Accommodation and Authentic Bars and Spas & Health Centers

Cairo boasts a large number of 4 and 5 star chain hotels. However, there are several budget and boutique hotels that we recommend, among which are:
Villa Belle Epoque
Opened a few months ago, initially a pair of 1920’s villas, the hotel was turned in a 13–room hotel. The hotel’s dining services offer international cuisine for non-guests, with last orders taken at 10:30 pm. Only beer and wine are served, but you can bring bottles.


Le Riad Hotel de Charme


The hotel is designed like a traditional house or palace that is now widely spread style in Morocco, as well as Syria and Turkey. A tea-lounge, 17 uniquely designed suites and an oriental garden roof.


Windsor Hotel


This is a hotel where memories sail through time. It was built by an Italian architect as a 6-storey building in 1899. Its manual-lever elevator is listed as one of the oldest in the world. All the rooms are made of real gold antique furniture, and most of them have bathrooms and AC’s.


Hotel Longchamps


A family-run mid-range hotel that has been in operation for 50 years. The hotel’s lobby walls are covered with posters of artists and musicians. A mélange of ethnic and bohemian décor with classical furniture make this a very interesting setting.


Authentic Bars


The Barrel Bar
Originally built in 1901, the bar has Viking chandeliers and Swiss style barrel shaped chairs. Many international movie scenes have been filmed in the hotel. 


Le Grillon


Le Grillon has been around since the 40s, and used to be frequented by local celebrities. It still remains to be anintellectual hub as shown in the paintings inside where journalists, writers and directors meet.


Horreya
Quite a popular coffee house that attracts people from all walks of life. Tourists and young artists come to enjoy its cheap Stella beer. The café was established in 1946.


Golf Courses


Katemeya Heights Golf & Tennis, a 5-star resort, features 27 holes of championship golf and practice facilities. The Clubhouse features restaurants, bars, a swimming pool, health spa, fitness center and a fully stocked Pro shop. Located on the outskirts of Cairo, the Dreamland Golf and Tennis Resort, is set on 2,000 acres that include a theme park, shopping center, cinemas, equestrian riding center, hotels and a 9-hole course. 


The Mena House Oberoi’s golf course overlooks the Pyramids. One of the oldest hotels in Cairo, it has an interesting  historical background.


JW Marriott Mirage City and Golf Course is known for its enormous clubhouse and golf academy. The golf course is home to 18 holes.


Gezirah Sporting Club is actually famous for being the first golf course in Egypt. The par-72 course has 18 holes, and extensive sporting facilities, which include swimming pools, floodlit tennis courts and horse ridingSpas & Health Centers


The Four Seasons at the Nile Plaza and Four Seasons First Place Spas offer a comprehensive range of massages and all-natural spa treatments. Treatment rooms sauna, steam rooms, whirlpools, cold plunges and a serene relaxation area. The Spas also feature indoor swimming pools. Beverages and light snacks are served on the adjoining pool terraces.


Le Spa at Sofitel Cairo El Gezirah is a great place for relaxation and well being. The tranquil place is filled with candlelight and soft music, and features treatments, massages, Jacuzzi and a fitness center.


The JW Marriott Spa has been recently redesigned andincludes one of the largest spa swimming pools in Egypt, as well as Swedish and Thai massesuses, full treatments and a snack bar, as well as a comprehensive gymnasium.


 Recommended Outings 
• To enjoy a nice breeze on the Nile, you should not miss out the chance to rent a felucca boat and sail the night away enjoying the glittering lights of Cairo, or take the boat during dusk and watch the sunset. You will find most of them scattered along the Nile Corniche, mostly by the Semiramis InterContinental or Four Season’s hotel in Garden City. Most felucca owners will treat you to some authentic Arabic music, but also welcome the guest’s own music.


• Khan El Khalili is the perfect destination for a night stroll through the old town. Enjoy several places to dine at. The Naguib Mahfouz café features a great traditional cuisine with a live band playing classical Egyptian and Arabic music or next to the Mosque of al-Hussein, is Al Fishawy Café surrounded by magnificent mashrabiya. A good strong minted tea or hot chick pea drink is well recommended. 


The Egyptian Pancakes House is a must-try. There is only one famous outlet on the Azhar Road.
• To escape the summer heat, you can indulge in a day by the pool at the many country clubs in the city. 


Katameya Heights offers guests a day at the pool, where you can enjoy a nice meal. Seasons Country Club also offers a “day use” package, which includes swimming and having lunch at the tranquil venue. The JW Marriott features an artificial beach and snacks.


• Al Azhar Park, designed by the Agha Khan Foundation, has well-manicured gardens, fountains and authentic outlets for a meal or snack.


• The Pharoanic Village. Sail on a motorized barge down a network of canals and view tableaux of the recreation of the ancient Egyptian life. The village also has a museum showing the modern history of Egypt Take a Walk Al Muizz li-Din Allah Street. A promenade down the recently restored streets of Fatimid Cairo will leisurely guide you to one of the most eminent and historical sites in Cairo. Sightseers strolling down the street at the northern end of Khan El Khalili market, will be overwhelmed with quite a striking mélange of ancient houses, mosques, Sabeels as well as palaces. The area was once famous for two great Fatimid palaces; thus was commonly known as Bein Al-Qasreen (between the two palaces). The Fatimid architecture brought to light few surviving monuments, the most significant being the mosques of Al–Azhar, Al Hakim, Al- Salih Talaai, Al-Guyushi, the remaining three city gates (Bab Al-Futuh, Bab Al-Nasr and Bab Zuwayla), Al Aqmar mosque…etc. A walk down this area will unquestionably enrich your historical and cultural taste with all what this area has to endow to its inhabitants and visitors. A Walk Downtown If you are an architecture fan, downtown Cairo is an impressive site to see. To truly enjoy the multi-style buildings, it is best to either take a walk around 7 or 8 am, or anytime until noon on a Friday, when not too many pedestrians and cars are around. The architecture is a pleasant mix of art deco, art nouveau, baroque and neo-Islamic. The buildings were designed and constructed mostly by Italian architects in the first part of the 20th century. The best buildings to view are in Talaat Harb, Abdel Khalek Tharwat Street, Hoda Shaarawi Street, Alfi and Kasr El Nil Streets. Once you are done with your walk, you should pass by Café Riche for breakfast and a good cup of tea and coffee. It was once famous as an intellectual hotspot in Cairo. It is probably one of the only two cafés in town that not only witnessed history, it actually wrote history, too. Or go to Felfela on Hoda Shaarawi Street, for a traditional breakfast of Falafel, Beans and eggs with all the condiments that go with it.