A Pool Day Without the Beach Club Price

A summer day on the Lebanese coast has a well-known price structure: an entry fee per person, a sunbed on top, a minimum spend you will hit by two o'clock, and a shared changing room at the end of it.

A day-use hotel room is the same day with different arithmetic.

What you get instead

Book the 12:00–18:00 session at Al Murjan Palace Hotel in Jounieh for $40 and you have a Deluxe Sea View room for the afternoon, plus the hotel's facilities. That means:

• A pool, without a per-head entry charge.
• A private room to change in, leave your things in, and retreat to when the sun gets serious.
• Your own bathroom and a proper shower before the drive home.
• Air conditioning, which by 3pm in August is not a luxury.
• A balcony and a view over the bay.

Split between two people, that is $20 each for the afternoon. It is difficult to spend less than that at a beach club before you have ordered anything.

The part people underrate

Having a room changes the shape of the day. At a beach club you are committed to being outside for the whole visit — there is nowhere else to be. With a room, the afternoon has two settings. Swim, come up, cool down, sleep for twenty minutes, go back down. It is a considerably more relaxing version of the same hours.

It also solves the ending. Instead of driving home salted and sandy, you shower, change, and leave properly.

Making it a group day

Day-use scales reasonably well for small groups. Two couples can take two rooms, or one larger suite — the Junior Suite at $70 or the King Suite at $100 — and share the afternoon. For something more organised, Al Murjan's private rooftop lounge is bookable at $100, which is a sensible option for a birthday or a small gathering where you want your own space rather than a corner of a public terrace.

Practical notes for a pool day

1. Book the afternoon session and arrive at twelve. Arriving at two costs you a third of the day.
2. Bring your own towel if you want to be certain, though most properties provide them — worth a quick check when booking.
3. Check pool hours separately. Pools sometimes close earlier than your session ends, especially outside high summer.
4. Bring ID. You will check in properly at reception, like any hotel guest.
5. Shoulder season is underrated. Late May, September and early October give you a warm pool and an empty one.

Book a pool afternoon in Jounieh →