Lebanon Opportunities – August 2019

PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE
Companies targeting the elite narrow their
selling potential within that group. Vertica
Realty, a real estate firm that markets
luxurious apartments in various regions,
mainly Beirut Central District, Ashrafieh,
and Saifi, with prices reaching up to $15
million, focuses only on big business owners
and high level senior executives. “We build
our network from this high-end community,
and apply either a proactive
strategy or a reactive one,”
said Mohamad Sinno,
Chairman. The company goes
more in-depth to check the
client’s needs, and whether
they are looking for an additional apartment
in a new location. “Whenever we feel that
a VIP client wants to buy a property, a
specialized team contacts his family office
in an elegant way, informing him that we
have this property,” Sinno said. If they show
interest, the company goes to the second
level, viewing the location and showing
them more details. Luxurious apartments
are never marketed for the masses, because
high-end people want to keep their lives very
private. Some clients contact Vertica directly
because the supply of these apartments is
very limited.

ROYAL VISITS
Luxury hotel managers that provide royal
and presidential suites visit potential clients
personally. Their targeted audiences are
high caliber people, royal families, and

LEBANON OPPORTUNITIES, AUGUST 2019 29

CEOs and Vice Presidents in multinational

companies. Grand Hills, a Luxury Collection

Hotel and Spa, has the largest suit in the

world, at a cost of $80,000 per night. “I

make special business trips to meet the

royal families in GCC countries and sign

the deals to occupy this suit,” said Adolph

Spiro, General Manager at Grand Hills. The

hotel also follows up with the royal family’s

offices for these bookings. It also contacts the

embassies of these countries

directly to sign such deals.

“Building trust with these

people and families is key

for our business,” Spiro

said. The hotel also relies on

the personal relationships that the hotel

owner has with specific people coming from

Europe and America. They also put in

effort to communicate continuously with

the owners of large multinational companies

and their managers. “We are keen to keep on

communicating with our clients, and we call

them and email them regularly to maintain

the relation with them,” Spiro said.

SHAKE AND TASTE

Alcohol boutiques keep in touch with whisky,

rum, vodka, and gin collectors. “Whenever

we receive a new expensive bottle we contact

the collector, to inform him that it has

arrived,” said Youssef Shawki, Boutique

Manager at The Malt Gallery, which is

the retail arm of Establissements Antoine

Massoud (EAM). Some clients collect bottles

that are rare and limited. “Once we bring a

bottle out of the only 100 bottles available

in the world, we call the collectors that like

to own rare bottles,” Shawki said. The Malt

Gallery provides very expensive brands such

as Macallan, Dalmore, and Glenfarclas.

A Macallan bottle can sell for $35,000,

Glenfarclas 60 for $23,000, and dalmore for

$9,000. EAM has the franchise of Whisky

Live, which is organized annually, and hosts

very private events for their loyal collectors.

“The company, as well as the collectors,

open bottles and share them for tasting,”

Shawki said. Through the years, The Malt

Gallery has gained a reputation regarding

its ability to access high-end sources, and

many people come to them for this reason,

according to Shawki. Wine makers have the

same approach, as they organize events and

invite their elite customers to taste their

premium wines.

Reported by Rania Ghanem

http://www.opportunities.com.lb

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Scarcity

drives demand

Hotel managers that provide royal and presidential suites visit potential clients personally Some clients collect bottles that are rare