LE GRAY is located in the historic heart of downtown Beirut, 15 minutes’ drive from Rafic Hariri International Airport, in the smart Beirut Central District. It offers cool, modern interiors, with 87 wonderfully spacious rooms and sensational suites, exciting restaurants, all accompanied by warm and highly professional service. We speak to Hilal Saade, sales and marketing director, Le Gray Beirut, about doing business in a strife-ridden country.
What are your most important objectives and aims for this year?Our aim for this year is to re-position Lebanon as a top destination and to welcome the GCC with glamour and high-end service. How do you expect the hotel to perform in the next 12 months, in terms of occupancy and RevPar? How did it perform in 2013?We closed 2013 with 65 per cent in terms of occupancy and a RevPar of 199. Our expectation for 2014 is to achieve 70 per cent with a RevPar of 205. Which are Le Gray’s key source markets?Our traditional markets are Europe, England and GCC countries; however we have recently begun to target new feeder markets such as Brazil and Russia and have seen an increase of travellers from those regions staying at our hotel.Are you keener on leisure travellers or business visitors? What facilities do you have for each of these visitors?Le Gray is a unique hotel offering the perfect combination of modernity and comfort, carrying a cultural wealth and perfectly located in the historic heart of downtown Beirut and hence we cater very well to the needs of both of these groups. In terms of leisure, we offer some of the best dinning and night spots in Beirut such as Indigo on the Roof and Terrace, Gordon’s Cafe and Cherry on the Rooftop and Bar ThreeSixty which are very popular with the elite socialites of the city. Indigo on the Roof and Terrace restaurant, boasts an extensive cellar gathering wines from all continents and is a triple winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for being one of the most outstanding restaurant wine lists in the world.Furthermore, PureGray Health Club & Spa is one of Beirut’s most luxurious spas and has recently been named as one of the top ten in the region by CNN Arabia. In addition, Le Gray’s Assistant Front Office Manager Firas Musharafieh, who is a member of Les Clefs d’Or, a prestigious association that recognises hotel concierges based on the quality of their service, can help guests explore Beirut in an exciting new light for an unforgettable, authentic experience of Lebanon.As for business travellers, our boardroom can accommodate up to ten guests and is equipped with an LCD screen, ceiling-mounted projector, laptop, wi-fi and direct phone access. We can also accommodate meeting of up to 35 guests at our Presidential Suite.Do you expect business to increase this year? We definitely expect visitors increase to Lebanon in general and especially to Le Gray, Beirut.