The Smallville Hotel

Badaro sits inland from Beirut's harbour, a museum district of low-rise streets a short walk from the National Museum. The Smallville Hotel occupies a corner of it, its rooftop pool angled toward the city skyline rather than any shoreline. Rooms run from 39 sqm Fiction doubles to a 90 sqm two-bedroom suite with separate living and dining space; several look over Badaro Street to the mountains beyond. The theme is playful throughout, superhero names on doors and staff uniforms, but the bones are straightforward: LED televisions, kitchenettes in the larger rooms, free Wi-Fi, Netflix. Da Sophia serves Italian food downstairs, and a rooftop programme of DJs and live music runs on weekend nights. There is also a spa, a gym with EMS training, and a hair salon on site. It is not a beach hotel in any literal sense, but a heated pool and poolside service give it a resort rhythm within the city. You can watch the skyline change colour from the rooftop bar as the call to evening service starts below. Meeting rooms range from an eleven-seat boardroom to a hall for seventy, which keeps the property working through the day as well as the night. Check-in is from 3pm, checkout at noon. It reads as a city stay built for both business and a long weekend, with enough theatre to make either feel like an occasion.