If you’re looking for classic winter fun, Lebanon is the place to be. Head to the high country for skiing and snowboarding in The Cedars or Mzaar. Or, cruise around on a snow mobile or just relax and build a snowman outside your alpine chalet.

But the winter fun doesn’t have to end in Beirut. If you’re coming or going through Lebanon’s flashy capital city during your ski trip, find the cheery ‘Beirut on Ice’ outdoor skating rink. This is the perfect outing for winter romance or family fun.

The temporary arena is set up each year in the upscale Souks district of Beirut, and has a capacity of up to 100 skaters at a time. The set-up is sponsored by BREMCO. It’s a completely charming winter scene, complete with music, decoration, and surrounding kiosks that offer warm snacks, treats, and drinks.

Details:
Open early January – end of February
Hours of operation: noon to midnight
Location: Trablos Street, Beirut Souks, Ajami Square, Beirut
Price: 20,000 L.L each (discounts for students, universities, and groups)

Where to stay? Recommendations in the Souk District nearby:

Lancaster Suites:
This four-star hotel is a great place to warm up and end the night after some twists and turns in the ice. Just a couple minutes from all the action of Downtown Beirut and the Verdun Shopping District

Le Patio
For a touch of luxury after the chills and thrills of outdoor skating, Le Patio is an elegant choice in short walking distance from the Souk district where the rink is located. You’ll be in the center of Beirut’s most upscale restaurants and boutiques.

Book your hotel in Beirut with Lebhotels.com, where we keep you posted on the best deals, hottest events, and top activities in Beirut and beyond.

More information: Visit the ‘Beirut on Ice’ Facebook page

Beirut is a world-class metropolis for fine arts and culture, bringing on impressive events like annual film festival DocuDays and ‘Exposure’ art exhibition at the Beirut Art Center. It’s a city that takes itself seriously, but also knows how to relax, unwind, and have a good laugh.

This past July, The Comedy Club celebrated its grand opening in Beirut. Now, this instantaneously popular spot hosts great comedy shows and events all week long. It’s a great showcase of both local talent and international headliners, and you can even join the fun with a laughter workshop and their comedy open mic night. Here’s the weekly breakdown:

Sundays: Laugh your Blues Away!

End your weekend on a high note with with Sabine Jizi, a yogi and ‘laughter therapy’ specialist who hosts this special hour-long laughter workshop. Laugh till your eyes water. Laugh till your stomach hurts. Laugh for no reason at all — it’s good for you!

Lebhotels recommendation for a hotel near The Comedy Club and other Monot nightlife: Albergo Hotel, which enchants with five-star luxuries and bohemian decor

Wednesdays: Al Moukhadioun Band

Each Wendesday night, The Comedy Club brings you great live local music. Enjoy the talent of Al Moukhadioun, whose stage presence is sheer fun and entertainment. The band’s style is new Arabic, and they’re a four-person ensemble composed of Ahmad El Khatib on drums, Walid Nasser on beats, Oussama El Khatib on bass, and Ali El Khatib on vocals and oud. These four will have you smiling, laughing, and most likely dancing in no time.

Lebhotels recommendation for where to stay near The Comedy Club on Monot Main Street: Beirut Guest House, a large furnished studio apartment at a great price!

Thursdays: Open Mic Stand Up Comedy

Always been the comedian in the corner? Ready to bring your skills on stage? Here’s your chance in Beirut, Lebanon! Doesn’t matter if your an amateur, semi-pro, or regular comedy rock star. It’s a fun, laid back, forgiving crowd that loves to share some high-quality laughs over drinks and just have fun. No pressure, just take that shot, go up there, and do it!

Lebhotels recommendation on lodging near The Comedy Club and other exciting Monot Street nightlife: Nouveau hotel du Liban, a colorful homestyle atmosphere with awesome rates.

Saturdays: Sit, Stay and Stand Up! Comedy Show

A specialty of the house at The Comedy Club, this show is a regular affair with a great mix of usual suspects and fresh talent. Elie Mitri hosts the show, introducing the likes of comedians such as Anthony Hamawi, Tony Dagher, Joe Rahme, and Elias Ghoussoub and others. Get a healthy dose of laughter and see what it’s all about, only at The Comedy Club!

