The Ramada Hotel, targeted by the Israeli army, on March 8, 2026. (Credit: Mohammad Yassine/L'Orient-Le Jour)
The president of the Lebanese hotel union, Pierre Achkar, said Thursday that hotels are no longer at risk of being targeted by Israel, following measures taken after strikes on two establishments in recent weeks amid the war between Hezbollah and Israel.
"Hotels are now spared the risk of being targeted as happened recently, thanks to their broad adherence to measures implemented in cooperation with the relevant security forces to verify the identity of guests," Achkar said, according to remarks reported by the state-run National News Agency (NNA). He added that "Hotel owners fear for their property, just as employees fear for their lives," stressing that guests refrain from booking if they do not see sufficient security measures in place.
Achkar explained that "upon the guest's arrival, their personal information is sent to the General Security, which has a database that allows it to detect any irregularity." The union leader also said that "the current hotel occupancy rate fluctuates between 9 and 11 percent," noting that hotels are not solely housing displaced people, but also accommodating long-term guests, journalists, and some embassy staff.
His comments come after Israel targeted two hotels in Beirut. On March 8, the Israeli army struck the Ramada Hotel in Raouche, claiming to be targeting members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Four days earlier, it missed its intended target when it hit the Comfort Hotel in Hazmieh, killing the receptionist.
