Bkerzay — Restaurant in Mount Lebanon Governorate

We recently stayed at Bkerzay with the intention of enjoying a peaceful, relaxing retreat, but unfortunately, our experience fell short on several fronts.

To begin with, the dining experience was underwhelming. At dinner, the food was average at best. The lentil salad, in particular, was disappointing – the lentils were drastically undercooked, giving the impression they hadn’t been cooked at all. The fattouch was also below expectations, made only with tomato and lettuce, lacking the essential ingredients and freshness one would expect from such a traditional Lebanese dish.

Breakfast the next morning was no better. Both the hummus and the foul (beans) were also undercooked and nearly inedible. Given the emphasis Bkerzay seems to place on its culinary offerings, this was very disappointing.

However, the most frustrating part of our stay came at the pool. We were shocked to find that children were everywhere, even in the 18+ adult pool, where we had expected a more serene, quiet atmosphere. There was no staff or enforcement of age restrictions to maintain the intended exclusivity of the adult pool. It felt more like a chaotic amusement park than a tranquil escape – children were screaming and running around, which completely ruined the relaxing ambiance we were hoping for.

Overall, our stay did not meet expectations. Bkerzay is marketed as a luxurious and serene destination, but our experience was neither peaceful nor particularly enjoyable. Attention to detail, especially in food preparation and the enforcement of basic policies (like adult-only pool access), is crucial – and unfortunately, these aspects were severely lacking during our visit.

That said, it’s important to mention that the place itself is truly beautiful. The location is breathtaking, with unmatched greenery and natural surroundings. It’s by default one of the most stunning and serene natural spots in Lebanon — the kind of setting that, with the right attention to service and guest experience, could be truly...

Appearances are deceiving! This place looks nice from the outside, but in our “junior suite” room #119 booked August 13-15 we were appalled by the terrible water damaged walls, dirty floors (could visibly see hair), poor shower that had no walls, meaning water was all over the place and floors, lack of a room service menu, not enough towels, wrong prices listed on the spa menu in the room, and more. Outside the room, there was a loud water or electricity pump near our room that woke us up at 8.30am, no pool towels or water when we asked for them (had just run out), the jacuzzi was broken our entire stays, and Boecker was onsite spraying the place with pesticides and chemicals (what a toxic ambiance for our infant son and young daughter). At the restaurant our daughter ordered spaghetti Bolognese twice on two different days and both instances we were not told that the minced meat was not included in the dish per the menu. We asked the second time it happened. The waiter was unaware. He went to the kitchen and inquired, and learned it wasn’t included in the dish because of some issue. Why wouldn’t the waiter tell us and let us decide if we want the vegetarian option? Both times we were fully charged but only got a noodle dish with sauce. Also there are no children’s menu options which is crazy considering this place is filled with kids (re: this is NOT the place to come if you want a relaxing stay; the pools are incredibly loud). We spent nearly $2,000 here for our stay with extended family among three different rooms booked. We didn’t get what we paid for: a relaxing, stress free vacation. Sadly it wasn’t worth it. The place needs some improvements to be worth the money spent.

On a side note: The breakfast staff and men who helped with our luggage were very nice and...

We went for the Sunday lunch formula: set menu (even though on the phone they said it was a buffet), with open soft drinks and fresh juices. The food was acceptable, but the service was terrible! The place was not fully packed, and there were enough waiters for the available, yet somehow it was the slowest service in the world. Considering an "open soft drinks and fresh juice" formula, my family asked for diet Pepsi, and the waiter came back and said that they ran out. An entire hotel and its restaurant ran out of diet Pepsi? So we asked him to check, which he did and eventually found them. 15 minutes later, the beverages arrive. Someone at the table orders an orange juice as well, and this is where it became comical because that single "fresh" orange juice took even longer to come to the table. After pointing it out to the waiter that the service is slow, we asked for another orange juice, which took even more time to arrive than the first. The manager, which never visited our table, was busy arranging an empty table which would not be seated on. I eventually called for him and explained the situation, and he supposedly assigned the waiter full-time to our table. Did this change anything? No. The third serving of orange juice took a full 30 minutes to get to the table (and that's after 2 reminders). We stayed there for about 1h30min, and had 2 refills of that orange juice. This averages to one serving every 30min. Places like these who are isolated, charge premium, and to which people specifically drive long distances to enjoy a good meal in a good atmosphere should work really hard on offering a premium service that justifies the time spent on the road and the price charged. Unfortunately, Bkerzay is very, very...