More than 50 dignitaries, politicians, diplomats, and guests filled the Emerald ballroom at the Safir Heliopolitan Hotel Beirut recently to once again celebrate the hotel’s success for having won the the golden MENA Award for the Best New 5-star Hotel for the year 2004 in the Middle East and North Africa at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) held in Dubai earlier this year to honour the efficient, hard-working staff.
According to Rana Younes, public relations coordinator, the highly-personalised and warm hospitality and the hotel’s distinct quality of service and facilities have contributed in making Safir Heliopolitan an award winner. “We know our standards are high, but still there was competition. We were so glad to have won. It was a proud moment for us,” Mahmoud Ballan, chairman of the owning company Balma said, adding that he considered the award a great achievement for Lebanon. He also thanked his employees for helping to establish the hotel’s reputation and building an impressive image.
Nada Sardouk, secretary general of the Lebanon’s Ministry of Tourism, was there to commemorate the occasion on behalf of newly-appointed Minister of Tourism, Joseph Sarkis. “The award was a breath of fresh air and a glimmer of hope for Lebanon’s tourism industry,” she said.