St. Georges Hotel

Ain al-Mreisseh, Beirut

July 3, 2007

http://www.nowlebanon.com/ContentPictures/07307093539-st-georges-building.jpg


The St. Georges Hotel has suffered a number of setbacks since it was constructed in 1932. The first blow was the Lebanese civil war, which severely damaged the structural integrity of the celebrated hotel. In 1996, however, the Syrian soldiers who were occupying the building left and the hotel’s renovation began in earnest, paralleled by the reconstruction of downtown Beirut by Solidere.

But the two reconstruction projects didn’t exactly work well together. Daniel Germani, the hotel project manager, said in an interview with NOW Lebanon that the Solidere project was the second blow suffered by the hotel. “Solidere should be encouraging local investors, especially those that have a historical value to the city, like the St. Georges hotel,” he said, “but instead, they are trying to be the sole lease holder of the entire bay.”

Legally, the hotel lost its access to the waterfront in 1997 (though it is still challenging the decision in court). With no seafront access, St. Georges’ investors became skeptical of the value of the project, and the renovation process lost speed. “Instead of enhancing investment and growth, all [Solidere] did, with the support of the government, was replace existing investors with others,” Germani added.

The last and most prominent blow to the St. Georges was the massive explosion that killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005. Five employees were killed by the blast, along with 18 other people, and $15 million of damage was inflicted on the building. For passers by, the concave façade of the building serves as a sober reminder of the magnitude of the blast two years ago.

http://www.nowlebanon.com/Library/Images/Uploaded%20Images/st-georges-building-2-.jpg

The hotel’s management decided to freeze renovation of the building for the time being, “because the situation of the country is very critical, and investing again in the tourism sector might not be a good idea,” Germani said.

The owners haven’t been compensated for damages yet, and the investigation process which closed the street in front of the hotel for over two years severely hampered any efforts to make something out of the ravaged lot. Management, therefore, feels that it’s wisest to follow up on compensation and their rights as individual investors before spending any more money.

Despite rumors, Solidere has not prevented the hotel from renovating, nor has the company yet offered to buy the hotel property. However, the loss of the marina coupled with a lack of compensation has made restoration of the hotel financially non-viable for the time being. Solidere could not be reached for comment on the St. Georges.

“St. Georges is a landmark that can function an indicator of the country’s stability,” Germani concluded, “When we get our rights back, it will mean that Lebanon is back on its feet.”

Source: www.nowlebanon.com

I have always wondered, how is it that the first-class status pool has remained open yet the hotel itself remains in this condition (following Feb. 14th 2005). In order to renovate the pool didn't they need to do some work on the lobby at least? How is the pool accessible to the public, as in when the street was closed? This has always confused me since it seems so soon after the blast people were swimming there...


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/n731615116_180703_5839.jpg

Hey..I had gathered some information to create a topic..haven't had a chance so i will post what i gathered.


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The survival of The St George Hotel and of its Beach Facility and Marina



State of Law and Investments

Protecting National Investments
and
its effect on the capacity of attracting Foreign Investments



Beirut, March 2002



Introduction

Reasons why a major investment in the center of the Capital cannot see the light


Why does the Historic Bay of St George remain an unfinished site?

A complex and endless legal battle opposes the owning company of the Hotel to Solidere who is trying to expand its perimeter to the water surface adjacent to the St George Hotel


Why is the St George Hotel not built eleven years after the end of the war?

The owning company of the Hotel that has been granted land fill work by the CDR in the Bay cannot legally be cut off from the sea. Since time began the St George has had Beach facilities and a Marina that have made its charm.

Why has a 60 million Dollar investment not seen the light despite the continued efforts of its owners?

The desire of Solidere to be the sole lease holder of the entire St George Bay has paralyzed the renovation project of the Hotel who would lose its historic and commercial value if it lost its access to the water front and its beach facilities.


The Legal rights acquired by the St George on the Water front


Decree no 8822 of 8 January 1932, completed by Decree no 784 of 8 June 1937 authorize the Societe des Grands Hotels du Levant (SGHL) to build the St George Hotel on Lot no 349, 377 and 1243 being the property of the company as well as on 2000sqm of the adjacent Maritime Public Property; in 1959 Decree no 2660 authorizes the Hotel to occupy an additional 2000sqm of the Maritime Public Property. It is on this particular area that the famous Beach “ Elite”, the meeting point of all of Beirut’s Jet set, lies.

The Societe des Bains de Mer (SBM) buys the “St George Yacht Motor Club” from its previous owner Mr. Michel Nader lease holder of the original St George beach and of 1900sqm of the Maritime Public Property permitting the mooring and dry-docking of boats according to Decree no 14981 of February 1957.

The SGHL and SBM have therefore the acquired right of lease, over the Maritime Public Property and hence the adjacent water area in accordance to the prevailing laws and regulations.

Those acquired rights are confirmed and reinforced by the Lebanese legislation and particularly:

Decree no 4810 of 24 June 1966 that regulates the use of Maritime Public Property and of which article 6 stipulates that the ownership of land adjacent to the Maritime Public Property gives the right of lease to the owner only and no one else and that, to the extent of double the area of the adjacent land and on the condition that the water front does not exceed the length of the land lot itself.

Article 5 of Law 58/67 about the operation of Touristic Projects stipulates that companies to which the State gives the benefit of this law, must respect the acquired rights of others what ever they do.

The St George has always paid its dues regularly and the State has always accepted payment of the legal annual fees due for the lease of the Maritime Public Property. The last payment of such fees, LL 24 million for the SGHL and 192 million for the SBM were made on 13.2.2000 and on 2.8.2000 respectively. It is important to note that the State refuses payments of any fees or rent for all illegal occupation of the Maritime Public Property.


The Legal position of the Western Marina (Sector Ab) and of the Water surface adjacent to the Hotel (Sector 5 of the St George Bay)


The Bay does not enter in the perimeter of the City Center rehabilitation entrusted to Solidere, in fact :


1. Decree no 2236 of 19.2.1992 that delimits the plots entering in the rehabilitation plan of the City Center entrusted to Solidere, excludes the plots where the Hotel is constructed.


