Summary
For some, a vacation means a fully catered luxury getaway to an exotic location, or perhaps it's an adventure with a backpack and the chance to meet other travelers at a hostel.
In Lebanon, where large luxury hotels are often touted to attract big-spending tourists, the small but charming bed and breakfast – or boutique hotel – model is growing in popularity in the shadows of shiny high-rise accommodation. The standard ranges from simple rooms in a proprietor's home to suites fit for a king – or a tourist with an appreciation of architecture – in fastidiously restored grand houses.
It was with this growing popularity of independent cultural tourism that Paris-based Lebanese expatriate Orphee Haddad started his booking website business L'Hote Libanais in 2004, featuring guesthouses throughout Lebanon in traditional old homes, targeting Lebanese city dwellers looking for weekend getaways in villages as well as foreigners who want an authentic experience.
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