Where to Stay

A basic rule for booking a room in Cairo is to try to get one on the top floor so you're as far away from the traffic as possible, but if you can't, get one that does not overlook the street. Also remember to check on the availability of hot water, if breakfast is included (and exactly what it consists of), and whether the rooms have mosquito netting. If not, you really need a mosquito repellent machine - unless of course you want to be eaten alive! Bargaining can help in some cases, but most receptionists in Cairo know how much the other hotels charge, so they'll know if you're bluffing. Be warned - the trips the hotels offer you are not what they initially seem - you always end up paying more for your food, water, camel ride, perfume, etc.

Downtown Cairo

As a major tourist destination, Cairo has hotels to suit all budgets and most tastes. For the discerning business and leisure traveler, there are several downtown choices, such as the Ramses and the Conrad International.

Less upscale, but very good value, is the Cosmopolitan Hotel on Ibn Taalab Street, off Kasr El Nil. There's also the Windsor Hotel, just out of the center, behind Cinema Diana, on Alfi Bey Street. According to local legend it was the private bath house of Turkish leaders during the Ottoman Empire and the home of Russian engineers who were constructing the Aswan Dam. More recently, it has gained fame for being set ablaze during the 1952 Revolution and playing host to Michael Palin while he filmed "Around the World in 80 Days." However, things have somewhat calmed down, and it is now a simple hotel that's still full of character. There is also a famous bar that's popular with locals and tourists alike.

Most of the budget hotels are located around Midan Tahrir, in the downtown area. The further out of town you go, the more difficult it will be to find a budget hotel. If you choose to stay out near the Pyramids, you could find that you spend a large amount of your stay stuck in traffic on the permanently busy Pyramids Road - doubly painful if you're in a taxi! Perhaps one of the nicest cheap hotels is the Pension Roma on Mohammed Farid Street, which is popular with foreigners who are in between flats or staying for awhile in Cairo.

Garden City and Zamalek

The Semiramis, the Helnan Shepheard, and the Grand Hyatt are among the more expensive choices of Garden City. The El-Gezirah Sheraton is one of the more expensive hotels in Zamalek, a neighborhood well known for its exclusive sporting club. Another Zamalek hotel of particular note is the Cairo Marriott, located in a beautiful palace built by Khedive Ismail in 1869.

Giza

If you choose to stay out near the Pyramids there is the Siag Pyramids Hotel on the Saqqara Road, the world famous Mena House Oberoi and the grand Le Meridien Pyramids. There are also several luxury hotels on the Pyramids Road, (but these probably don't have views of the Pyramids). Apart from the obvious high standard of accommodation and usually good restaurants, the more expensive hotels have that summer essential - after a beach that is - the swimming pool. And what's more, most of them are open to the public for around EGP25 per day.