Where to stay in Egypt

Hotels 

Egypt boasts some beautiful resorts set in landscaped gardens across the country. All the top resorts, at Sharm el-Sheik, Hurghada and Luxor, offer lavish accommodation for less than top-dollar prices. Many include international restaurants, spas and infinity pools, and they are a good place to watch belly dancing or other cultural entertainment which cater especially for tourists. Most can arrange diving and snorkelling, horse- and camel-riding trips, and tours of the desert or to archaeological sites.

Top-end hotel accommodation in Egypt surprisingly represents the best value for money. In Cairo, there are some spectacular five-star hotels run by international chains, many of them on the banks of the Nile. In Alexandria, old colonial hotels on the corniche are convenient and charming.

All cities and resorts offer a choice of mid-range hotels that offer business facilities and help with onward connections. Most require reservations several months in advance, particularly in the winter months and during major Islamic holidays.

Hotels are graded 1-5 stars, although visitors will find that the standards of the lower range are somewhat inferior to their counterparts in Europe and the USA.

Bed and breakfast 

All the main towns have smaller, cheap guesthouses, many of which are family-run and offer the chance to integrate more readily with Egyptian people. Standards vary considerably from simple but clean, to the very basic where bringing your own linen is advisable. Most guesthouses can offer tours and help with transport arrangements although it’s still best to shop around to compare prices and services. In Cairo, inexpensive accommodation is concentrated in Downtown, above office buildings on and around Sharia Talaat Harb and some cheaper options in Islamic Cairo. All tend to be hot in summer as they rarely have air conditioning.

Camping 

There are several places in the country to enjoy a night under canvas, particularly at budget-style resorts along the Sinai coast and during trips organised trips to the Sinai interior or the Western Desert. Egypt is not such a good place, however, for ad hoc camping and caravanning as there are many security restrictions in place to protect the country's tourist industry. There are a few official campsites that tourist offices in Egypt can advise about.

Other accommodation 

There are 11 youth hostels affiliated to the Egyptian Youth Hostels Association, located mainly in large towns, on the coast and in popular tourist regions. They mainly cater to local residents but they are used by Western backpackers too.