2. The subsequent modifications in 1994 of the Master Plan of the City Center aimed to include the Normandy land fill within the zone entrusted to Solidere have clearly excluded from the limits fixed to the Western port by Decree no 5609 of 3.9.1994, Sector 5 of this zone, constituted of the water plan adjacent to the Hotel and its Beach.


3. Moreover, Decree no 7660 of 15.12.1995 has defined separately the rules organizing Sector 5 of the St George Bay. Those rules, says the Decree, “aim at organizing the zone where the Hotel is located in the City of Beirut and the Port that surrounds it, both of which are adjacent to the Western touristic port created according to Decree no 5609 of 3.9.1994”


The Intervention of the State to the advantage of Solidere is at the origin of the conflict with the St George Hotel


• Does Solidere need the exclusive monopoly of the Bay in order to meet its goal?

• No, because Solidere’s object is in priority the rehabilitation of the City Center. The activities of real estate and touristic development are additional activities and cannot extend beyond its boundaries to other areas where other eligible investors have acquired rights.

• However, the ambitions of Solidere as a real estate and touristic developer have got it to obtain from the State an extension of its field of action outside the real estate zone of the Master Plan and its amendments.

• In particular, the landfill of the Normandy embankment has made it aspire to the exclusive appropriation of the totality of the St George Bay, namely the “Western Marina” plus the St George Marina, “Sector 5” which is the water plan adjacent to the St George Hotel and Beach.

• The Council of Ministers was therefore lead to take successive and contradictory Decisions, in order to accommodate Solidere’s pressure on the Government. some of these Decisions are not in conformity with the general principles of the law governing the occupation of Maritime Public Property and Touristic Projects. These Decisions are as follows:

 A confirmation of the acquired rights of the St George Hotel by Decree no 6155 of 22.12.1994 that had attributed an area of the Maritime Public Property of 12735 m2 of which 5140 sqm of water surface and 7695 sqm of break water.

 A cancellation of the above Decree, nine months later, by Decree no 7388 of 10.10.1995

 Decision no 83 of the Council of Ministers dated 15.11.1995 suggesting the cancellation of all of the Decrees which have given the SGHL rights over Maritime Public Property.

 Decree no 7692 of 21.12.1995 entrusts to Solidere the management of the Eastern and Western Marinas of Beirut within the limits defined by Decree no 5609, which excludes Sector 5 and puts it out of bounds of Solidere; Decree no 5609 is, however, not signed by the Minister of Transport who has considered that the State can not break the law and acquired rights.¹

_________________
Concious of the fact that without the Transport Minister’s signature,the Decree is invalid, the Government replaces this Decree by Decree nº 8939 of 9 August 1996, signed by a new Minister of Transport, and then rectifies it by Decree 9880 of 7 February1997 to include The Director General of Transport in the comity appointed to prepare the contract between the State and Solidere.
• In order to defend itself, the SGHL in 1995 and 1996 raised a series of cases against the State for Decrees 5609, 7388, 7660 and 7692.

• Following this action, the Government seeks a friendly agreement with the St George. This agreement concluded on 7.3.1997 between the CDR and the SGHL on the one hand and the SBM on the other States the following:

 The withdrawal by the St George of its legal cases.
 The financing and execution of land fill and development works in conformity with Decree 7660, namely in Sector 5.

• On 17 September 1997 the Council of Ministers approves through its Decision no. 26 a draft contract between Solidere and the State, giving Solidere for fifty years the exclusive management of the Western and Eastern Marinas, including, only in its attached plan, Sector 5. This contract was signed on the 25th of September by the Ministers of Tourism, Finance, Transport an Public Works, without having been ratified by a Decree in accordance to legislation.

• On 24.9.1998, the CDR notified the St George to start work as per contract of 7.3.1997 namely in Sector 5 of the St George Bay. This work was finished on 23.6.1999, nine months after the CDR notification. However, the work is commissioned by the CDR only on 12 September 2000.

• On 6 October 1999, the Directorate of the Transport Ministry, being responsible of the Maritime Public Property notifies the St George to evacuate Sector 5 of the St George Bay in an attempt to put an end to its lease/presence and to its acquired rights since 1932.

• In order to examine the conflict, Prime Minister Salim El Hoss constituted on 30.10. 1999 a Committee formed of the administrative authorities concerned. The report of the Committee issued on 12 October 1999², concludes that:

 Decision no. 26 of the Council of Ministers approving the contract of management by Solidere of the Western and Eastern Marinas is not sufficient to cancel the rights of the St George.

 The Decrees issued in favor of the St George are still valid and Decision 83 of the Council of Ministers of 15 November 1995 is without effect on Sector 5 which forms part of the Maritime Public Property situated outside Solidere’s grip.

• On 14 March 2000, the Minister of Transport by his letter no 594 to the Prime Minister suggested that Sector 5 be subject to a separate management by Solidere. The government of Mr. Hoss does not agree to ratify this suggestion.

• On 8 September 2000 Decree no 3808 modifies the position of the sea protection on the Normandy water front and covers Solidere for there illegal action in that area.
____________________
2 - This report is dated by mistake 12 October 2000
• On 23 November 2000, by its Decision no. 40, the newly appointed Cabinet of Mr. Hariri merges “Sector 5” with the the Western port “Ab”, contrarily to all the principles of law and to the spirit of the contract between the CDR and the St George.

• Decree no 4837 of 3 February 2001 cancels our decrees No 8822, 2660 and 14981 of 1932, 1959 and 1957 respectively.

• Decree no 4838 of same date as above annexes Sector 5 to the western marina Sector Ab.

• At this point the Government action could simply be described as barbaric. It ordered the destruction of the famous St George Yacht Club. The once active and lively Marina was shut down and became a desolate place. One year has elapsed with Solidere doing nothing.

