Cairo: Windsor Hotel (3 Star Hotel)

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Address: 19 alfi bey , Cairo , Egypt
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Lonely Planet review

Built at the start of the 20th century to serve as the Royal family's baths, this hotel retains the colonial air of its second incarnation as the British Officers' Club, particularly in the Barrel Bar, one of the most atmospheric spots in town for a beer. Unfortunately, the charm pretty much evaporates as you enter any of the wide variety of rooms on offer.

While it's hard to imagine this hotel as royal baths, the British Officers' Club vibe is well and truly present. You can almost picture the officers in the cafe opposite, sipping on tea, sucking on sheesha (tobacco smoked through a water pipe) and supervising a shoeshine. As far as the rooms go, the sign in the hotel says it best: 'the guestrooms retain an ambience of faded grandeur', which is a little like being proud of a house that's a 'renovator's dream'. All rooms have fairly worn carpets and bathrooms are in need of renovation, although the place is clean. Really, the best bit of the hotel is the bar's eclectic old-world style, with its polished floorboards, large lounges, beer-barrel furniture and mounted animal horns.