Via Mina

Situated in El Mina, Tripoli’s port district, a few minutes walk from the Corniche, Via Mina is a stylish boutique hotel based in a historical building dating to the late 1800s. Back in the days, three to four families used to live in the building which was also home to well known singers and artists, notably the Bandali family and actor Georges Chalhoub.

Following an extensive restoration process, Via Mina boasts 22 rooms (suites, junior suites, twin and double rooms), a restaurant area, conference facilities, a deep pool, a magnificent steel stairway manufactured by Aleppine craftsmen and windows, doors and some panelling is kept in a signature smokey turquoise.

The rooms allow guests maximum comfort and make clever use of the space, offering all the necessary amenities, including a minibar, organic soap and care products and safe. The kitchen serves international cuisine including Lebanese specialities and breakfasts and stays open until 10.30pm. Via Mina frequently hosts special events such as sushi nights.

Weather permitting guests can enjoy their breakfast on the patio under citrus trees.  A number of good eateries, cafes and pubs, such as Abou Fadi’s, Moustapha’s, Minos, Mike’s, Amigz et Fernand, Timmy’s and Rassif café and the sweetsmaker Sabbagh Bros. are within minutes’ walk from Via Mina. So is the port and the Corniche where Tripolitans gather from early morning until late at night, to stroll along the sea shore, ride bicycles, exercise, smoke shisha, drink coffee, enjoy lupins, fresh scallops in winter, roasted peanuts, candy floss or just watch the world go by. Note the dynamic conceptual sculpture The Tornado by the late local artist Mario Saba next to Tasty on the way to the sea. It’s a veritable maelstrom of computers and chairs, intertwined, topped with a bicycle, reaching for the skies, infinity.

Busy on weekends, Via Mina is a popular getaway for those who need a break from the hustle and bustle of Beirut, who enjoy the comfort the boutique hotel offers, Northern hospitality, as well as exploring Mina and Tripoli’s rich historical heritage and crafts, which includes the Tripoli Railway Station, hammams, madrasses, mosques, churches, the old city with its souks, the Citadel, the Palm Islands Nature Reserve in summer and many food places with local fare at reasonable prices all year round.