Lebhotels recommendation about hotels in Beirut: do something different and unique during your stay in Lebanon. Have you ever stayed in a guesthouse? Check out our Lebanon guesthouses for a really local and unique Lebanon experience.

Looking for the perfect souvenir or holiday gift in Beirut? Find something totally unique, artistic, and handmade. This Christmas, you’re invited to the AFKART Christmas Lebanese Designers’ Exhibition. It will be held at BIEL HALL 3, every day from 4pm until 10pm from December 16 through December 22.

This annual Beirut event is organized by AchtART and the non-profit organization Beirut Association for Social Development. Its goals are to create income opportunities for up-and-coming craftsmen, artists, and artisans in the local community. Since 1998, the organization has been working on various social, economic, cultural, and educational projects in Lebanon with the objective of a higher quality of life.

This year, over 150 artists, designers, and craft businesses will be represented at the exhibition. Wander around exhibits such as Purpule Handmade, Nina Jewellery Line, Gracia’s Creations, G Accessories, Draw Me a Song, Cocoa & Co., and Awan tea, among dozens and dozens of others.

Female Knees | Sandra Kheir Sahyoun | achtART

This is the kind of exhibition that offers total sensory stimulation. Smell the rich aromas of artisan bath and body products, feel the fine textures of dozens of local clothing and fashion lines, and come hungry because there will be plenty of craft food, drinks, and desserts for sampling and buying.

Why get stuck at the mall this holiday season when Christmas shopping can be an unique and original art experience. Don’t miss the Afkart Lebanese Designers’ Exhibtion to find the perfect stocking stuffer for your loved ones or just for you.

Scarf Plisse | Nayla Moawad Ghazali | achtART

Find a hotel in Beirut in the exciting downtown district at the port of Beirut here on Lebhotels.com.  Book with us and stay tuned about all of Lebanon’s hottest events through our Lebhotels.com newsletter, blog, and Facebook page. We’re your one-stop shop for Beirut car hire, airport pickup services, and the greatest selection of hotels in Lebanon to be found online.

For fine art admirers of any kind, Beirut has a special exhibition coming up: Exposure 2011. During this month-long event, emerging Lebanese artists will have the chance to display their work to a wider audience. Go show your support, and immerse yourself in Beirut’s local contemporary art scene at the same time.

This year will mark the third annual Exposure exhibition event in Beirut. It will be held at the Beirut Art Center, a premier venue in the Beirut art community. The idea is to provide a platform for artists whose work isn’t commercial in nature.

Competition for artists who want to exhibit their work at Exposure is strong. They must submit their new work to a jury of high profile art community members and the artistic board at Beirut Art Center. This year, seven great artists were selected.

Here’s a brief profile of the diverse set of artists who will display:

Nadia Al Issa – writer and artist. She will be presenting the first part of a written series on the politics of belonging, inspired by a campout in the no man’s land between Syria and Lebanon.

Ali Cherri – filmmaker. Ali has exhibited films in a number of international film festivals and has won various awards.

Laure de Selys – screenwriter and actor. Originally from Belgium and France, she now splits her time between Brussels and Beirut. She experiments with a new genre best described as “web performance” that involves remote realtime storytelling.

Bassem Mansour – installation artist. From Beirut originally, now based in Kuwait, Beirut and Italy. His work examines the relationship between daily life its immediate environment.

Dana Aljouder – designer and architect. Made her first breakthrough as an artist with a chair she designed in Copenhagen.

Franziska Pierwoss – visual artist. Originally from Germany, she studied as an exchange student in Beirut in 2007 through the DAAD scholarship.

Stéphanie Saadé – traditional printmaker. A Beirut native, she now practices printmaking in China, France, and Lebanon.

Setareh Shahbazi – scenographer and media arts. Originally from Tehran, Iran, she spent a year in Beirut in 2003, and has been back several times for exhibition.

