Raouche Hotel

Raouche - Beirut, Lebanon



http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk7/mohamadm/kempinski.jpg



From the Horizon development website:
The luxury hotel is situated in one of the most coveted areas of Beirut, overlooking the Mediterranean and the Raouche promenade.

Project specifications:
-270 keys (including rooms and uites)
-Business center, spa, restaurants, banquet hall, and other facilities
-Site of 4,932 squre meters
-Total built up area, arround 51,110 sqaure meters.

here's the press release

$100 million five-star hotel to be built in Beirut - 12/28/2005


United Lebanese Real Estate Co., jointly owned by United Real Estate and Horizon Development Co., signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with international chain Kempinski Hotels to build a five-star hotel in the Raouche area of Beirut.

The hotel, estimated to cost $100 million and comprising 270 rooms, will be built on a plot covering around 5,000 square meters and should be completed in approximately two to three years.
Kempinski Hotels, a German company headquartered in Switzerland, has also agreed to manage IFA Hotels and Resorts’ Al Abdaliyah Hills in Dhour Abdaliyah, located between Bhamdoun and Aley.
Kempinski is the oldest luxury hotel collection in Europe and currently operates 15 resorts spread across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia.



The Lebanon Weekly Monitor - Bank Audi

Here are some Google Earth images (Feb 2005) of the plot of land where this hotel will be built:

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/e0d42c95.jpg

If you look closely the little house has been removed!

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/51f93735.jpg

Okay, here are my updates for this project (taken on July 12 2006):

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/2448/dscn3498mn7.jpg

http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/2424/dscn3487hw7.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5879/dscn3497gf0.jpg

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/DSCN3488.jpg

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/6199/dscn3489la2.jpg

I cant wait to see this building actually rise, has anyone in Beirut seen if the construction (or any activity) has resumed on the plot?

i've seen a couple of workers down there 2 weeks after the war ended, dunno about now but I know that work on the four season and the marina towers are resumed. Unless they were just moving the cranes for fun hehe

any news on the project its been a while

^^ I was wondering the same thing, has the foundation been completed yet at least? Does anyone know?

^^Well,the same company building this Hotel is building a hotel in Cairo,they announced both projects almost at the same time,now though the Cairo Hotel(Sheratn heliopolis) is a smaller one,but it's almost completed.

Currently they're still digging. The plot is now very deep compared to post #5. Probably there'll be multi level underground parking.

looks like the foundation is done

http://img475.imageshack.us/img475/4678/39149807rx3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I found this article..From April..

Hotel deal to be awarded.

Source: MEED Middle East Economic Digest

Publication Date: 04/13/2007


Beirut-based United Real Estate Company, a subsidiary of Kuwait Projects Company (Kipco), is expected to award the contract for the main infrastructure package for the estimated $50 million, five-star hotel in the Raouche district of Beirut by the end of April. The new hotel will be built on a 50,000-square-metre plot and will be 20 storeys high with 272 rooms. The project is expected to be completed by 2008. At least eight regional contractors have expressed interest.

^^ But is this the same hotel? I am just confused because this article makes it sound like construction hasnt begun yet when it started last year.

It has to be the same project..and this was in April..maybe some works were done b4 and in the 2 or 3 months after ....you can prepare the land..and even do a pour in that time. It says its for the "main" package..In previous posts in May it says there digging and Nadini wasnt sure but says it "looks" like the foundation was done..At least we are moving forward.

That last article posted is definitely about the Kempinski hotel. It's the same developer.

Courtesy of BloggingBeirut.com (cropped image):

June 2007

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/kemp.jpg

yup, construction is under way, its gonna look so sick, like the las vegas style hotels! beirut is vegas of the middle east, believe that!!!

i actually like the fact were getting a new hotel even if it is "vegas style" well wat can we say beirut is the pearl,paris,switzerland,vegas,rio de janero...ect ect ect. of the middle east !!!! BEIRUT ROCKS!!!!!!!!

fo shizzy! not becoz we're lebanese, we're saying all these things. its just simply the truth! i have had freinds come from all over the world and they would love to come live here anytime...they visit here so often, they think its a great city and country! God Bless Lebanon!

well, after studying las vegas casino resorts and their structures, this kempinski seems to be curved inwards, such as the famous Bellagio, Wynn resort, Treasure island, the Venetian, they all seem to have a curved or open book structure, which is visually appealing to the eye...although vegas resorts cost up to $3 Billion dollards to build, they are much more extravagant and luxurious...To have a hotel like this in Lebanon is good enough for me :) if u go down to the construction site u can see the picture up close, its vegas style for sure...

