Habtoor hotel shuts down

The Habtoor Hotel Beirut - Georges Chahine The Habtoor Hotel in the east of Beirut has been forced to shut down due to the lack of activity, a source revealed to Arabstoday. The security issues in Lebanon have deterred tourists from visiting the country, particularly with the Al-Miqdad clan kidnapping Qataris and Gulf citizens in August. Habtoor was the favourite destination of Qataris, Emiratis and Saudis visitors to Beirut. The Lebanese tourism sector suffered a severe blow when a car bomb attack killed General Wissam al-Hassan days before Eid al-Adha – 90% of the feast reservation were cancelled. The hotel launched in 2001, accommodated 183 bedrooms, 20 suites and five restaurants. The hotel employed 150 employees.