Riviera Hotel Beirut

Set on the Corniche El Manara, Riviera Hotel faces the Mediterranean along one of Beirut's busiest waterfront walks. The building holds six room categories, from a Classic Room with a city view up to a Panoramic Suite with a king bed, separate living room, and a balcony over the sea. The Business Suite runs to 42 square metres; the Deluxe Room, at 25 square metres, keeps a partial sea view and its own balcony. Most rooms come with a flat-screen TV, minibar, and safe-deposit box. Below, the beach lounge holds a main pool, a family pool, and a floating island, with bungalows set along the water's edge. Au Gros Sel, the main restaurant, looks over the pool toward the sea and serves Lebanese and international dishes through the day, hookah included. Au Bar sits off the lobby. It keeps an older, clubbier feel. The Sunset Bar runs barbecue and cocktails into the evening as the light drops over the water. Five function rooms, the largest a ballroom seating up to 200 for a banquet, handle weddings and conferences alike. You can watch the corniche traffic from a sea-facing balcony or take the same view from the pool deck below. It is a working beachfront hotel, built for both the wedding party and the passing business trip.