at OUTPERSONALS.COM - Join for Free ! The inclusion of any hotel in the listing below is now meant to imply anything about the attitudes of the management or staff. Colour guide to hotel review comments: blue for positive comments and brown for negative comments To telephone Cairo from outside Egypt please - First - dial the international code - usually 00 Second - dial the code for Egypt - 20 Third - remember to drop the 0 from the code for Cairo so it becomes 2 HIGHLY RECOMMENDED HOTELS I wasn't paid for these commendations honestly but I found these to be the best hotels of all those I tried in each category. BEST BUDGET HOTEL It's been a year since I checked this one out but my friends still highly recommend it. The El Hussein overlooks Medan El-Hussein in Khan El-Khalili and is therefore ideal for those with a penchant for rough trade and who don't mind staying in rooms which are a bit basic. The housekeeping staff are young, friendly and handsome and there are balconies with great views overlooking the usually crowded Medan El-Hussein. Entrance to the Hotel is via a narrow difficult to find passageway. Tel: 02 591 8089 Fax: 02 591 8479. Other verdicts: "Fantastic views over Cairo. Food inexpensive but grotty," Rough Guide 2000. "The rooms are clean and the restaurant on the roof has a fantastic view of medieval Cairo," Lonely Planet 1999. "Basic, comfortable rooms, 28 with air conditioning and attached bathrooms, the remainder [28] with fan only," Eyewitness Egypt 2001. BEST THREE STAR HOTEL Cosmopolitan Hotel [84 rooms] off Qasr El Nil St in Downtown Cairo is a wonderfully charming art-deco style hotel. I had no problem booking into a double room with an Egyptian friend. The rooms were reasonably clean. The bathrooms had both a shower and a bath. There was a satellite television which actually worked and it might well be the only three-star hotel in Cairo with a business centre. It's also reasonably close to Tahrir Square, the Nile Hilton, the Corniche and other cruising places. Tel: 02 392 3663 or 02 392 3956 or 02 392 3845 Fax: 02 393 3531. Other Verdicts "This magnificent art nouveau building has spacious and comfortable rooms," Essential Egypt 2000. "Has a Grecian restaurant, Olde-English bar, bank and international calls facility," Rough Guide 2000 "A gorgeous, old Art Deco building with dark lacquered antique furniture and tiled bathrooms with tubs," Lonely Planet 1999. "Set in a lovely Art Deco building," Eyewitness Egypt 2001. "Avoid the restaurant," Fodor's 1999. "Serves reasonable food," Footprint Egypt Handbook 2000. "Downtown Cairo is one of the noisiest places on earth, but the Cosmopolitan is tucked away in a surprisingly quiet back street," Spiral Egypt 2001 BEST FOUR STAR HOTEL Flamenco Hotel [157 rooms], 2 El Gezira El Wusta Street, Zamalek, Cairo ( Egyptian taxi drivers pronounce it "Falamenco" ). It's spotlessly clean with a restaurant that puts many five star establishments to shame. I had no problem booking into a double room with an Egyptian friend. On the downside though the rooms are a bit small and after midnight we found that staff were reluctant to serve anything other than a sandwich or drink. A hassle if you've spent all evening out on the town. Tel: 02 735 0815 or 02 340 0815. Fax: 02 735 0819 or 02 340 0819. E-mail res@flamenco.com.eg or flamenco@rite.com. Other Verdicts "Clean, cosy rooms......Good Spanish restaurant," Essential Egypt 2000. "Is popular with business professionals looking for something more intimate than the large five star hotels," Eyewitness Egypt 2001 "High standard and spotlessly clean," Footprint Egypt Handbook 2000. BEST FIVE STAR HOTEL The Four Seasons, opposite the zoo in Giza. Splendiferous rooms - even the standard ones are palatial. Book one with a view of the zoo and you can watch the lions from your balcony while having breakfast ! The food is superb and the service excellent but the atmosphere is a little overly formal. Still I had no trouble at all booking a double room with an Egyptian friend. Contact them at Four Seasons Hotel, 35 Giza Street. Tel: 02 573 1212 or fax: 02 568 1616. You can also visit the hotel chain web site FourSeasons.com Other Verdicts "What sets the Four Seasons apart is the unmatched level of service," Spiral Egypt 2001. "Will