• Decree no 5714 of 19 June 2001 widened even more the limits of Solidere to include the quay (sector 4) to the western marina, hence dealing a further blow to the St George.


In the light of the above and in order to defend itself, the St George raised again, a series of cases against the State, for Decrees numbers 8939 of 9 August 1996, 3808 of 8 September 2000, 5609 of 3 September 1994, 4837 & 4838 of 3 February 2001, 5714 19 June 2001 and Decision 180/1 of 26 May 2001.


Conclusion

Do we really want to enhance Investment and Growth or do we want to replace existing Investors with others ?

• The investor has already spent over $50.000.- at today’s Dollar to cover the cost of acquisition including cost of buying lease owners, Design & Construction. Tha,t does not include lost opportunity, Prejudice and Damages. A very serious expertise has evaluated at $60,000,000.- Damages due to the enormous wall built so high (8.5m high and 90m wide) that the view from the hotel famous terraces has dramatically been impaired. This wall did not need to be built so high.

• At least as much money is yet to be invested, in order for the project to see the light.

• We cannot pretend to attract Foreign Investors when the Lebanese Investors see their rights violated in such a flagrant manner. The destruction of the St George Marina was an unprecedented act of savagery, definitely unlikely to create a positive climate for investments.

• To the spoliation of the rightful owners which has been the subject of many articles, are we going to add that of one of the oldest and most prestigious Tourist institutions of the Capital?

• In order to attract Foreign Investors, it is imperative that the rights of Local Investors and economical groups be respected.

• The ambitions of Solidere to be a real estate and tourism developer, contrary to its basic object is not understandable especially as the endless extensions beyond its boundaries since 1992, which it has gathered and is still gathering from the State with such ease, are not justifiable. The present real estate crisis and the surplus of available land and/or adjacent water surfaces are astounding. In the case of the St George Hotel, a historical Tourism symbol that characterizes Beirut, it was not the case of an insolvent investor. Well to the contrary, the St George has struggled against all odds for the last eleven years for its existence and survival and the continuation of a historical institution of the Capital.

• Nothing can explain the martyrdom that the St George Hotel and marina has been subjected to, and the more disturbing is the total silence that was kept by all concerned, around this matter, as no one ever voiced the slightest objection to a flagrant murder of one of the most prestigious institutions of this Country.

• A simple and rapid solution would be to ensure a separate management of Sector 5 of the St George Bay including an access to the sea on the west, as it has been since 1932, this management being of course subject to the common law on Maritime Public Property, instead of putting one of the oldest and most prestigious Investors in the Tourist Sector of the Capital under the rule of Solidere which would loose the St George its independence and particular Character to the benefit of an exclusive right and monopole for Solidere.

Solidere marina takes root
Project courts yacht owners far and wide

Sprawling $230 million facility is designed to handle up to 500 vessels

Dania Saadi
Daily Star staff
Flanked by the yacht-less Saint George Hotel and the Normandy dump, Solidere’s $230 million marina and promenade flaunted its latest property Monday, one week after officially inaugurating the hotly contested maritime project.
The eastern marina, part of Solidere’s grand reconstruction project in downtown Beirut, started last Monday to receive yachts in Saint George Bay, the site of an ongoing dispute between Solidere and the once-glamorous beach resort.
The hotel once sported Liz Taylor and Richard Burton among its top guests and still dangles a picture of its pre-war yacht club with a sign reading: “Is this permissible?”
Solidere acquired the rights to develop the seafront in a 1997 government decree, vigorously contested by Saint George Hotel owner Fadi Khoury.

In February of this year, the government impounded all boats after issuing notices to all yachts docking illegally in the marina, which was officially handed over to a government committee in July.
Apart from the Saint George, Solidere was also reportedly locked in a dispute with billionaire Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal over ownership rights for the marina.
The prince purportedly wanted the marina for his sumptuous Four-Seasons Hotel overlooking the bay, but he later settled for having his own berth at his other hotel project, the recently inaugurated Movenpick in Raouche. The Four Seasons, though, and the accompanying Marina Towers, will have a tunnel with a direct access to the marina, which is set to handle up to 500 yachts.
Some $230 million later, Solidere has turned the marina into a sprawling project featuring restaurants, parks and other facilities.
“Solidere was entrusted by the government to develop this seafront area, which it financed from its own resources in return for reclaimed land from the Normandy,” said Solidere official Imad Dana.

Solidere is charging $400 per meter for a nine-month berth at the marina, which can hold up to 120 boats, for now.
But Solidere is setting its sights on accommodating some 500 boats by the second phase of the project in spring 2003 and more ambitiously, it is working on building a western marina behind the grounds of the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure Center.
Solidere is protecting its project with two towering breakwaters, which together with Normandy will be the site for “the new Beirut.”
Copyright © The Daily

Daniel Germani, an engineer who was also injured in the 2005 bombing, said the re-opening of the road would allow his team to repair the famous Saint George Hotel, which was severely damaged in the blast. Five hotel employees were killed, eight injured, said Germani. He estimated damages to the hotel at US$10 million, saying they had yet to receive compensation.

Famous the world over, the Saint-Georges offered a superb cuisine
served on a lovely terrace overlooking Saint-Georges Bay - but was
also the journalist's best listening post, as well as his post office
and bulletin board.


Hotel in the 60's

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/ST.George.jpg

General Vue


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Designer interior works

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/pic_60s_terrasse_big.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/pic_60s_suite_big.jpg



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http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/pic_60s_room_big.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/pic_60s_restaurant-terrasse_big.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/pic_60s_restaurant_big.jpg
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/pic_60s_plage_big.jpg
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http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/photo_90s_dec94_big.jpg
1994
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/photo_00s_ruins_big.jpg

After the war

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/photo_00s_marina_big.jpg
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Signs againts Solidere

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June 2006

Signs againts Solidere

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/SignsJune06.jpg


These signs were up in 2006?! I dont understand, so this is what they call the marina?