Don’t miss this special display of contemporary art during your trip to Lebanon. Book a hotel in Beirut with lebhotels.com, and subscribe to our newsletter to keep updated about great deals and Lebanon’s best events.

Lebhotels.com has you covered for weekends and holiday vacations in Lebanon. We’ve got the biggest selection of hotels in Lebanon to be found online, organized and searchable by price, location, and rating. If you’re planning a short trip to Lebanon, Lebhotels.com is your one-stop shop for hotels and packages.

Yet, people travel to Lebanon for many reasons beyond the several-day leisure holiday, so we’ve got options for all kinds of medium- and long-term visitors as well. Whether you’re staying awhile for business travel and conferences in Lebanon, relocating to work or study in Lebanon, or needing a place to call home while looking for something more permanent, you can check out our wide selection of apartments in Beirut.

Looking into housing in a new place is always a big task. Who has the best location for the best price? If you’re staying for a month or longer, there are several factors that you’ll want to consider while looking for an apartment in Lebanon. To make things easier for you, we’ve selected three furnished apartments and residences in Lebanon with great monthly rates for the longer-term traveler.

1) EWA apartments

A dining room in an Ewa apartment

At the comfortable and home-like EWA Hotel Apartments, you’ll be in one of 16 furnished and tastefully-decorated suites, each featuring a balcony or terrace with a lovely view of the Mediterranean Sea. The apartments are spacious and well-equipped with top quality facilities and amenities. Make yourself at home!

2) La Casa Apartments

A living room in an apartment at La Casa

On Commodore Street in the vivacious Hamra district of Beirut, La Casa Apartments offers a great location for exploring the best of the city. Here, from the 25 units, you can choose between a single room, a one bedroom apartment, and a two bedroom apartment. The apartments all include a fully-equipped kitchenette for you to make your own home-cooked meals. Take off your shoes and stay awhile at La Casa Apartments.

3) Lavender Home

The living room of a Lavender Homes apartment

Lavender Home is the newest addition to Lebhotels.com apartment and a darling new accommodation on Baalbeck Street in the bustling Hamra district of Beirut. You’ll notice that the theme inside and out is the color purple – ‘lavender’ is the palette, and ‘urban chic’ is the style. For the comfort and convenience of its longer-term guests, each apartment at Lavender Home provides you with a kitchenette, a work desk, tea and coffee facilities, and a cozy lounge area. You’ll want to invite friends over to your place at Lavender Home.

November 22 marks the date upon which Lebanon secured independence in 1943. This years is the 68th anniversary of the event and, as with previous years, the date will be celebrated around the country.

The capital – Beirut – is home to some of the largest celebrations on this, one of the most important public holidays in the Lebanese calendar. Events usually revolve around a major military parade which makes its way through the city. Last year, fighter jets flew overhead while commandos demonstrated their training and skills whilst suspended from a hovering helicopter. Dignitaries from the Arab world and further afield come to pay their respects to those who suffered for Lebanon’s independence and to celebrate the continuing prosperity of the country.

Downtown Lebanon - photo by Abdallah K, Flickr

In addition the parade and top brass, the average Lebanese family also make a point of celebrating their heritage and love for their country on November 22. Flags are prominent, as are the national colors of red, white and green. Singing and dancing fill the streets, schools and homes of Beirut, and many families sit down to enjoy special meals together.

Visiting Beirut during the annual Independence Day celebrations will provide an angle on the city that view travellers get to experience. Most businesses are closed, so while the celebrations themselves are ongoing it’s worth just relaxing and trying to take in as much as possible.

If you are keen to take part, we recommend staying in a downtown Beirut hotel. This will put you in the heart of the action and will minimise the amount of time you need to spend moving around, which can be difficult due to the number of people present. The hustle and bustle of the festivities is all in good fun, but it’s also nice to be able to get back to the peace and quiet of a top Beirut hotel at the end of the day.

If you fancy venturing outside the capital, you’ll find Independence Day celebrations all across the rest of the country. Byblos, Tyre and Tripoli also play host to events.

