Talisman Hotel

Comfort and style go hand in hand at central Cairo's first boutique hotel, quirkily concealed in a downtown apartment block

Attractive prices, helpful staff and colourful interiors are the hallmark of this friendly hotel, which occupies the fifth floor of a downtown apartment block. It marks the epicentre of Cairo, with the Egyptian Museum and the mighty Nile a short walk from the front door. You enter from a small alleyway (which can be tricky to find), turn left on the ground floor by the sewing machine repair shop, then rise into the sky in a beautiful cast-iron lift. If the manner of your arrival is slightly unexpected, it is also one you remember with a smile.

Up in reception, you’re hit by the warm colours that run throughout the hotel - reds and yellows that immediately soothe, sweeping away all memory of the hectic city below. You’ll find a couple of traditional salons furnished with silky sofas, a high-ceilinged dining room, a well-stocked library with a computer for guests to use, pockets of armchairs sprinkled about the corridors. Rooms are all different, but come in a similar style with padded headboards, parquet flooring, robes in compact bathrooms and interesting art on the walls. All rooms are air-conditioned and windows double-glazed. Hard to fault for the money.

Highs

• You can’t beat the price for such a stylish hotel
• Breakfast is simple but excellent
• You’re bang in the middle of things, a 10-minute walk to the Nile and the Egyptian musuem
• You won’t have to walk far at night for dinner or a drink

Lows

• The building itself doesn’t stand out from the crowd and the entrance is a little shabby, so you may you wonder if you’re in the right place; bring detailed directions for taxi drivers
• Downtown Cairo is madly busy; rooms are double-glazed, but some noise creeps up
• Your deposit can be secured by credit card through i-escape, but payment at the hotel is by cash only