It's everything you've read about. Rooms were very clean but very old and tired. Taps not working, toilets not flushing properly, shower off wall etc. Breakfast adequate at best. Staff were part of the fun in this quirky place. It felt like a scene from the munsters at times. Room was very hot even though cool outside. No fans or A/C of course. Kept awake all night by street racers and mosquitos. Bring earplugs and pif paf! Wonderful view from room's balcony and two charming public lounges.

Wanted to love this place but... I was supposed to be booked for a single but arrived to find the booking lost and a group in residence which meant I was expected to pay #100 for a double (without b'fast). No hot water and no heating even though building was icy cold - the group leader complained and they were all given paraffin stoves or electric fires - I had to take all the bedding off both beds to get warmth enough to sleep. Balcony in front of window had fallen off (luckily they pointed this out). New curtains lacked tie-backs and so had to be hooked over (non-functioning) radiators. Display cabinet in lobby was completely empty and priceless Jean Cocteau drawings were hanging on a wall so damp the paint was bubbling. Breakfast was in dark dining room rather than courtyard. View of ruins not bad but major road between them and hotel so noise makes sleep difficult. Someone put some money into this place before it completely collapses. Please!

We stayed one night in this “passé” hotel, and thought it was marvellous.
The hotel is located opposite of the ruins of Baalbeck with the impressing columns of the Jupiter temple well visible. The bellboy was so old that we carried our own suitcases. We thought he might drop dead on the spot if he even tried to lift our suitcases. The hotel was filled of old pictures of Baalbeck and a lot of original drawings of Jean Cocteau. The hotel has it’s own impressing story (not to be told here). The standard is poor, the shower was a joke (but we had warm, not hot, water) but what the heck, and we loved every minute of our stay. The visit was worth its money (120 USD double room) only for the opportunity to experience this once upon a time famous hotel.

The hotel is a gem. It has not been refurbished in many decades and is decaying but is full of history and is a step back to a bygone era. If you expect televisions, air conditioning and a good night's sleep, don't stay here. But if you want an unique experience that you will never forget, go.