OverviewLocated about an 8-minute drive from Beirut's city centre and a 12-minute walk from the waterfront, the Gefinor Rotana Hotel is suitable for business or vacation travellers who prefer a centrally located hotel with an outdoor pool, meeting/banquet space and on-site dining.
Each of the hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms and suites comes equipped with a balcony, cable TV, an in-room safe, a coffeemaker, a minibar, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Rooms with a bathrobe and slippers for each guest, a kitchenette and a DVD player are also available, and the hotel is not wheelchair accessible. In-room Wi-Fi is available for $11 per day.
Hotel amenities include an outdoor rooftop pool, a pool bar, a fitness centre, a sauna, a steam bath, massage services, meeting/banquet space, a lounge, a business centre, guest laundry, a beauty/barber shop and on-site dining at Olive Garden Restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. Parking is an additional $11 per day and pets are not permitted.
The American University of Beirut Medical Center is roughly a 3-minute drive from the hotel, while Eldorado Shopping Center can be found 10 minutes away on foot. Rafic Hariri Stadium is about a 9-minute drive away and Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BEY) is 18 minutes away by car. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with much praise going to the hotel's rooms, location and staff.
The hotel's accommodations were praised by many lodgers. They described their rooms as clean, quiet, well maintained and well equipped, with fast Wi-Fi, good water pressure, comfortable beds and beautiful sea views.
Numerous guests were pleased with the hotel's location. They found it to be central and close to shopping, the waterfront, the Hamra District, downtown Beirut, The Corniche and American University of Beirut.
Several reviewers complimented the hotel's staff, characterizing them as friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. One patron remarked, "The staff is absolutely can do and without a doubt, the best at any hotel I've ever stayed at....anywhere in the world".
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few complaints about the hotel's value.
A few guests were disappointed with the hotel's value. They found the added Wi-Fi fee to be unnecessary and felt the room rates and breakfast cost were expensive and overpriced.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #11 of 109 Beirut hotels with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 from 213 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.4 out of 5 with an 89% recommendation rate from 85 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 8.3 out of 10 from 69 reviews.
