Aka house of Trad. Sarah Trad’s father bought this beautiful house in 1985 as a retreat for his family from the hustle, bustle and heat of Beirut. But its history goes way back. It first became a private home in 1808, before that it served as monastery. When Sarah inherited the home, she decided to turn it into a small divine guest house and share its magic with the rest of the world. She spent over 18 months renovating, opening to the public July 21, 2018. Each room is unique both in décor, style and name, reflecting different periods of the house’s history and the proprietress’s sense of humor. “Sanctuary” was originally an old church attached to the monastery. Uber comfy “Safe Haven” is located in what was once a jail cell. Louis DahDah was not just the original owner but also the local sheriff of this outpost of the Ottoman Empire. Now you’d dream of being locked up here. “His n Hers ”, a brand-new room built under the fantastic pool, features a double shower and large private terrace. While Jack and I found refuge in the Blue Room with its lovely twin beds, bohemian glass chandelier and enormous square bathtub. Even in the middle of an August heat wave, we never needed air-conditioning. There are three plans… bed & breakfast, half board (breakfast & dinner), full board (all three meals)… the food was delicious and plentiful. Or take the whole house, talk about the perfect family vacation!
Number of Rooms: 9
Favorite thing: the hippopotamus head. About 80% percent of the luscious décor are original items from when Sarah shared the house with her family. I can’t wait to stack vintage suitcases like she has.
Nearby: the goal here is to get away… from everything… and just chill. If you need more than sunning by the pool, reading from the stacks of magazines or playing one of the many board games its 15 minutes to the hikes of Jabal Moiussa UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 30 minutes to Byblos and several vineyards and 20 minutes to a chance to make or loose a fortune in the Casino.
Amenities: pool, free WIFI, the most beautiful vine covered veranda with a seemingly endless supply tempting of snacks and drinks, environmentally friendly carafes of filtered water, yoga lessons by request, masseuse on call
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