^^ I see what you mean, and I agree, the curved style is unique for Beirut and exudes luxury for some reason.

March 4 2008

Courtesy of g131

http://i32.tinypic.com/281uf4j.jpg

I can't see any activity ???

Still foundation work, this project has a long way before it rises..
It's one of my favorate projects though (Hotel chain and location)

I just passed by the site...there is no activity and no progress since the last pic, so we can assume construction is halted for now.

Any update on this project?

this looks really superb!!!!

beirut needed something more than a plain tower. any updates? pic would be nice!

^^ there is still no change...construction has stopped and the billboards at the site have been faded away by the sun.

Theres no mention of a Rauche location on there website. Maybe its cancelled? They do mention on in dwntwn..but it also says there will be marina and beach villas. That doesnt make sense.

The description and pictures look like the new Summerland hotel. Maybe it is now branded Kempinski Summerland Hotel

new summerland hotel ????
that is interesting any renderings

I think i posted the forum for the Summerland...And that site is too important ..there will be something major built there

^^ What does that have to do with the Kempinski?

I think the new summerland there building is going to be branded Kempinski..Kempinski website describes te hotel on the sand with beach cabanas and marina.....That description doesnt match with Rauche...It sounds and looks like the rendering for The Summerland

^^ Interesting, since the billboard at the Raouche plot only said "Raouche Hotel" and there was no mention of Kempinski. I guess we will have to wait and see...

They can still be building a hotel (even the render) but it may not be a Kempinski..

I heard from a guy in Horizon development that the hotel is canceled and a residential bldg will rise instead. This project is a joint venture between horizon and a kuwaiti company same as V5.

There's another one i think,it has a beach,i guess it's the new summerland.

probably i heard the same too, that kemp. beirut is the old summerland

From IDAL Website

"Summerland
This project involves the reconstruction of the former Summerland Hotel in Beirut and covers a total built area of 65,000 square meters. Estimated at US$ 82 million, the resort will consist of a five-star hotel, restaurants and retail stores, in addition to a health club and marina and other outdoor facilities. The project will create 221 direct employment opportunities and around 90 seasonal jobs."

They didn't mention if it will be managed by Kempinski

^^ Kempinski mentioned on their website that there will be a 5 star Hotel and resort in Beirut that has a beach,,where it could be ????

OMG it is beautiful! I hope the project is back on!

thats old...i dont think that is being built

^^ Well the plot has been excavated and this is so far the only rendering made available. Unless we see otherwise, this is still the plan.

I think this hotel is still in the plans but it might not be a Kempinski anymore.

I dont care what the name is under, that building is just really nice. It would be perfect for Beirut.

dear bloggers, this wont be the kempinski. kempinski will manage the new summerland, not this hotel...

NOTE: Intro Post has been updated (thanks to LeB.Fr).

Also, I have changed the name to "Raouche Hotel" as it is listed by developers and posted at the contruction site. The Project Index has also been updated.

oh great so they dug that hole and left it unfinished!

Beiruti, isn't there any talks about proceeding with the construction ?? it's such an amazing building it would be ashame if they don't build it :ohno:

^^ It will be developed by Horizon (same developers as the never-ending Horizon Tower and the never-starting Verdun 5). So we will just have to wait and see...

^^ It will be developed by Horizon (same developers as the never-ending Horizon Tower and the never-starting Verdun 5). So we will just have to wait and see...

Either way this building has an arched plan in a rectangular site. Is this really the proposed building for the site? The rendering shows it as a stand alone building.

^^ Yes, I saw this rendering posted at the site. Look closely, it 100% fits in this plot.

^^ Yes, I saw this rendering posted at the site. Look closely, it 100% fits in this plot.

well i am not questioning whether it fits or not? I am more concerned with how it interacts with the site. I mean it would look out of place

This project is history.

It's been removed from the Horizon Development website and replaced by a "Raouche Residential Development" project.

Just what Beirut needs. Another fancy expensive luxurious condominium that is empty for more than half of the year.

^^ I am sure the design will be quite bland and cheap as well. At leat JIE is not the developer.

I passed by the plot yesterday, there is a tower crane being installed, maybe it's revived