Vanda Hotel

The heating doesn’t work well, and breakfast is very limited. They also provide very few toiletries. I noticed dust, and the rooms don’t seem to be cleaned properly. Service was quite poor.

Vanda Hotel and Spa by Rafahia is in the heart of Jounieh, along the coast, with the Mediterranean Sea in view. It’s near local attractions, restaurants, and nightlife, and you can see the horizon from the balcony or lounge. The rooms are spacious, modern, and very clean, with luxurious bedding and thoughtful amenities. Many have panoramic sea views, making the space feel peaceful from sunrise to sunset. The spa offers treatments meant to relax the body and calm the mind, in a tranquil setting with expert therapists. Staff are warm, attentive, and eager to make guests feel at home, whether it’s their first stay or a return visit. There’s a mix of elegance, comfort, and Lebanese hospitality here. It felt like an experience as much as a place to stay, suitable for business or leisure.

I arrived with my sister and her daughters, aged 11 and 6, and we were put in a room with no door lock and no phone. When I asked what we should do if we got trapped inside or lost the only key, the answer was, “We don’t know.” The landline was dead from the start. I reported it, was told a replacement would come, and reminded them every day for a week. It never showed up. Calling the lobby for basic things was no use either, they told me to wait by the room phone, which didn’t work for the entire stay. The AC broke on our last night and made loud noises like a dying animal. Getting there was another problem. I got lost on day one and asked a policeman to call the numbers on the hotel’s business card. Both were disconnected. In a new country, tired and panicking, I had to buy a local SIM and use Google Maps to find the place. When I told them after arriving, they just shrugged and said, “We don’t know.” No apology or concern. The room was filthy, and a foul smell lingered in the bathroom no matter how often I asked for cleaning. They said I had to stay in the room around noon if I wanted them to send cleaners. I didn’t travel to sit around and babysit the cleaning. Water, teabags, and sugar were often forgotten, then they argued with me about paying for them. After I chased them for days to get sugar, they knocked five times to take back a dusty, rusty, ugly tray, as if I might run off with it. Towels were stained, sheets weren’t clean, and they didn’t replace the bathroom floor towel unless we begged and went downstairs several times. The receptionist kept sending random guys to our door to deal with problems they had caused. They called me a taxi once. It was unbearably hot inside, had no AC, and the driver charged double the regular price. The lobby and restaurant were boiling too. When I asked them to turn on the AC, they said they’d “lost the remote” and opened a window instead, with trash outside and hot air blowing in. This was an unsafe, unsanitary, deeply frustrating stay. I wouldn’t bring children or family here, and wouldn’t stay here myself. Even an airport bench would have been better.

The staff are polite and cooperative, and the hotel is known for being clean and having beautiful decor.