Nestled on the colourfully painted St. Nicholas stairs – also known as the “Stairs of Art” – The Grand Meshmosh Hotel enjoys a privileged position in the heart of Beirut’s eastern Achrafieh district. The stairs provide a pedestrian link between Beirut’s Central District, reachable in a few minutes walk, and the one of the city’s main cultural hubs, the Sursock museum.
The neighbourhood of Gemmayze is one of the most charming in Beirut. A walk through Gouraud street – with Downtowns’ Mohammad al Amin Mosque glowing blue and gold in the background – takes to the neighbourhood of Mar Mikhail, the beating heart of Beirut’s nightlife. The well-preserved traditional buildings offer a vivid recreation of what Beirut once was, while its churches testify to the diversity of the Lebanese society.
The area was one of the few to remain faithful to foregone times. Its inhabitants greet each other with warmth and take time to inquire about each other’s families. Some of its shop owners – present through decades of war and peace – constitute an infinite source of popular anecdotes. Simply looking through the window at the Grand Meshmosh Hotel provides a unique glimpse into Beirut’s most picturesque corners.