I have always wondered, how is it that the first-class status pool has remained open yet the hotel itself remains in this condition (following Feb. 14th 2005). In order to renovate the pool didn't they need to do some work on the lobby at least? How is the pool accessible to the public, as in when the street was closed? This has always confused me since it seems so soon after the blast people were swimming there...


http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d184/rhmud/n731615116_180703_5839.jpg

I would like to Share the arghileh with her :naughty:, that way, I could forget about the damage to the building :D

These signs were up in 2006?! I dont understand, so this is what they call the marina?

No my comment was underneath..These signs were up last year telling you where the entrance was..they always called the club " The St. George Yacht and Motor Club" It used to have a small marina attached b4 Solidere took over the entire St George's Bay and created a manmade marina over the entire bay....The hotel stuck out and had a very wide waterfront stretching until Zeitouni/Normandy ...there was no breakwater , Marina, or landfill..it was open to the sea..and now boxed in..You can see it from the pictures i posted

^^ Oh I know about the bay, but there is no longer a yacht club because they lost access to the marina, correct? So whats with the signs?

Maybe now a more correct title should be "Yacht Viewing Club" or maybe you can say members probably have there boats moored in the Marina and still use the St. George.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet...

(These are pics from bloggingbeirut.com)

http://bloggingbeirut.com/images/oct07/stgeorge2.jpg

http://bloggingbeirut.com/images/oct07/stgeorge1.jpg

http://bloggingbeirut.com/images/oct07/stgeorge3.jpg


Press Release by Fadi El-Khoury



Peace & War

I am not here to bore you with my problem.
Nor to make war with Solidere or anyone else contrarily to what they are saying calumniously
I am here once again merely to defend the St George Hotel and its Marina
Would I fight a monster? The lock ness? That terrible thing that used to haunt a Lac in Scotland.
No one has ever seen it.
But Solidere is all over the place everyone has seen it.
Everyone has seen this amazing peace of work of a wall 3 storey high.
They say it is aimed at protecting St Georges from tsunamis! While they build a hotel right on the sea opposite!
If they want to protect St George Hotel and its Marina all they have to do is leave it alone!
After the tragic accident I have made peace with Mr Nasser Chammaa )The President of Solidere(
I have accepted to meet with Solidere’s board of directors in their offices and have exposed as nicely as possible the situation.
I have begged them to leave the St Georges alone.
I have explained with pictures the importance of the St Georges for Beirut and Solidere and the need for both to have friendly neighbourly relations.
The only proposal I ever got from them is a request:
That we relinquish our rights first and discuss later.
Solidere knows it has no right over the water front.
Solidere knows that its aggression is flagrant and illegal.
Solidere has been putting pressure against the St Georges to force it out.
Solidere is still aggressing the St George Hotel and it Marina everyday and is using its entire means and might to stop the St George Hotel and it Marina from existing.
I personally have not said a word for nearly 3 years now.


Aggression

Ropes

All summer Solid has purposefully installed ropes along our border to stop people from arriving to the St George Beach

Attack Guards by night

A few days ago Solidere attacked our guard during the night
Why would they come like thieves in the night if they were doing something legal?


Hariri & Me

I told the late President Hariri
There will be a disagreement with Solidere.
He said I have to agree with Nasser.
This was my only disagreement with him.
I wanted him as a referee and judge.
I did not want him as an opponent.


Construction of the Hotel

We would like today to build the St George Hotel to be a candle of remembrance for Mr Hariri too, and for my friends who have died, five of them, whom I have spent a life time with.
I call upon those who care to stand with us and unite for justice to prevail and not allow an employee from some company to take us both for a ride.
We believe Solidere is not a good thing.
But some consider it as positive
Let it be so, but
Why not the St Georges?
Why should we sell it to them?
Why the hate and war against St George Hotel?
How can they attribute to Solidere the reconstruction?
It is merely a site which is what was left after the war destroyed Beirut!
Solidere destroyed what was left standing and covered up ruthlessly all the vestiges of the past and all the history behind it! What is one or 2 streets where people go to play?
Where is the city, the city of Beirut?
I have nearly died during the explosion on 14 Feb 2005 and have decided
to hand over the management of the St George to a trust who will continue to protect this land mark long after I have gone and make sure it will be built one day!
Why not now?
Let those who knew it see it again and project to the young some of Beirut’s nice history


Corruption & Justice

Politicians

A lot of politicians are corrupt they want either power or money that is all.
Very few care about justice for the people.

Justice

Has anyone seen justice prevail much in Lebanon lately?
Anyone who knows about justice having been done. Please stand up and tell us about it.
The problem is that a lot of people do not stand up for their rights for one reason or another.
I will not be here to stand up for ever!
Please help us stand up together.
Not to talk politics.
Let us talk about justice for all human kind!
Let us talk about peoples rights!

Police

The police, instead of busying them selves to uphold security and stop crime have for years had a continuous presence in the St Georges to stop us from upgrading just one swimming pool!
Every beach owner in Lebanon is allowed to repair and upgrade his premises!
Not us!


Road Closed

The road was closed for 2and a half years in front of the St George Hotel there was nothing we could do to open it and it only did harm to the St George Hotel no one else.
I said once: Is it acceptable to have the road closed for ever?
Someone answered: Mr Hariri was an extraordinary man!
But he was a man! And we are all men!


Indemnity

A committee from the army has evaluated the damage to the property and an indemnity was submitted for payment!
The prime minister has always had a positive attitude towards us!
I am sure that he would like to help the St Georges Hotel!
Can Solidere stop everyone from helping us?!
The fact remains that the prime minister has done nothing about it!
However we all know that millions of Dollars have been paid to everyone in Lebanon every were and is still being paid but not to the St George Hotel.


