One of the first major battles of the Lebanese Civil War, fought in Beirut's hotel district using rooftop artillery and sniper fire.
Key Facts
- Conflict phase
- 1975–77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War
- Location
- Minet-el-Hosn hotel district, downtown Beirut
- Initial objective
- Control of St. Charles City Center hotel complex
- Tactics used
- Rocket, artillery fire from rooftops; sniper fire
- Start date
- April 1975
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War in April 1975 created conditions for armed factions to contest control of strategic urban areas. The Minet-el-Hosn hotel district in downtown Beirut, adjacent to the Corniche seafront, became an early flashpoint as rival groups sought to dominate the city's central zones.
The Battle of the Hotels was a subconflict within the 1975–77 phase of the Lebanese Civil War. Armed groups fought for control of the St. Charles City Center hotel complex and surrounding areas, exchanging heavy rocket and artillery fire from hotel rooftops and rooms, with sniper fire also widely employed across the district.
The battle spread rapidly from the initial hotel complex to other areas of central Beirut, making it one of the first major engagements of the civil war. The fighting established a pattern of urban warfare in downtown Beirut that would characterize much of the broader conflict throughout the war.