If you’re thinking about planning a holiday in Lebanon toward the end of November, we’d advise you to be aware of Independence Day and, if possible, to build it into your plans. Celebrating Beirut style isn’t something that everyone gets to experience, so if you get the chance you should grab it with both hands!

Eid al Adha is a traditional holiday observed Nov 6-9 in Lebanon. Families can take a long weekend away from work and school. Coincidentally, it falls during a tourism low season and the prices are right. You can read more about Eid al Adha in Lebanon in our special Lebanon events.

Adha is the perfect chance to make your Lebanon weekend escape at the most affordable time of the whole year. Hotels are slashing their prices in order to compete for the Adha weekend holiday-makers. Check out these seven incredibly discounted several-day packages available from some of our leading accommodations:

3-night Beirut Galleria Hotel: $735 now $490

Stay three nights in a standard double room and pay for two nights only, with buffet breakfast included.
Our favorite thing about Beirut Galleria Hotel: the closest to Beirut Airport. Read more about Beirut Galleria.

3-night Sky Suites Hotel: $480 now $435

Enjoy three nights in the small suite of Sky Suites Hotel in Beirut for only $435, with buffet breakfast included.
Our favorite thing about Sky Suites Hotel: pure relaxation in the outdoor swimming pool. Read more about Sky Suites.

5-night Mayflower Hotel: $850 now $770

Experience the luxury and value of Mayflower Hotel in Beirut for your Adha celebration. Price includes a double room, breakfast and taxes. Our favorite thing about Mayflower hotel: Ii  is the perfect spot connecting major exhibition and entertainments . Read more about Mayflower Hotel.

2-night Ramada Hotel: $440 now $380

The Ramada in Downtown Beirut has a two-night special that works well for those who want to spend part of Adha in the city and the other part in the country. Our favorite thing about the Ramada: walking distance to shopping venues, restaurants, cafe and archeological sites.  Read more about Ramada Hotel.

3-night Charles Hotel: $530 now $480

In Beirut, the Charles Hotel is a four star hotel in the heart of the city, and a great choice for couples. Price includes a double room and breakfast. Our favorite thing about Charles Hotel: its sunny location just blocks away from the coast. Read more about Charles Hotel.

4-night Parisian Hotel: $730 now $660

Looking for a small piece of Parisian charm in the Eastern Mediterranean? This deal takes you away for four nights in Beirut, including a double room and breakfast. Our favorite thing about Parisian Hotel: the menu at John Posh Cafe and Restaurant. Read more about Parisian Hotel.

5-night Bella Riva Hotel: $580 now $525

A great value for an extra-long Adha holiday getaway, the Bella Riva is offering a double room with breakfast included for five nights at an unbeatable price. Our favorite thing about Bella Riva: quiet area overlooking the sea with affordable prices. Read more about Bella Riva.

Get in on these hot Adha holiday deals, brought to you by Lebhotels.com. For booking questions or confirmation, don’t hesitate to contact us today!

Fans of factual films and documentary lovers from around the world rejoice! The annual Beirut International Documentary Festival – or Docudays – is nearly upon us again.

Celebrating its tenth year as a major event in the calendar of Lebanese cinema, Docudays takes place over 5 days. Starting on December 15 and running to December 20, the festival promises to bring together a number of thought-provoking and inspirational works from film-makers living and operating throughout Lebanon and the wider Arab world.

Hosted in the Al Madina Theatre, the event takes place in the heart of downtown Beirut. Located on the bustling and popular conduit of Hamra Street, the theatre will be showing the cream of the crop of films submitted for the judge’s approval earlier this year. As this is the event’s tenth anniversary, there is also expected to be a certain amount of reflection on some of the outstanding contributions that have been put forward since the festival’s inception, including some special showings of the most popular films.

Previous winners at the festival have included Aline Kouyoumdjian, who took the award in 2000 for her film ‘Black & White’, and Sandra Madi, who won in 2009 with ‘Perforated Memory’. The festival is a high point of the social calendar for arts lovers and draws celebrated individuals from across the Middle East.

