Four Seasons Hotel Damascus

Building in Damascus, Syria

33°30′50″N 36°17′28″E / 33.51389°N 36.29111°E / 33.51389; 36.29111Groundbreaking2001Opening2005OwnerSamer Foz
Syrian Ministry of TourismHeight82.54 meters^[1]Technical detailsFloor count23Design and constructionArchitect(s)Dar Al-Handasah (Shair and Partners)Main contractorFouad TaklaOther informationNumber of rooms297Number of suites66

The Four Seasons Hotel Damascus (Arabic: فُنْدُق فَوْر سِيزُون دِمَشْق, romanized: Funduq Fawr Sīzūn Dimašq) is a 297-room five-star hotel^[2] and was part of the Toronto-based Four Seasons luxury hotels and resorts from 2005 to June 19, 2019. It is located in the central district neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, near the Barada River, on Shukri Al Quatli Street.^[3]

History

The hotel was financed by Saudi prince Al-Waleed bin Talal and was constructed by the local Fouad Takla Company. It opened on December 1, 2005.^[4] Al-Waleed later sold his stake in the hotel to Syrian businessman Samer Foz. The Syrian government is the second largest stakeholder in the hotel.^[5]^[6] Four Seasons Hotels severed its management contract with the property effective June 19, 2019, due to US sanctions on Foz. The US government accused Foz of war-profiteering and doing business with the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad.^[7] In 2021, the United Nations spent $11.5 million at the hotel. As of 2023, the hotel continues to operate using the Four Seasons name and logo, though it is no longer recognized as part of the chain.^[7]

Gallery

The hotel viewed from a distance
The Barada River near the hotel

References

^ "Damascus Four Seasons Hotel". www.emporis.com. Emporis. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
^ "Power cuts impact daily life in Damascus". Gulf News. 27 December 2015.
^ "Four Seasons Hotel Damascus". Five Star Alliance. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
^ Slackman, Michael. "What if They Open This Hotel and Nobody Comes?". New York Times. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
^ Rosenthal, Victoria. "Saudi Prince Alwaleed sells Four Seasons Hotel Damascus stake". Hotel Management. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
^ Foroohar, Kambiz. "How Assad's Allies Got $18 Million From the UN". Bloomberg. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
^ ^a ^b Rose, Sunniva. "Four Seasons cuts ties with Damascus branch following Samer Foz sanctions". The National. Retrieved 21 June 2019.