Greatness of St George Hotel

I think everyone has probably forgotten me.
This will happen any way.
But no one will ever forget the St George Hotel.
If I don’t talk about it you won’t know about it!
If you knew someone is beating your daughter or your son or your sister or brother or someone you love would you stand aside and watch?
Someone is beating the St George Hotel everyday and has been for 14 years.
It is Solidere!
No one else.
St George is a must for Lebanon!
St George symbolises a golden age which Lebanon once had and that solidere was unable to bring back!
St George is a light house that tells the world where Lebanon is!
St George has been loved by the east as well as the west!
St George has no religion it is Lebanon we want to see rebuilt!
I am not here to burden people with my problem!
My problem is I am getting old… God will look after that!
The St George Hotel is a quest it is history
History does not start with Solidere
It starts with Lebanon
It starts with Beirut
It starts with what’s underneath Beirut of ashes, people who have died, stories that our fore fathers have left for us.
Solidere is trying to put a veil over all of that!
St George Hotel is a flame burning that can’t be extinguished by Solidere.
No one can extinguish it!
St George has become more important than martyrs place.
It represents courage!
Continuity “Soumoud” “Moukawamat”
The essence of a country!
We call upon the Lebanese people to come to the St George to shake hands for peace and friendship!
This was the heart of Lebanon this is where the Lebanese loved each other.
Here is where they became enemies for one instant.
Here is where they should remain friends and love each other again for ever.
The French have given up the St George Hotel in 1958 and my father has continued its quest.
We ask the Lebanese people to join us in the St George Hotel’s quest.
Even Nasser Chamaa President of Solidere invited people to leave Lebanon after he has invaded its capital and erased its history.
Lebanon must not stand still in front of such a crime!
The St George Hotel & its Beach & Marina are still here for Lebanon like Baalbek and the Chabrouh and Litany Dams it will remain open for Ramadan and Christmas together and will marry sons of kings of Arabia and presidents of countries around us.
That is what it did and is what it will do!


Greed & Money

Believe me if my aim was to make money out of the St Georges’ misery I would have listened to Mr Chamaa who said once to me:
Do you want the St Georges or do you want to make money?
As if they had any intention ever to pay for anything they acquire.
When someone is used to take what is not his by force or politics, one looses the habit of paying.
They want me to betray This institution and Beirut and Lebanon!
Is this acceptable?
Do you accept that I do that?
Does anyone accept such تصلبط تعسف و استهتار


Message to President Bush

We have heard you spell the name of streets in Beirut in some of your speeches.
It has pleased our ears and warmed our hearts to know that you care.
Your father, Mr President has stayed on the terrace of the St George Hotel.
It is a famous landmark of peace and democracy and has been the meeting place of the West and the East.
Friends and enemies must unite for freedom here!
It has been subjected to imprisonment without enticement!
For 14 years now we are the prisoners of greed not war it is much worse!


Investors

I have been educated in England and when I was 15 which is a long time ago I thought of Lebanon as a village.
It is obvious today that our politicians have failed to make a country of it!
We live in the time of globalization and yet we are still worrying about our petty differences!
I have come to Lebanon and my parents before me to spend our money in this country and not to take money out of it like others have done.
Solidere has lost money for many years and now that it has began to make some it is taking it away from the country and the shareholders and the Lebaneese people.
Is this not a crime?
But
La hayata liman tounadi


Hotel & Marina

The St Georges has had a marina for as long as Lebanon has existed as a state.
It is on all the international navigation plans.
It was the first and only pleasure boat marina in Lebanon long before the Automobile Yacht Club in Jounieh
The president of ATCL Cheikh Fouad El Khazen has described us to the international community as a competition and an illegal marina!
He has fought for Solidere against St George Hotel although he is part of The CAT organisation which belongs also to us. He is also the President of The Compamie du Port who is a shareholder in St Georges Hotel.
Can anyone believe that?!

Whether you're for or anti-Solidere, the hegemony on the St. George needs to stop, so it can return to its former glory!

why is solidere being a total bitch with the st. georges group??

^^ I think we just need to hear Solidere's official stance on the issue before we make judgements.

Does anyone have a press release from them on this matter?

Its because they wanted the property and couldnt get there way..Hariri coveted it as well..This guy is very smart tho. They actually rebuilt it only to see it blow up in 2005 before it could open..The property is cursed. I would love to see it open and sit on the terrace overlooking the yachts and the waterside park..and i think that if they can lower the wall they should...It didnt have to be built that high..

This property is very valuable ...imagine when the waterside development is done (stow) etc

Blogging beirut has just posted a video documentary that MTV produced awhile ago...wish we can post them here

sorry, after reading abit of the above, i dont fully understand why the st georges hotel is not proceeding with its construction and renovation, and 2nd why cant st georges hotel and solidere share the marina space amicably?? wats the big deal, just share the space for God's sake, is that too difficult!
st georges hotel is a lovely hotel, the beach/ pool area is beautiful, and their food is really good too! I hope it works out!

nshala ma byerja3 hoteil la ino sa7bo nasssabbb kbirrrrrrrrrrrrr

nshala ma byerja3 hoteil la ino sa7bo nasssabbb kbirrrrrrrrrrrrr

care to share with us how you came to this conclusion...
anyway the whole fight between solidere and st georges is mainly over access to the sea, before the war st-georges had its own private marina which solidere took over and built the current marina at the same time removing the possibility of st-georges having their own marina and since during harriri's reign he had control of both solidere and the gvt well he did everything possible to stop all kind of permits from being issued to st-georges

November 2nd

courtesy of Mr.FoxTalbot

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3036/3042448424_c9675c2957_b.jpg

..prominently in the picture:

I heard Fady Khoury had finally given in, and has sold it off to a Kuwaiti group.
Does anyone know if that is true? (I can imagine him selling a share of the ownership, and a Kuwaiti group might make it more palatable because they seem to value Lebanon's specificity even more than many Lebanese, but I really find it hard to imagine that he'd give it up entirely to anyone...)

i dont think its legal status allows him to sell..i mean the whole thing was who owns the water rights..it would be worth alot less if he didnt have any..

i dont think its legal status allows him to sell..i mean the whole thing was who owns the water rights..it would be worth alot less if he didnt have any..

