We stayed in a Family Suite. Good space - 1 bedroom, 1 living room and 1 bathroom. Small mini fridge. Long tall counter to put your staff. Box TV. Settee convertible to a sofa bed in living room. We are small family of 3 adults and 2 young kids.

We checked in about 5/6pm, just a few days before christmas. The hotel did notel looked like it hardly had any other guests (no one at breakfasts).

Furnishing dated, carpet and curtains stale/musty and dusty. Bedroom faces back street (but not on main street) away from beach, but the ONLY window in the bedroom was shut tight with shutters that cannot be opened and hidden behind dusty curtains (so when you first checked the room, you didn’t think the windows wouldn’t open). By bedtime, the room was so unbearably stuffy and will not get better so we asked for it to be opened but they said "oh, tomorrow storm coming and when you leave the room, rain may come in so better it was kept shut". When we asked again, they said they will try tomorrow, when their maintenance team gets there. It was bad. We had allergies and bedroom had zero ventilation plus the terrible dust. We coughed all night, no sleep, no rest. it was frustrating and i almost moved out in the middle of the night. Next morning, manager Antoinette apologized profusely and after a couple of hours of probing, the maintenance guy (whom we suspect lives in the same building so could have opened the windows the previously night) opened the shutters with tools. All was done without aggravation as manager was obliging and apologetic.

The second night we slept so well with windows opened and fresh air ventilated the room, we could hear the crashing of the waves on the rocks even though we are 3 levels up. When the sheets and towels were changed, we could tell the previous set of sheets were not fresh or had been left in the room months before it had been occupied. We could have been the first ones in the season to use the dusty room. The bed spreads (not changed) looked dusty and uncleaned. Baby crib mattress also didn’t look too clean. Big patches of the tile floor (where we had to put our luggage) was very sticky – indicated previous spills were not cleaned.

In the bedroom, there were also closets with hangers to put away clothing. 1 vanity table with mirror. One of the bedside table has a lamp but with broken glass shade.
Bathroom looked clean but very old and can use new grout work. Above bathtub there is a window which helps with ventilation. Hot water gets very hot but shame shower spray was very weak. Shower curtain rod broken but fixed in a Lebanese way?

Receptionist Miralle was very sweet and helpful, spoke good English, from the time she answered my call when we made phone booking through booking.com till we left. She noted the baby crib we and the dvd player we requested on booking. As it turned out, we did not need the dvd player as there were kids channel on the TV. The Ethiopian ladies staff were friendly to the kids, but spoke limited English.

Power in the whole hotel went out a few times but came back within a couple mins. So, we stayed in pitch dark for a few mins but it was nice to listen to the waves.

We had the corner unit with a fantastic view of the coast. Hotel sits almost on top of the waters so from the generous sized balcony, we sat by the plastic outdoor furniture and had great views and sea breeze – watch fishermen fishing, gorgeous sunsets, etc. I believe all the units had nice views of the ocean but the suites have corner balconies. Floor to ceiling glass door separates the balcony and living room.

Breakfast was Arabic/Lebanese style : per person 1 fried scrambled egg, and to share: haloumi cheese, soft cheese in olive oil, small plate of olives, coffee/tea and Arabic bread with jam. It was enough to tied us through most part of morning and to get us going.

The “Solarium” listed in their website is not a sauna – it is name of the pub they have. The pub which offers “Karaoke” is closed during winter. Outdoor pool, like many hotels, closed during winter. “Rooftop Terrace” is not on roof but the outdoor pool deck and shares another big deck that could be used for functions like wedding, events etc. it’s a nice area for the kids to run around. No chairs to sit on Nice to walk along the short water breaker/small dock. Parking underground and free. You cannot swim in the ocean from the hotel as there is no beach and it was rocky. There are designated beach areas in town you can get to swim if you are there in summer.

Location is great. Most hotels (even the major ones) are NOT on the waters. They are either across the highway or one street across from the beach front. This hotel besides being right on the waters, it is walking distance to “souk”, banks, the tourist areas, less than 1 block to the huge supermarket “Fehad” where the locals shopped and you can get everything. We didn’t bring our laptop so can’t tell about the wireless internet.

If you are driving, ask your landmark is “Jounieh Municipality council building”. It is across from the hotel. Better if you can say that in Arabic.

The closed shutters destroyed my one night’s sleep and nearly ruin our stay in Jounieh but management team was understanding and acted to repair the issues.

Receptionist Miralle offered tips on what to do in town, directions and her friendliness made us feel welcomed and made up for what we lost. Sounds like it’s a family owned business and they are willing to try hard to accommodate their guests.

The hotel can use some sprucing – some repairs, a big spring cleaning. But as with many places, a complete overhaul or “refurbishment” comes a price tag. Still, I believe with some maintenance (cleaning!!) and a little more updates, this place beats the bigger establishment in town for its location and price. For what we paid (USD$100 per night), this is good value. You get what you pay for. So, don’t expect 5 star when you check in here.
Bookin.com does not charge you when you confirm booking. You pay when you check out. Credit card accepted but there is an extra fee.