Lonely Planet Review

This former royal palace has astonishingly beautiful public areas and remains buzzy and busy 24/7, with drinks in its garden cafe an obligatory stop on a Cairo stay. The rooms, however, located in towers either side of the palace, struggle to match the ambience that the lobby promises.

This has long been the address in lovely Zamalek, offering sumptuous respite from Cairo's chaos. Behind a gorgeous neo-Islamic frontage of cast-iron arcades, the interior of the palace (where the lobby/reception area is) offers a lavish mix of Middle Eastern styles that is infinitely interesting to explore. Outside, standing in the wonderful garden, admiring the pool (thoughtfully featuring indoor and outdoor areas), you can't help but be a little dismayed at the towers either side that represent your lodgings. While the rooms are fine, it does spoil the magic. There's a choice of views (Nile view from the south tower is perhaps the best) and rooms closest to Sharia 26th of July in the north tower can be noisy. While the location almost guarantees that you'll be taxiing everywhere, it's a wonderful address to come back to.