12 Best Boutique Hotels In Egypt

Egypt has some stunning boutique hotels that offer personalized service, original design and breathtaking setttings.

Whether you’re looking for a desert sanctuary in a remote oasis or a historic gem alongside an ancient temple, Egypt’s boutique hotels deliver some incredible experiences.

I’m a longtime expat living for more than a decade in Egypt – and I’ve stayed at some of the country’s most memorable boutique hotels. And this is my ultimate list of the best boutique hotels in Egypt.

But note: a lot of places in Egypt call themselves “boutique hotels” just because they have under 100 rooms. But just because a hotel is small doesn’t mean it’s boutique.

This list of boutique hotels includes places that:

• have under 100 rooms with personalized service
• offer unique architecture and bold design often tied to the local culture and environment
• provide luxury amenities and service

With these criteria in mind, here are my top choices for the best boutique hotels in Egypt:

1. Sofitel Winter Palace, Luxor

size: 86 rooms, 6 suites
location: on the Nile River, a 5-minute walk from Luxor Temple
swimming pool: yes
restaurants: 5 (international, French)

This 19th century Colonial-style hotel boasts sprawling gardens overlooking the Nile and old-world charm – all minutes from the Luxor Temple.

Built in 1886, Sofitel Winter Palace mixes French regency elegance with Egyptology lore.

The hotel famously hosted the journalists who flocked to Luxor after Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamum in 1922. Carter used the hotel’s bulletin board to deliver the latest news of his discovery.

And yes – the Winter Palace is now managed by Sofitel, a huge brand with 130 properties worldwide.

But it still qualifies (and very much feels) as a boutique hotel with its 86 rooms, historic charm and attentive staff.

2. Adrere Amellal, Siwa

size: 43 rooms
location: in a remote part of the Siwa Oasis near Siwa Lake
swimming pool: yes
restaurants: 1 (Egyptian-European with produce from the hotel garden)

For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, stay at Adrere Amellal in Siwa for the ultimate luxury nestled at the foot of a desert mountain.

The lodge is build from a local mix of clay and straw in a minimal style that blends into the landscape.

Lunches are served in a palm groove and include organic feasts made with produce from the local garden.

The entire hotel is lit with candles (it doesn’t use electricity) and it has a spectacular starry sky at night.

The minimal architecture is simply stunning – Adrere Amellal looks like an enormous sand castle overlooking the dunes and the waters of Lake Siwa.

3. La Maison Bleue, El Gouna (near Hurghada)

size: 13 suites
location: El Gouna, about 30 km from Hurghada, just steps away from Abu Tig Marina
swimming pool: yes
restaurants: 1 (French and Egyptian)

This pastel blue mansion overlooking the Red Sea is filled with antiques and artwork that have long made it a favorite retreat for couples.

La Maison Bleue has a private beach right on the Red Sea lagoon and stunning balcony views of the sea and beyond.

Modelled after 19th-century Mediterranean mansions, La Maison Bleue was built for an Egyptian investor as a guest house to host his friends.

It’s now an adults-only hotel filled with antique furniture, French art deco, an art nouveau fireplace and an opulent ceiling rescued from an abandoned hotel in Alexandria

4. Lazib Inn Resort & Spa, Fayoum

size: 17 suites
location: Tunis Village overlooking Lake Qarun
swimming pool: yes
restaurants: 1 (made with locally-grown produce)

This beautiful hideaway in Tunis Village sits atop a lush hillside overlooking a lake. And it draws inspiration from local architecture with its rounded domes and bold colors.

Surrounded by lush manicured gardens, Lazib Inn is vibrant and bright with unique touches from the owner’s collection.

Lazib Inn is steps away from Tunis Village, where you’ll find dozens of artisans and workshops spinning the region’s unique Fayoum pottery.

Each suite has a private balcony with sweeping views of the gardens and the blue waters of Lake Qarun just beyond. There’s also a Buddhist-inspired spa and lots of nature, bird life, desert and lakes to explore.