He can sell his hotel, and, I believe, the area of the quay that he was given when his right to yacht berths, hence direct access to the sea, was taken away.

My sense of this whole thing - partly based on sources always once removed from the owner, and partly on the fact that I think that one just should not, by ministerial decree, simply take away a right held for so long especially when potential conflict of interests come into play - was that an injustice was indeed committed, he did indeed get pressured to sell, the breakwater design was indeed altered and is unnecessarily ugly, but NEVERTHELESS, the hotel is storied, and is in a prime location ... so do it up and go forward! One day the rights could have been restored, and in the meantime, the hotel could have again become the elegantly glamorous alternative to the glitz - wonderful even if sometimes tacky - of the alternatives. After all, ugly breakwater or not, it still faces a yacht harbor, is almost on the sea, has a view of the mountains over the bay, carries the bay's name, and was a place where the jet set crossed with Cold War spies. Nice as some of the new boutique hotels may become, none of them carry that history...

But if he's given up and sold... alas! Again, I think many Kuwaiti investors have shown remarkable respect for Lebanese singularities, but one would have hoped that a few more landmarks would remain in local hands - just as a hedge...

well if it gets renovated i am for it..and maybe they can change the breakwater..its too high...Nothing is permanet...I feel bad for him because he actually did renovate it and it got blown up in 2005 hairi

this is extemely sad....... no other hotel in the whole levant has had more glamour, tragedy, drama and history. It's most certainly a landmark, it should remain in lebanese hands and be renovated to it's full glory... no questions asked. THIS IS A MUST

courtesy of ugoguido


http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af121/Nadini2345/ugo.jpg

guys do u know anything about the status of the building facing the saint George hotel ?? it shouldn't be there :S

Do you mean the never-finished annex across the street?

yeahh it should be demolished, i believe we shouldn't have a high building in that area, do you guys disagree ??

I think that is part of St. George

^^ Yes, and it will stay in ruins as long as the St. George does.

guys do u know anything about the status of the building facing the saint George hotel ?? it shouldn't be there :S


Courtesy of costyquelchecosty (taken Jan 10)

We can see that a crane has been installed on the far right side of the building?

http://i47.tinypic.com/2n72za1.jpg

^^ That crane has been there forever.

^^ Really? then my mistake, sorry :cheers:

courtesy of celine
http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af121/Nadini2345/DSC_2564.jpg

What does the new sign on St George say?

pfff man the owner of St Geroge is just a silly guy who needs to get a life, instead of writing those ridiculous signs and trying to show the world that he is a poor persecuted man ! this guy really believes that PM Rafik Hariri intentionally decided to get assassinated next to this hotel to get revenge from him ??? what kind of people is he ? besides i believe that this hotel is cursed not to mention that the building across the street that obviously belongs to ST George as well is hideous...

^^ I share your sentiments, but at least he removed that huge "Stop" sign!

But what does the new banner say?

يبقى هذا المعلم السياحي العريق شاهد حرب..... و ضحية قصف يستهدفه هل يجوز ؟

i couldn't read the word after "7arb"

pfff man the owner of St Geroge is just a silly guy who needs to get a life, instead of writing those ridiculous signs and trying to show the world that he is a poor persecuted man ! this guy really believes that PM Rafik Hariri intentionally decided to get assassinated next to this hotel to get revenge from him ??? what kind of people is he ? besides i believe that this hotel is cursed not to mention that the building across the street that obviously belongs to ST George as well is hideous...

beirut is not the property of Solidere nor the harriri family, they made a law tailored for solidere to take away the access the St-george had to the beach, the bay in the area has always been known as the st-georges bay, now the hotel is cut off the sea and solidere does everything to make his life miserable. :nuts:

it was known as st george bay long before the hotel. The Bay is the location of the Myth of st George and the dragon.

I dont understand what he wants... the Marina is done and built, he needs to move on and make the best of the situation. So the St george is no longer a yacht club like it use to be, however the property is in a prime location right on the water front, he should shut up and open the st george as a hotel or something and take advantage of the calm in lebanon.

^^ Exactly, the new marina and waterfront have boosted the value of his property. He should be thanking Solidere and capitalizing on this location by renovating the hotel and annex.

^^ I share your sentiments, but at least he removed that huge "Stop" sign!

But what does the new banner say?

Courtesy of Costy Taken Jan 10

http://i47.tinypic.com/28bzoe8.jpg

it was known as st george bay long before the hotel. The Bay is the location of the Myth of st George and the dragon.

I dont understand what he wants... the Marina is done and built, he needs to move on and make the best of the situation. So the St george is no longer a yacht club like it use to be, however the property is in a prime location right on the water front, he should shut up and open the st george as a hotel or something and take advantage of the calm in lebanon.

I know about the name, i was just saying that the marina belonged to his hotel even before the state of lebanon existed and it was taken without even giving the owner compensation, they re even blocking him from getting chairs in to his hotel... :bash:


SCZlLqdJyRk

aHh3HCkYRfM

OK but what does it say? LOL

^^

"This touristic heritage site remains a witness to a war that destroyed it and a victim to tyranny that is targeting it."

Is it right?

p.s. Am not sure if I correctly translated the Arabic word to Tyranny -it can also be cruelty.

Tyranny sounds about right..THANKS!

http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20100124&Category=NEWS07&ArtNo=1240506&Ref=AR&Profile=1001&MaxW=600&MaxW=800&q=50
(2008 photo by HUSSEIN MALLA/Associated Press)

Hey guys, I passed by this hotel 2 days ago and they were working in it, maybe renovation, not sure, but something is being done there for sure, I will try to ask next time I go there :)

^^
Is it the main hotel structure or the pool area?

^^ could this be the reason for the new "signage"?

