are tiny (and shudder), and the rooms - whilst reasonably sized - are worn, with stains on the carpet and the upholstery. The bathrooms are small and poky, with dated fixtures. About the only thing that made it upscale were the Lanvin toiletries. There's not even a coffee machine in the room - only instant coffee is available. During the four nights I stayed, I was offered a turndown service only once (the other 3 nights I was out, so I don't know why they didn't just come in and do the turndown?). So the rooms are very much of a low grade. The pool and gym are in the basement. The gym is small, with very dated machines - neither the treadmill nor the elliptical machine worked at all. The cleaning staff were friendly. I never saw the front desk staff except upon arrival and departure, as they are hidden by a big pillar and work behind a plastic screen - it's not friendly or inviting. The security guard was mostly hunched over his mobile phone. So you feel quite ignored as you come and go. The location, however, is great - so close to lots of lovely bars and restaurants, and in a really lovely part of town. All in all, a disappointing Sofitel experience - far more in line with staying in a Ibis. Very expensive for what I got. I wouldn't stay again. And as for all of the other 5 star reviews...you will note that they're all by one- or two-time contributors, so I really question the authenticity. When you find a reviewer who has more than two reviews to their name, you'll see they also gave the Sofitel a low grade.