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    DETAILS Boutique hotels n a fast-moving and frequ ently im pers onal w orld, there is agrowing trend to get back to small exclusive hotels that pro-vide havens of peace and tran quility away from th e stresses ofmodern life; this is where boutique hotels with their ultimateattention to detail and quality service are winning the heartsof many travellers.

    Boutique hotels frequently occupy older properties that. have been restored with loving care to maintain a traditionallocal atmosphere whilst offering the highest specifications in termsof comfort and amenities.From M arrakech to Beirut, there are a now a multitude of smallbut perfectly formed hotels cropping up.Before the term was coined, Jerusalem was home to one of the firstMiddle Eastern hotels that could be described as 'boutique' . Hidd enwithin Jerusalem's twisted cobblestone streets lies one of the MiddleEast's most luxurio us an d fabled ho tels. The Am erican Colony. It hasbeen voted the Best Hotel in the Middle East by Conde Nast Travelerand is a rarity in the region for being a member of the elite RelaisChteaux association. Its guest book reads like a who's who of thelast century: Sir Winston Churchill , Lauren Bacall , Peter O'Toole,

    Marc Chagall an d R ichard G ere are just a few of i ts famous guests.The American Colony is housed in the former palace of pasha. Builtout of honey-hued Jerusalem stone and boasting sumptuous interiorstha t have cha nged little in the Colon y's 122 year's of existen ce, it isa rem inder of the forgotten palaces of Palestine. On e of the ho tel 'searliest and rnost famous guests was T.E. Lawrence, better knownas Lawrence of Arabia, who regularly dined at the hotel's restaurant,as well as playing goalkeeper in the soccer matches th at took placewhere the swim min g pool is today.Morocco is fast beco ming k now n for its riads, many of which havebeen transform ed into bijou hideaways.In Marrakech the riads are cool, tranquil retreats from the chaoticcity and are perfect boutique hotel material . Dar Les Cigognes isnamed after the storks that build their sprawling nests on the ramp artsof the Royal Palace opposite.

    The magic of boutiqu e hotels is that they are frequently unid en-tifiable as opulent hideaways: the entrance to the typical riad is fre-quently no more than a simple carved door in an ordinary-lookingwall and the Dar Les Cigognes is no exception, but once inside, thearchitecture and interior design are stunn ing. The central cou rtyardis a deep well of light and air. The sound of the fountain, the sm ell ofthe citrus trees an d the cool mo saic floor make it the perfect place

    Front page: The Beit Rumman courtyard oasis.Left: Overlooking Sana a from the rooftoplounge of the Burj Al Saiah.Above: Al Moudira s pool reflects elegance andstyle on the West Bank of the N ile

    for an al fresco meal, lit by lanterns and the stars. Morocco has beendescribed by some of the world's most celebrated designers as being'a world of interiors' and the riad boutique hotels of Marrakech otfersome of the most enchanting.Country revivalSyria's tourism is on the up and Dam ascus h as, over the last few yearsseen the refurbishment of old town houses being transformed intoboutique ho tels. Boasting a mere six bed room s, the Beit Ru mtnan ilocated in the heart of the Old City. This old town house has beenhas been carefully restored to capture the lifestyle of the ancienci ty of Damascus, whi le providing i t s guests wi th a comfortableambienc e. The traditiona l arc hitectu re of the 17''' centu ry h as beenpreserved, wi th each room re ta ining i t s own private terrace , l l iedcor includes original arches, hand mad e ceramics Kishani), carvestone Ablaq), intricate hand-painted ceilings, shell-designed dooand moucharabieh woodwork. There is a traditional courtyard wia water fountain rich with extraordinarily artistic details, an oasiscented with jasmine and gardenia.

    Egypt has always been popular and for decades, well-heeled visitorsto Luxor, Egypt, have checked into the W inter Palace, a grand hotebuilt on th e east ban k of the Nile in 1886. But there is now ano the

    52 The Middle East Decem ber 2009

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    prized destination, the Al Moudira on the West bank of the Nile.Many of ts architectural features have been salvaged from abandonedi8'''and 19 'century town houses in Cairo and villages along the NileDelta and the owner describes it as a mix ture ofLebanese,Syrian andTurkish influences, whereas the colours have an Italian touch .Al Moudira 's 54 rooms are grouped into uni ts of four or m ore ,which then open onto pr ivate courtyards lush wi th greenery andfountains, as well as shaded seating areas. The suites are no less luxuri-ous, with columned archways, domed ceilings, private fountains andhand painted frescoes executed by local artisans. The bathroomsresemble mini-hammams with vaul ted ce i l ings sport ing t iny sky-lights, from which morning light pours multicoloured reflectionsonto a sunken b athtub in the middle of the room . The pool, with itsadjoining pavilion, is a work of art , so much so that French oguerecently used it as a backdrop for a fashion shoot.

    emen with a differenceAnd now Yemen can also be proud of boasting at least one boutique-style hotel. Burj Al Salam represents the revival of the historicalbeauty and the architectural marvels of ancient Sanaa. The city ex-isted at a time when there were only tents to be found on the ArabianPeninsula: it is one of the oldest towns in the world, second only to

    Marib. Legend has it that the son of the biblical Noah, Sem, foundedthe city. Renowned as a refuge of peace, it was a place whe re fightinwas not permitted. And this is what the name reflects: Burj Al Salamin Arabic me ans ' tower of peace'. Its majestic stru ctu re w as once Yemeni hous e. It took ten lon g years of hard work to ren ovate it. Threnovation w as carried out u nder the strict supervision of UNES CO iorder to respect and m aintain the original architectural style. Whilmain taining the aesthetics of the ancient architectural style, the hotecombines the necessary com forts and refined hospitality of a boutiqumod ern-day hotel. The rooms and suites are furnished with typicahand -ma de furniture. The dcor offers a taste of true Yemeni lifestylwith a rooftop lounge which overlooks the city.

    With globalisation, high streets all over the world have attainea certain similarity. The logos of Dior and Louis Vuitton that shinout on the Champs Elyses in Paris also gleam out of the windowfamous Moscow store GUM over Red Square. To a great extent thihad also been happe ning with hotels, explained Lilia Akbu latova othe Kemp inski hotel cha in. But now there is a move to mak e hotelless uniform. People appreciate the efforts to make each hotel diffeent with its own stamp or personality. In this move to 'personalisindividual ho tels, the boutique concept is streets ahead, w ith everindication it will stay that way for some time.

    Decem ber 2009 The Middle East S

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