Beit Trad is an Lebanese Countryside Guesthouse With a Storied Past

Once a loving family home, Beit Trad is a quaint and rustic guest house nestled in the lush mountains of Kfour.  Resplendent with thick greenery and surrounded by endless forestry, it exudes idyllic countryside vibes coupled with warm Lebanese hospitality. Ivy drapes  over the stone exterior, a small pool decorates an outdoor terrace rich with jasmine and honeysuckle, while the nine rooms and two cottages each have names like, ‘Herbarium’, ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Safe Haven’. Here guests enjoy the best of both worlds - a whimsical stay complemented by luxurious amenities... and delicious home cooked Lebanese food served buffet style inviting guests to dig in while getting to know each other. It’s a formula for a dreamlike escape.

Nostalgia runs through the meandering corridors and cozy rooms, conjuring up memories of the childhood you never had deep inside Lebanon’s sublime countryside. Beit Trad’s Owner, Sarah Trad - a psychologist who co-founded Skoun, an outpatient center for addiction - may be able to share some of those reminiscences with you though.

“My parents always dreamed of a traditional house in the Lebanese mountains,”  Sarah, who grew up in Saudi Arabia, tells #SceneTraveller.

Far from the homeland, her mother Danielle longed for a place they could return to for the summers to spend time with family and friends. It was her aunt who stumbled across the two-acre 18th century property with its vaulted ceilings, arches, arcades and achingly beautiful bird’s eye views of the Bay of Jounieh. “I was 11 years old when my father bought the house, it was 1985, it was wartime.” Although her father died a year later, the home became the family's hideaway haven and a lush locale in which Sarah’s glamorous mother would host an endless array of summer parties where the Lebanese wine flowed and the feasts were plentiful.

When Sarah’s mother passed in 2013 the house was falling apart, so she decided to refurbish and “bring it back to life” as both a guest house and personal retreat. “It is simply one of those places where you never want to leave”.  A Lebanese team led by architect Fadlo Dagher and interior designer Maria Ousseimi undertook the restoration works staying true to the property’s heritage while infusing it with a slew of modern amenities including beautifully decked out oversized bathrooms, a spa, and of course air conditioning. The general living spaces are brimming with picture-perfect vintage pieces, books that connect guests to the property’s storied past, and an inviting array of slouchy sofas and throws inviting you to sink in and forget your woes. Quirky esoteric touches also pepper the spaces, including the pithy papier-mâché hippopotamus head that takes centre stage in the living room.

It would be remiss of course not to touch upon the hardships that Lebanon’s people continue to battle against, but somehow in this little piece of paradise far from prying eyes, Sarah tasks herself daily with creating a space of love, family, friends, beauty and hope, and that perhaps, above all, is what truly makes this dreamlike destination so distinctly Lebanese.

Guests can book individual rooms or the entire property for private and serviced use. To find out more head to www.beittrad.com