A Hotel with a Hostel Vibe. That’s pretty much what I want when it comes to accommodation. I love hostels for their common areas, social vibe and friendly staff, but I love hotels for their private rooms and slightly nicer facilities. Luckily when I landed in my 50th Country Lebanon and checked into The Grand Meshmosh Hotel in Beirut which has private rooms and shared rooms, that’s exactly what I got!
In my opinion, The Grand Meshmosh Hotel is the best place to stay in Beirut so here is my full review of The Grand Meshmosh Hotel and why you should stay there in Beirut too!
The Grand Meshmosh Hotel Review
Why Stay at The Grand Meshmosh Hotel?
I really loved spending 6 nights at The Grand Meshmosh Hotel in Beirut. I’m so glad I decided to stay there and base myself there to explore Beirut and Lebanon from. Here are some reasons as to why I loved it so much and would fully recommend it to you if you are looking for a hotel in Beirut:
Awesome Social Spaces and Homely Feel! Thanks to the wonderful climate of Beirut the outside courtyard surrounding reception and the inside dining area is well used by guests and visitors. It’s full of tables and colourful chairs giving views of the nearby houses and buildings. I loved sitting in the courtyard eating breakfast and working (the wifi works great there and there are plugs) because it made me feel like I was really living in Beirut in a local area of the City which is exactly how Meshmosh want you to feel.
Good and Safe Location! There are more details on the location below but the location of The Grand Meshmosh Hotel is perfect. It’s in Gemmayze which is the arty, creative and hipster area of Beirut, it’s very central and most of all, I felt totally safe and comfortable there in Beirut which is something I value very highly as a female solo traveller.
Really Good WiFi! I had read a few blog posts which said that the WiFi in Lebanon is not great but I got WiFi in the courtyard and in my room, I used it on my phone and my laptop and it was great throughout my stay.
Friendly & Helpful Staff! I always say that the thing I love about hostels and small hotels is the friendliness of the staff and their willingness to help and share their knowledge of the destination. I found all of the staff at The Grand Meshmosh Hotel to be really accommodating and helpful but at the same time very chilled which also added to the overall relaxed vibe of the place.
Great Food! Breakfast is included in the room rate and the Middle Eastern spread will fill you up for breakfast and lunch! Especially as it’s on from 8:00-11:00 am and you can keep going back for more! Think Cheeses, Chickpeas, Salads, Olives, Jams, Chocolate Spread, Fruit, Cake, Tea, Coffee and Juices! In addition to this, their kitchen is open all day serving options for Lunch and Dinner. In fact, The Grand Meshmosh Hotel’s cafe is open for the public too showing just how good the food is! The prices are reasonable and the food is really good! If you read my post on how much I spent in Lebanon you’ll see just how many times I ate there!
- For more of my Lebanon Posts have a look at:
- How To Spend One Day in Beirut, Lebanon with a Beirut Map!
- The Cost of Travelling To Lebanon!
- Day Trip to Byblos from Beirut via Uber!
- A Day Trip to Chouwen Nature Reserve from Beirut with Explore Lebanon Tours
The Grand Meshmosh Hotel Location
Beirut as I quickly found out when looking for accommodation online is a bit of a sprawling City. When I arrived I quickly found out that it’s not particularly pedestrian-friendly with very limited public transport so finding the right accommodation in the right area of the City is very very important.
More important than it is in a lot of other Cities! (Although note that I did still walk to most places as detailed in this post, it is possible!)
Update: Since writing this post I have seen that Beirut now has a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus which I think will be the best and easiest way to see Beirut based on my experience with the traffic! Check it out here!
Beirut is made up of a few areas including Downtown which is very posh and fancy. The Grand Meshmosh Hotel is located in the area of Gemmayze which is known as the ‘hipster’ area of the city thanks to it’s arty, creative flare and its independent stores, cool coffee shops, street art and yoga studios.
I enjoyed seeing this side of the city and felt really comfortable here too, it’s the kind of neighbourhood I’d want to live in and again, this is another reason Meshmosh felt so homely. Plus there’s plenty of good and reasonably priced restaurants and cafes to eat at nearby!
Gemmayze is pretty central too, it’s a 10-minute walk from the Blue Mosque, a focal point of the city for sure, and 15 minutes from the Beirut Souks.
Like all big Cities, one location is never close to everything and The Grand Meshmosh Hotel is not close to the famous Pigeon Rocks for example but it’s still possible to get there via foot (in 1 hour or by cab, which is the most popular way to get around Beirut, Uber in particular).
Getting to The Grand Meshmosh Hotel from the airport is easy but I did get conned by a taxi driver outside of the airport so in the future and what I recommend to others is booking this Beirut Airport to City transfer, or this one, it’s the same price as a local taxi or Uber but a lot less hassle, trust me!
The Grand Meshmosh Hotel Rooms
The hotel has 2 buildings, the main building which is a very traditional building and actually where Lebanese political activism took its first steps, holds reception, the dining area, the courtyard, private rooms and dorm rooms.
The second building, 10 metres down the street holds private rooms only. I stayed in an Executive Double Room in the building down the street, also known as The Petit Meshmosh and I was really happy with my room. It was decorated very simply but it had a comfy double bed, a shelf and railings with hangers so I could unpack and make it feel like home and good air con which was well needed!
The door to the main building has a passcode which adds an additional layer of safety too.
The Grand Meshmosh Hotel Prices
Lebanon is known for being quite an expensive destination. I personally found that some things are pricier and other things are really cheap (for more information, read this post).
One of the reasons for costs being high for tourists is because it’s less visited by tourists. Compared to other hotels and hostels in Beirut, the price to stay at The Grand Meshmosh Hotel is very reasonable I think.
Shared Rooms 4-6 Beds: From $18 a night.
Standard Twin Rooms: From $50 per night.
Standard Triple Rooms: From $75 per night.
Deluxe Double Rooms: from $80 a night.
The Sea Suite: From $115 a night.
Prices are USD. All room prices include Breakfast, WiFi and Towels at a minimum.
Check Prices, Availability and Book a Room at The Grand Meshmosh Hotel directly on their website here!
Note – If you plan to stay in Beirut for a while, drop them an email to see if they can offer you a long stay rate.
Who is the Grand Meshmosh Hotel Good for?
The Grand Meshmosh is perfect for backpackers, solo travellers, couples, groups of friends. People visiting Lebanon from other countries, people from Lebanon, people on a City break, people on a budget, people who want a bit of luxury, people who enjoy being social.
Basically it’s an all-round place. If you aren’t a fan of hotels with no character and personality and want to meet like-minded people and have a relaxed space to chill in, The Grand Meshmosh Hotel is for you!
I hope this has answered any questions you have about The Grand Meshmosh Hotel. To check Prices, Availability and Book a Room at The Grand Meshmosh Hotel directly on their website here!
- For more of my Lebanon Posts have a look at:
- How To Spend One Day in Beirut, Lebanon with a Beirut Map!
- The Cost of Travelling To Lebanon!
- Day Trip to Byblos from Beirut via Uber!
- A Day Trip to Chouwen Nature Reserve from Beirut with Explore Lebanon Tours
Travel Insurance for Lebanon. Do you still need to purchase Insurance? I used World Nomads as it is designed by travellers, for travellers and it covers you for all sorts of Countries and Activities!
To SEE how to spend a day in Beirut, have a watch of myYouTube video here!
I stayed at The Grand Meshmosh Hotel as a guest so I could review the hotel however all opinions, thoughts and love for the hotel in this post are my own.