Beirut Reclaims Nickname 'Paris of the East'

Beirut's café culture and arts scene made it the "Paris of the East" during most of the past century.

But all that changed with the 1975 civil war, which took the city out of tourist guidebooks and turned its downtown into a virtual no man's land. Despite a brief period of violence in southern Lebanon three years ago, Beirut has since regained its footing.

Le Gray Hotel has been part of Beirut's revival.

The city is undergoing a tourism revival. The downtown and waterfront Corniche areas are blossoming with boutiques from designers Versace, Elie Saab and Gucci. Restaurants are thriving as new additions La Plage at Café d' Orient, Centrale and Zinc attract local urbanites and well-heeled visitors. Beirut has even set its sights on hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Tourism capital of the Middle East: Unlike the man-made sprawl of Dubai, Beirut is a working city with a textured past that's evident in its mix of Ottoman architecture and glassy, modern high-rises.

The airport has been undergoing an expansion and renovation. Finding a top-notch hotel will soon become easier when two Western chains open sites this summer, offering competition to boutique lodgings Hotel Albergo and the Monroe Hotel.

The first new hotel is Le Gray by British hotelier Campbell Gray, the owner of London's One Aldwych and Carlisle Bay in Antigua. The rounded limestone building is located inside Beirut's Gate development. It will house three eateries, including the upscale Cosmopolitan Restaurant, a glassy loft-style space that will feature black leather banquettes and samples from Gray's art collection. There will be a rooftop pool and bar that will offer weekend entertainment.