“The dreamy Mena House Oberoi (from 1,120 EGP [5.96 EGP = $1]; oberoihotels.com) is a former hunting lodge where the Brits like Churchill used to hang out. You can rent a poolside cabana there, too.”
—Yasmin Amin, graduate student
“The formal royal hotel of Khedive Ismail Pasha, the Cairo Marriott (from 1,162 EGP; marriott.com) was built to resemble Versailles. It also has some excellent restaurants, like Roy’s Country Kitchen, which serves great American food.”
—Ali Nasser, creative copywriter
“The Grand Hyatt Cairo (from 1,299 EGP; 202-2365-1234) has a great rotating restaurant overlooking the Nile. And now occupancy is low, so the rates have never been better.”
—Mohamed Abdelbaky, journalist at Al-ahram Weekly