If you’re a film fan or a documentary aficionado, you owe it to yourself to take in some of the works of art on offer from some of the world’s greatest emerging talent in the field of factual filmography.

The festival can be enjoyed as part of a winter break to Beirut, where balmy Mediterranean temperatures are sure to keep any blues at bay. The Al Madina Theatre and the bright lights of Hamra Street are within easy walking distance of some of Beirut’s best hotels, and the charming marina district is also nearby. A couple of days enjoying the cultural highlights of Beirut is also the perfect complement to an extended ski break in Lebanon.

Another of Beirut’s cultural highlights is the Beirut Exhibition Centre, located on the other side of the marina waterfront. This space houses conventional gallery displays, in addition to specially organised arts events.

We here at lebhotels.com aim to keep you updated on any and all major upcoming cultural events across Lebanon, such as the upcoming ART DECO fair that we recently profiled. Stay tuned to this blog, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook to keep yourself in the loop.

If you haven’t already, check out one of Beirut’s newest and most exclusive club restaurant venue. Located in the vibrant, central Hamra district of the city, Black List is the spot for a fabulous meal, live entertainment, and special events in Beirut.

Black List has a full schedule of live entertainment events every day of the week.
Mon & Tues: In-house DJ spins Oldies Night
Wed – Sat: Fresh Moules et Frites
Thur – Sat: Anitta and Franco perform. This stylish duo sings in Greek, Spanish, Arabic, French, English, and more!

Black List’s chic, intimate venue seats 200 guests. This is the perfect size for festive parties and events. In the past, parties like the Super Sexy Halloween Party and the Rock N Roll Pizza Party have gained Black List some fame.

This October 6, see what makes Black List one of the most raging, popping places in Beirut. E.M Management presents a stellar lineup of live heavy metal artists for Beirut’s cult of cool to grind to. Headlining the concert is Lebanese artists Nocturna, followed by other national hit thrash bands ThrashStorm, InnerGuilt, and Tormented.

Be sure to buy your tickets online today — Black List is a small venue and is sure to sell out. Also, book your hotel in Beirut here at lebhotels.com, where we can help you find the best room for your budget right in the heart of the lively Hamra district.

In case you haven’t heard yet, Beirut’s biggest rock festival will be held starting tomorrow, Sept 2. This raging two-day event has an all-star line-up of rock musicians hailing from all over the world. If you haven’t made it the the last two, here’s your chance to get in on the third annual Beirut Rock Festival.

The venue is none other than the Roman Amphitheater in the town of Zouk Mikael near Mount Lebanon, just outside of Beirut. While you’re in Zouk, you can also check out its ancient Ottoman architecture and pleasant pedestrian markets and shops before the rock festivities begin. The Roman Amphitheater is a jewel of the town, serving as the venue for a whole series of major summer concerts.

Friday nights headliner is Serj Tankian, the Armenian-American singer best known as the voice of System of a Down. Little known fact: Tankian is ranked 26th in the Hit Parade’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time. He’ll be performing with the Lebanese National Symphony Orchestra.

Opening acts on Friday night will be Lebanon’s own singer-songwriter Eileen Khatchadourian and the Lebanese rock group epiSode. Also, Serj Tankian’s father Khatchadour Tankian will be performing, which will be a fascinating glimpse at family and musical roots.

Saturday’s headliners will be Portugal’s Moonspell and Sweden’s Katatonia. Moonspell is a Portuguese gothic metal band from Brandoa, Lisbon. Katatonia  is a Swedish metal band formed in Stockholm. Opening for these heavy metal heavy hitters will be some regional rock performances by The Hourglass (from Syria), Kimaera (from Lebanon), and Weeping Willow (also from Lebanon). To round it off, France’s Sex Assets and Waste Management will also be performing.

Find your inner rock star and lose it again in at the Beirut Rock Festival 2011. Tickets start at $45 for each night. And be sure to check out our Lebanon hotels special deals for an ultimate Lebanon experience.