Lazib Inn is a beautiful getaway just a couple of hours from Cairo. And it’s a great home base to explore the surrounding pottery village, the UNESCO-listed Whale Valley and the sand dunes and lakes of Fayoum.

5. Le Riad Hotel de Charme, Cairo

size: 16 suites
location: in the heart of Moez Street in Islamic Cairo, just across from Bayt al-Suhaymi
swimming pool: no
restaurants: 1 (Egyptian fine dining)

The historic district of Islamic Cairo doesn’t have many quality hotels. But the elegant Le Riad Hotel de Charme is a notable exception with its arched mashrabiya balconies overlooking the old souq.

Le Riad is a charming boutique hotel right on Moez Street with cozy rooms decorated with Egyptian decor. It also has a great restaurant with a terrace overlooking the surrounding minarets.

The hotel’s 16 different suites are each uniquely decorated with antiques and market finds collected by the original owner. Rooms are designed around themes like Egyptian calligraphy and cinema, or historic periods like Ottoman and Mamluk.

The beds are draped in handmade sheets from the nearby khayameya market and lit with ornate brass lanterns that throw elaborate patterns on the wall.

Le Riad is a true hidden gem – and an incredible way to experience the atmosphere of historic Cairo. There’s no better home base if you want to explore Moez Street at leisure.

6. Villa Belle Epoque, Cairo

size: 13 rooms
location: inside the leafy Cairo suburb of Maadi
swimming pool: yes
restaurants: 1 (international)

The Villa Belle Epoque is a boutique hotel inside a 1920s restored villa with a cozy historic ambiance and a beautiful garden.

This hidden gem pays homage to Cairo’s bygone era of belle epoque decadence with rooms full of Egyptian antiques and old-world charm.

Villa Belle Epoque has 13 period-style rooms with private balconies overlooking the garden. Every room is named after an Egyptian city. And each has its own character – from floral printed wallpaper to canopy beds and modern Egyptian art.

Villa Belle Epoque is nestled in the quiet district of Maadi, a suburb known for leafy side streets, historic villas and great shopping along Road 9. There’s lots to explore right at your doorstep – including boutiques, cafes and bookshops.

Villa Belle Epoque also has a small swimming pool surrounded by lemon and guava trees that’s perfect for lounging on a sunny day.

7. BenBen by Dhara Hotels, Aswan

size: 24 rooms
location: Heissa Island on the Nile, a short boat ride from Philae Temple
swimming pool: a jacuzzi on the terrace of every room
restaurants: 1 (Egyptian and international)

This breathtaking hotel is perched on the old Nubian island of Heissa overlooking the Nile and the nearby Philae Temple.

Heissa Island is a true hidden gem where you can experience a more authentic and less touristy side of the local Nubian culture.

And BenBen is an ultra-lux home base to explore Aswan with its outdoor jacuzzis (in every room), authentic local decor and high wooden ceilings.

Surrounded by the Nile and Aswan’s rolling hills, BenBen is an eco lodge that feels like a small village with its Nubian hospitality.

The hotel also has yoga classes and a little meditation spot called BenBen’s rock where guests can take in the rugged landscapes.

8. Al Moudira, Luxor

size: 54 suites, apartments and villas
location: the countryside of Luxor’s West Bank, about 25 minutes from the Valley of the Kings
swimming pool: yes
restaurants: 2 (Egyptian and international)

Nestled in the countryside of Luxor’s West Bank, Al Moudira is a stunning retreat with its maze of leafy courtyards, antique oriental decor and palatial rooms.

Al Moudira is the most beautiful hotel in Egypt (in my humble opinion) and a feast for the eyes with its grand courtyards, exotic gardens and antique pieces rescued from historic buildings.

Each suite is the size of a small countryhouse with high domed ceilings, hand-painted frescoes and furniture collected from across the Middle East by founder Zeina Aboukheir.