^^ perhaps, here is a recent picture
courtesy of michael
http://i1000.photobucket.com/albums/af121/Nadini2345/michaelmcgovern.jpg

He has a long fued with Solidere since 1994. It is essentially that he wouldnt sell the property to Solidere, so for retaliation, the beach there was closed down and Ycht Club was constructed.

AWESOME..Looks like they are def doing somrthing..removing rubble..etc..(trash chute). What does the sign in front say now ??LOL

I heard that the St. Georges was owned by the deceased ex-Crown Prince of Kuwait Saad al Abdalla al Sabah....I guess not.

AWESOME..Looks like they are def doing somrthing..removing rubble..etc..(trash chute). What does the sign in front say now ??LOL

It says Le Mythique Hotel Saint George et son Yacht Club (The Mythical Saint George Hotel and his Yacht Club)

I heard that the St. Georges was owned by the deceased ex-Crown Prince of Kuwait Saad al Abdalla al Sabah....I guess not.

Its owned by Societe des Grands Hotels du Levant (SGHL). Fadi Khoury is chairman and his family has owned it since 1958.

Something must have changed between Solidere and Fadi Khoury in recent months, and I wonder what the agreement was... First the new pools have been constructed, then the anti-Solidere signs taken down, and now what appears to be pre-renovation works taking place. According to Khoury they werent allowed to upgrade their pools a few years ago. It seems like opening the pools last year has brought in some revenue too so that they can begin renovation works.

They also own the Phonecia and Vendome..They have plans to rollout 20 properties in Lebanon and Syria. We are talking about very deep pockets.

Is that correct? Same company right?

^^The Phoenicia and Vendome are owned by Société des Grands Hotels du Liban while the St. Georges is owned by Société des Grands Hôtels du Levant. It's easy to confuse them.

^^The Phoenicia and Vendome are owned by Société des Grands Hotels du Liban while the St. Georges is owned by Société des Grands Hôtels du Levant. It's easy to confuse them.

Thank you i thought not..:)

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb2/Htlebmn/hotel-stgeorge-beirut.jpg

Under Construction ?!

Todays Nowlebanon.com

^^ Well thats a relief!

Hopefully this means no more slanderous signage.

Heres a larger version:

http://i49.tinypic.com/1qqxaa.jpg

and it really looks like some work is being done :)

I feel sorry for its owner, I know that he has battled with Solidere, and let me tell you this, Solidere has a HUGE dark side... anyone knows how the entire downtown area was bought from its original owners (the people and the investors who had property all over there)

It was by force and only by force, my grandfather for example, was forced to sell his shop (which he had leeced for 10 years and lived from) for half of its original price or he will be caught up in court so much that he couldnt surface to breath... anyway this is only the tip of the iceberg, and hundreds, maybe thousands more have stories like this..

just know that the current "glow" we are showing to the world is a result of Solidere bulliying the people of Beirut to make money...

just my 2 cents..

^^ All posts in respose to the above comment have been moved to the following thread:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=990453

Please keep this thread on-topic!

LOL looks like Ive driven this thread off topic... LOL Sorry :S

So anyone has an even larger photo of the new look of the saint goerg... (because abdallah I have a propesition for your model if you dont mind... :) )

are they just reconstructing the facade of the hotel or have they actually begun restoring the hotel for re-opening ????

^^ I would think there would be more press coverage if they had plans to re-open.

courtesy of valen
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/Nadini1/246.jpg

I think theyre only repairing the damaged parts in the explosion... it is too complex of a plot for a re-opening

Courtesy of Me
Taken Today

http://i31.tinypic.com/358wdnq.jpg

I saw actual workers working on the bottom part (entrance)

courtesy of melina
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/Nadini1/me.jpg

Beirut's legendary St Georges hotel aims for comeback
June 26, 2011 10:11 AM
By Jocelyne Zablit
Agence France Presse

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/dailystar/Pictures/2011/06/26/stgeorges_634446800205821695_main.jpg
The St George yacht club on the Corniche.

BEIRUT: Once a symbol of Beirut's golden age, the St Georges hotel today is but a hollow shell at the center of an epic real estate battle pitting its owner against powerful developers.

"Before the (1975-1990 civil) war, Lebanon was the world's capital and the St Georges was the capital of Beirut," recalls Serge Nader, whose family ran the beach adjacent to the hotel until 1997.

"We were the center of the world."

Built in the late 1920s, the hotel was synonymous with Lebanon's glitz and glamor before the civil war broke out, hosting the likes of Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as well as royalty and other celebrities such as the Shah of Iran, Egyptian diva Oum Kalthoum and the notorious double agent Kim Philby.

The who's who of Lebanon would also gather at the bar, the fabulous outdoor terrace that overlooked the blue waters of the Mediterranean, or the poolside.

It was there that political deals were struck, that journalists gathered to recover juicy tidbits to fill their columns or where spies like Philby, a British intelligence agent turned Russian spy, hung out.

"The hotel was majestic and its location along the sea was magical," said Georges Corm, a Lebanese economist and historian with fond memories of the St Georges. "It was the rendezvous of Beirut's creme de la creme.

"The view over the bay area was spectacular and it was pure bliss at the time to sit on the terrace of the hotel or the beach."

But today, the four-storey pink stone building that was gutted by fire during the war that ended in 1990 still sits empty on the Beirut waterfront, dwarfed by modern high-rises and fancy shopping centers that have sprouted up in recent years.

And while the hotel once enjoyed an unobstructed view of the sea from nearly all angles, it now is surrounded by a marina on one side, a 2 meter seawall on another and a new development project built on a landfill into the Mediterranean.

A massive billboard hanging on the side of the hotel reads "Stop Solidere", in reference to the bitter legal battle between the owner Fady Al-Khoury and the company he claims has prevented him from moving forward to restore the St Georges to its old glory.

"They (Solidere) have prevented the hotel from being rebuilt for 15 years," Khoury told AFP, sitting by the hotel pool which is still open for business. "They want us not to exist."

Solidere spokesman Nabil Rached said the company, founded in 1994 by then Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, a billionaire businessman, did not wish to comment on the issue.

