Idlib's Carlton Rehab Begins
Syria's Ministry of Tourism has launched a rehabilitation, fit-out, and reopening program for the four-star Carlton Hotel in Idlib, framing the project as a step to rebuild the governorate's tourism infrastructure and to revive the hospitality sector in the period ahead.
The works are scheduled to take 30 months. Once completed, the property is expected to return to service as one of the region's flagship hotel facilities, refurbished to modern operating standards.
Rooms, Restaurants, and a Boulevard
The plan covers a comprehensive overhaul of the building and its supporting facilities. The hotel will house about 76 rooms, suites, and bungalows, alongside restaurants, event halls, and integrated service and leisure amenities.
A multi-use commercial boulevard with shops, cafés, and outdoor seating will also be built on site, with the aim of turning the property into an integrated hospitality and tourism destination rather than a stand-alone hotel.
Hospitality Tied to Heritage
Tourism Minister Mazen al-Salhani said the ministry is building a modern tourism model that ties hospitality to Syria's heritage and natural sites across the governorates. The drive, he added, reaches beyond hotels and tourist establishments to improving tourist routes, service quality, and the wider surrounding environment, with the aim of giving visitors a more integrated experience.
A Bet on Idlib's Assets
The minister pointed to significant cultural and natural assets in Idlib that the ministry is now working with the relevant authorities to convert into organized and safe attractions, part of the same push to upgrade the country's tourist routes and the wider environment around them.
He framed the Carlton works as a vehicle for supporting the local economy and generating new jobs in the period ahead, the window over which the 30-month rehabilitation will unfold, and as a concrete example of the heritage-linked hospitality model the ministry is trying to build.