vie," predicted Fodor's in 1999, "with the World Trade Centre as the city's most exclusive address" OTHER HOTELS FIVE STAR HOTELS Cairo Marriott, Al-Saraya al-Gezira, Zamalek. One of Cairo's most famous landmarks by the river in Zamalek. WIth over 1000 rooms it is to the best of our knowledge Cairo's largest five star hotel. It is not unusual some evenings (especially Thursdays) to see a large number of queens and gays wandering the drinks tables outside in the gardens. In summer waiters sometimes ask for a minimum charge per table which makes people watching an expensive activity. Tel: 02 340 8888 Fax: 02 340 8240. Nile Hilton, Medan Tahrir, Downtown Cairo. Like the Marriott it is frequented by numerous egyptian gays who cruise the shopping mall and lobby and late on Thursday evenings the Taverne Bar. Ideally located for those who enjoy the rough trade in Tahrir Square - but please take care ! Tel: 02 578 0444 Fax: 02 578 0475. Warning: Gay sex or any homosexual activity puts you at risk of arrest, deportation or even imprisonment and any sexual encounter is undertaken at your own risk. Neither the Nile Hilton nor any other Cairo hotel is likely to allow you to take unregistered guests ( whether male or female ) to your hotel room. Pyramisa, Sharia al-Giza, Dokki. Cheap for a Cairo five star but a long walk from the action in Tahrir and I found the food unappealling to put it politely. May be you might be more lucky. Tel: 02 336 7000 Fax: 02 360 5347. Ramses Hilton, On the corniche hotel in downtown Cairo. Lobby busy but not that many gays usually but nearby Ramses shopping centre offers better prospects. You take your life in your hands when you try to cross some of the roads surrounding the hotel. Tel: 02 574 4400 or Fax: 02 575 7152. Semiramis InterContinental on the Corniche in Downtown Cairo. Probably does the best buffet breakfast in Cairo at a price. Tel: 02 355 7171 Fax: 02 356 3020. FOUR STAR HOTELS Al Nabila Cairo Hotel, 4 Gameat El Dowal El Arabia St., Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 303 0302. Atlas Zamalek Hotel, 20 Gameat El Dowal El Arabia St., Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 346 5782 or 02 346 7230. Baron's Hotel, PO Box 2531 Horreya, Code 11362 Heliopolis. Tel: 02 291 2468 or Tel: 02 291 5757. Belair Cairo Hotel, Makattam Hill, PO Box 966. Tel: 02 506 0911 or 02 506 0917. Cairotel Hotel, Maadi. Tel: 02 350 6787 or 02 350 6819. Europa Cairo Hotel, 300 Pyramids Road. Tel: 02 581 5940 or 02 350 6819. Hor Moheb Hotel, 429 Pyramids Road, 1211 Giza. Tel: 02 583 2139 or 02 583 2140. Hotel Les 3 Pyramids, 229 Pyramids Road, Giza. Tel: 02 582 2223. Hotel Novotel Cairo Airport, PO Box: 8 Cairo Airport Post 11776. Tel: 02 291 8520 or 02 247 4772. Kaoud Delta Pyramids Hotel, King Faisal Road, El Ahram. Tel: 02 383 3000 or 02 383 4177. Maadi Hotel, Maadi. Tel: 02 350 5050 or 02 350 6555. Oasis Hotel, Cairo-Alex Desert Road, Postal Code 12556, PO Box 44, Pyramids. Tel: 02 383 1777 or 02 383 2777. Santana Hotel, 7 Ahmed El Melhy Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 337 6424 or 02 337 6425. THREE STAR HOTELS Aman Hotel, 58 Giza Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 348 4475 or 02 360 6605. Arabia Hotel, 31 Abdel Aziz Al Seoud Street, El Manial. Tel: 02 364 1444 or 02 364 1285. Arc En Ciel, Seray El Gezira Street, Gezira. Tel: 02 340 0978 or 02 340 3401. Atlas Hotel, Mohamed Roushdy Street, Opera Square. Tel: 02 391 8127. Beirut Hotel, 56 Beirut Street, Heliopolis. Tel: 02 415 2347 or 02 418 5671. Cairo Airport Hotel, Cairo International Airport. Tel: 02 267 4568. Cairo Crillon Hotel, 19 El Montaser Street, Agouza. Tel: 02 347 6729 or 02 346 0097. Cairo Inn Hotel, 26 Syria Street, Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 349 0661 or 02 349 0662. Cairo Uncle Sam Hotel, 54 Abou El Mahasen El Shazli, Agouza. Tel: 02 346 5377 or 02 346 5822. Carlton Hotel, 21, 26th July Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 575 5181 or 02 575 5022. Chateau Des Pyramides Hotel, 10 Sadat Street, PO Box 167, Cairo-Alex Desert Road. Tel: 02 383 1342 or 02 383 4235. Cleopatra Palace Hotel, 1 Bustan Street, Tahrir Square, Downtown. Tel: 02 575 9900. Concorde Hotel, 146 El Tahrir Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 336 1194. Dreamers