Step out into a private courtyard lined with sparkling fountains and greenery. In the evening, head to the hotel’s gorgeous courtyard for dinner amid swaying palms, wooden mashrabiyas and luscious frescoes.

If you appreciate art, you’ll love the details at Al Moudira – from the handcrafted wooden doors to hand-painted floor tiles and colored glass from Alexandria.

9. Nour el Nil, Luxor and the Nile

size: between 8 to 12 cabins per boat
location: along the Nile River
swimming pool: no
restaurants: 1 (authentic Egyptian cuisine)

Nour el Nil is a fleet of traditional wooden dahabiya boats that offer the most luxurious way to see the ancient Egyptian temples along the Nile – in classic Agatha Christie-style elegance.

Nour el Nil offers a selection of six dahabiya boats that take you through the archaeological treasures, villages and orchards along the Nile that big-sized commercial boats just can’t access.

Nour el Nil offers the longest sailing time between Luxor and Aswan. And that means you’ll see the authentic Egyptian life along the Nile that big tour companies pass by.

Each boat has its distinct style, from the bold colors of the Adelaide to the romantic floral charm of the Agatha.

And while a dahabiya boat isn’t technically a hotel, the Nour El Nil feels like your own floating home while you’re exploring along the Nile.

10. 1920s Boutique Hotel and Restaurants, Cairo

size: 9 rooms and 1 suite
location: on a side street in historic Heliopolis, about a 5-minute taxi from the Baron Palace
swimming pool: no
restaurants: 6 (Texan, Egyptian, international, Italian, Spanish and Cuban)

The 1920s Boutique Hotel is nestled inside a beautiful 100 year-old villa with a leafy courtyard surrounded by 6 different restaurants.

The charming, French-style villa was built in the 1920s by Armenian businessman Jacob Yacoubian, who also built the Yacoubian Building that famously inspired the novel and film of the same name.

The elegant rooms are inspired by Art Deco and have balconies overlooking the leafy streets and historic buildings of this unique Cairo district.

But the highlight is the tree-lined courtyard with its 6 different restaurants from a casual pizza place to more upscale Cuban and Texan options.

11. Al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary, Dakhla Oasis

size: 20 rooms and suites
location: in the remote Dakhla Oasis, surrounded by the dunes of the Western Desert
swimming pool: yes
restaurants: 1 (Egyptian, with locally sourced ingredients)

Nestled in Egypt’s Western Desert in the remote Dakhla Oasis, this beautiful ecolodge is surrounded by rosy cliffs, desert dunes and swaying palms.

The Al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary is built using local and natural materials in a style inspired by the surrounding villages of the Sahara. It’s enclosed by date and acacia trees and hours away from any big city.

It’s a beautiful (and quite literal) oasis surrounded by natural landscapes and Roman and Pharaonic temples that are some of the best-preserved hidden gems of the Western Desert.

Excursions include sunset camel treks across the dunes, farming with the locals, trips to ancient temples, Sahara fortresses and dips in the thermal hot water wells. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about life in the remote Sahara, you’ll be in expert hands.

12. Steigenberger Cecil Hotel, Alexandria

size: 82 rooms and 3 suites
location: overlooking the corniche in the heart of downtown Alexandria
swimming pool: no
restaurants: 1 (Mediterranean)

The Steigenberger Cecil Hotel is a charming historic gem overlooking the corniche in Alexandria with modern amenities and plenty of old-world charm.

The seaview rooms have classic wooden shudders that open up to sweeping views of the Mediterannean. And the corniche is just across the street – right past the whizzing traffic.

The hotel has historic touches including an antique elevator, a winding staircase and a chandelier-lit dining room. Upstairs there’s a cozy dimly-lit bar named after British Field Marshall Montgomery.

Opened in 1929, the Cecil Hotel is featured in novels like Lawrence Durrell’s The Alexandria Quartet and Naguib Mahfuz’s Miramar.