Auberge des Cedres is a rare gem in Lebanon's tourism landscape, whose hotels seem to fall in two categories, either the glitzy luxurious type of hotels and resorts; second the rather shabby, concrete-block type of family hotel. There is not much in between, and there are few boutique hotels which stand out from this crowd. The Auberge des Cedres is certainly special. Friendly, with a very tasteful style which nicely blends into the mountain scenery, set in a beautiful landscape. However, the hotel could be much more attractive if more attention was placed on a few details, especially on the food and drinks which partly did not match expectations at this price category: we received a "cappuccino" which tasted like instant coffee (which it probably was), or a US$8 crepe dessert arriving cold and without any decoration. While the nature setting is beautiful, we had the impression that the hotel could be more active in promoting nature-friendly outdoor activities such as hiking or biking, rather than the unavoidable quad-driving.