Hotel, 5 Jeddah Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 360 0665. Egyptel Hotel, 93 El Merghany Street, Heliopolis. Tel: 02 290 2515 or 02 290 2516. El Manar Hotel, 19 Abdel Hameed Lofti Street, Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 335 6876 or 02 337 8646. El Nil Hotel, 12, Ahmed Ragheb Street, Garden City. Tel: 02 354 2800 or 02 354 2807. Fontana Hotel, Ramses Square. Tel: 02 592 2145. Grand Hotel, 17, 26th July Street, Downtown Cairo. Tel: 02 575 7700 or 02 575 7716. Heliopark Hotel, 100 El Hegaz Street, Heliopolis. Tel: 02 245 1346 or 02 244 4617. Horreya Hotel, 14 El Horreya Street, Heliopolis. Tel: 02 290 3472 or 02 290 2496. Horris Hotel, 5, 26th July Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 591 0855. Horus House Hotel, 21 Ismail Mohamed Street, Zamalek. Tel: 02 340 3977. Indiana Hotel, 16 El Saray Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 335 4503 or 02 335 4422. Jasmin Hotel, 29 Geziret El Arab Street, Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 347 2278 or 02 302 7251. Kanzy Hotel, 9 Abu Bakr El Seddik Street, Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 337 9461 or 02 337 9443. Kemet Hotel, Abassia Square, PO Box 46 Abbassia. Tel: 02 482 4018 or 02 482 3980. King Hotel, 20 Abdel Rehim Sabry Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 335 0939 or 02 335 9455. Longchamps Hotel, 21 Islmail Mohamed Street, Zamalek. Tel: 02 340 9644 or 02 340 2311. Marwa Palace Hotel, 11 El Khatib Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 348 8830 or 02 348 8825. New Marwa Palace Hotel, 9 El Khatib Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 361 1030 or 02 348 8830. New Star Hotel, 34B, Yehia Ibrahim Street, Zamalek. Tel: 02 340 1865 or 02 341 1321. Pharaoh Egypt Hotel, 11 Ahmed Oraby Street, Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 347 1619 or 02 347 1629. Pharaohs Hotel, 12 Lotfi Hassounan Street, Dokki. President Hotel, 22 Dr Taha Hussein Street, Zamalek. Tel: 02 340 0652 or 02 340 0718. Pyramids Hotel, 198, El Ahram Street, El Ahram. Tel: 02 383 5900. Raja Hotel, 34 Mohey El Din Abul Ezz Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 360 4297 or 02 360 4298. Rehab Hotel, 4 El Fawaki Street, Mohandiseen. Tel: 02 337 3559 or 02 349 3166. Royal Crown Hotel, 4A, El Khalifa Street, Heliopolis. Tel: 02 455 0001 or 02 455 0011. Sheherazade Hotel, 182 El Nil Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 303 4442. Tonsi Hotel, 143 El Tahrir Street, Dokki. Tel: 02 348 4600 or 02 348 7231. Vendome Hotel, 19 El Alfy Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 581 8649 or 02 581 8904. Windsor Hotel, 19 El Alfy Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 591 5277 or 02 591 5810. BUDGET HOTELS ( RATING NOT KNOWN ) Amin Hotel, 38 Medan Falaki, Downtown. Tel: 02 393 3813 Anglo-Swiss, 14 Champollion Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 575 1497 Berlin Hotel, 4th floor, 2 El-Shawarby Street, Just off Kasr El Nil Street, Downtown. Internet access available and communal kitchen. Tel and fax: 02 395 7502. Crown Hotel, 9 Emad El-Din Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 591 8374. Claridge Hotel, 41 Talat Harb Street, next to 26 July Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 393 7776. Dahab Hotel, 26 Mahmoud Basiony Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 579 9104. Hotel des Roses, 33 Talaat Harb Street, Downtown. Tel: Tel 02 393 8022. Ismailia House, 1 Medan Tahrir, Downtown. Tel: 02 356 3122. Magic Hotel, 10 El Bustan Street, near Medan El Tahrir, Downtown. Internet access available. e-mail magichotel@hotmail.com. Tel and Fax: 02 579 5918. Mayfair Hotel, 9 Aziz Osman Street, Zamalek. Tel: 02 340 7315 Fax: 02 341 1018. Minerva Hotel, 39 Talaat Harb Street, Downtown. Tel: 02 392 0600. New Palace Hotel, 17 Solimanel Halibi Street, near Medan Orabi.Downtown Rooms or dorm beds. Rooftop garden. e-mail newpalacehotel@hotmail.com. Tel: 02 575 1322 or Fax: 02 290 0101. Orient Palace, 14, 26th July Street, Downtown. Not exactly a palace but very cheap. Tel: 02 393 9375. Sultan Hotel, 4 Tawfiqia Street, near Medan Orabi, Downtown. Dormitory accomodation only. Tel: 02 772 258. Tulip Hotel, 3 Medan Talaat Harb, Downtown. Tel: 02 393 9433 or Fax: 02 361 1995. |