Hariri died in 2005 in a massive bombing that also gutted the facade of the St Georges, which at the time had partially been reconstructed. A bronze memorial statue of Hariri now stands to the left of the hotel, gazing at the huge "Stop Solidere" sign.

Depending on who you talk to in Lebanon, Solidere is described as a company that should be credited with rebuilding war-ravaged Beirut or wiping out its heritage and driving its original residents and merchants out.

The battle between Khoury and Solidere erupted after he challenged the company's bid to build a new marina, which he says infringed on the landmark hotel's historical and legal access to the water.

The legal fight, Khoury says, has stalled his plans to reopen the hotel which he believes will lose its historic and commercial value if access to the water is restricted.

"What they did is apocalyptic," said Khoury, referring to Solidere. "When you stand in the marina they built you can't see the sun anymore, you are surrounded by enormous buildings and once they finish putting up all the other towers the sun won't reach the St Georges until very late in the day."

But as the legal battle drags on, some question whether anyone really has the hotel's interest at heart.

"Whether it be Solidere or the current owner of the hotel, neither give a damn about the St Georges, its history or the history of Beirut," said Jacques Tabet, whose father Antoine designed the St Georges along with French architects.

"This is not about the hotel, it's about money."

Khoury however insists he will never give up the legal fight to preserve the Saint Georges and restore its lustre.

"The right of the St Georges will prevail and I will not make a compromise," he said. "And once I'm gone the St Georges cannot be sold by my inheritors.

"The worst that could happen to it is that it be donated to a church or a mosque -- anything but Solidere."

He said that since Hariri's assassination, literally at the hotel's doorstep, he has worked to refurbish the St Georges which he hopes to reopen within 18 months to two years.

"People may think I am a Don Quixote, but I am not," Khoury said. "I can't give up on this iconic hotel, witness to the civil war which destroyed it."

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Local-News/2011/Jun-26/Beiruts-legendary-St-Georges-hotel-aims-for-comeback.ashx#ixzz1QO0U3BZO

honestly i think its time that this hotel opened, i get that he has the right to fight for what he thinks is his right... but i don't get why the hotel remained closed for the past 20 years... you have an already built hotel on one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in Beirut with access to the marina and a your own private beach club... Get Over It !!

btw guys does anyone know if the beach club is open to everyone or is it restricted to members?? and how much is the entrance fee ??

its open to everyone.. i went when i was in lebanon.. its like 20 000 LL

and when was that?

im talking about the pools.. its nice.. especially that the buildings are right next to it.. :) it gives me a feel that i am not in lebanon.. :)

^^ and that is supposed to make you smile? :D i mean you feeling u r not in Lebanon ? :S

Taken by me last month

http://img812.imageshack.us/img812/3143/img2620n.jpg

http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/4762/img2633a.jpg

definitely being repaired..even curtain in windows

^^ The curtains look purely decorative to make the side that faces the pool look "normal". I highly doubt those rooms have actually been renovated. But that stupid sign certainly doesn't help - I thought they had taken it down!

^^ There was a report on MTV few days back. and the owner mentioned that they are waiting for some documents approval by the new government so they can start with the renovation and adding buildings to the current one.

Courtesy of me, taken yesterday

http://i56.tinypic.com/23mak5d.jpg

Saint George hotel is being renovated (at last). I know that the green covering has been there for a while now, but when I passed by it 2 days ago, there was serious work going on. A typical construction site activity...

November 28

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af175/_Zippo_/SSC%20Projects%20Pictures/St%20Georges%20Hotel%20-%20Status/28-11-2011-1.jpg

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af175/_Zippo_/SSC%20Projects%20Pictures/St%20Georges%20Hotel%20-%20Status/28-11-2011-2.jpg

^^ we've encountered several of those before, which turned out to be false alarms.. I hope you're right!!

^^ I agree.

Zippo, can you be more specific as to what activity you saw? From your photos, it doesnt look like much has changed since the last update.

By activity I meant the noise of a construction site caused by throwing things down the temporarily installed shaft that's been there forever. The site was an active area for sure (workers shouts, compressor noise, hammering...etc). I also saw a couple workers, assuming that others should be hidden behind the construction fence.

Anyway, I believe the St. George doesn't need much to become quite "decent looking" instead of that war-zone building that it is right now. If the balustrades get installed, all you still need are the window frames, and a good paint job and it will appear "as new". I think all that time spent where no obvious progress was showing, was focused on reinforcing the structure that was heavily damaged in the explosion, but I may be wrong...

If we compare a picture posted by Nadini on June 2010 with mine, we see that the balustrade of the fourth floor is almost complete, and in my close-up shot, we see the balusters being installed on the first floor.

Actually, the fourth floor is totally rebuilt since 2010. Check out its balcony shade (the one extending from the roof's floor), as well as the whole balcony facade. Also note the concrete columns extending past the roof in my picture, which prove that the structure has been reinforced during that time.

June 2010

http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad345/Nadini1/246.jpg

November 2011

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af175/_Zippo_/SSC%20Projects%20Pictures/St%20Georges%20Hotel%20-%20Status/28-11-2011-close-up.jpg

Slow? I admit..But I think (hope) it's steady...

^^ Nice attention to details! I hope this starts moving quickly now.....if only they could take the stop sign down!

^^ The St. George owner has a righteous cause, thus he's keeping this sign. Read about it here (http://bloggingbeirut.com/archives/1165-STOP-Solidere-St-Georges-Fight-for-Justice.html).

--

December 1st, 2011

Close-ups to show the details

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af175/_Zippo_/SSC%20Projects%20Pictures/St%20Georges%20Hotel%20-%20Status/1-12-2011-1.jpg

http://i1005.photobucket.com/albums/af175/_Zippo_/SSC%20Projects%20Pictures/St%20Georges%20Hotel%20-%20Status/1-12-2011-2.jpg

Taken on Jan 2012
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/2473/img4790p.jpg