 | Middle East Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 30 |  |
in every aspect the Garden city is an excellent value. It is located on a third floor in a building behind the The Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel within a walking distance from the AUC, Mogamma', The Nile, the Egyptian Museum, and the Tahreer (sadat) metro station.
My room was equiped with an air conditioner, a TV and had a Bath. Rooms were clean. Breakfast was good. Staff were friendly.
I paid around 60 LE for room + tax and breakfast.
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I'm not overly experienced in this, but while staying with a Sudanese friend in cairo, we did spend quite a time investigating the rental market. He had arrived in Cairo at the beginning of the summer, which is the worst time of year to do so...rent goes up and apartments are harder to find. His 5th floor furnished apartment (no lift) in upmarket Mohandiseen cost him $300 a month, this price settled on after a lot of bargaining. We looked for cheaper options in the atmospheric old area between Khan el-Khalili and the Citadel, a maze of quiet streets away from mod-cons and tourists. It was described as a sha'abi or "local" neighbourhood, but most places on offer were unfurnished, i.e. not much use to a short-term tenant. The best way to find out what is available is to just ask around...by chatting to some men in a cafe, we were overheard by a passing woman who led us to a flat for rent. Returning some while later to the same cafe, someone else grabbed our hands and took us to a different flat. It is a bit hit-and-miss...one morning we found five apartments, the next morning we were sent on a wild-goose chase and found nothing...it depends who happens to overhear your conversation! Take an Arabic speaker with you!!
In Alexandria, again, summer is the wrong time of year to look, but at the end of the summer season, there will be plenty of options available...we asked around in Abu Qir and found a fully furnished apartment with a view of the sea for a very reasonable price...I forget how much exactly, but it was negotiable and certainly cheaper than anything similar in Cairo. Theme: Other
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Excellent location, services, staff and amenities. This is the lowest priced luxury hotel near the Airport and Motorways.
In addition to helpful staff there are several restaurants (not cheap) and 2 bars. There are 2 swimming pools (one indoor), saunas, whirlpools and a mini bar in your room. The Car rental company 'Dallah Rent A Car' has a desk in the lobby and cars in the car park. They give excellent rental prices.
If you speak to the staff, they will be nice enough to take you onto the roof to take pictures of the 7 hills of Amman.
See if anybody pays attention to the fact that one whirlpool is painted pink and the other blue in the leisure complex.
Luxury and accessibility that won't kill the budget. We stayed here for about $70 a night. The buffet was excellent.
There are nice shops/shopping mall next door and an ATM. Accross the street is a fantastic grocery store and sweet shop.
Amman, all of it, is only a $1-2 taxi ride away.
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If you read all my hotel tips on VT you find that I always seem to have a problem with the Accor group of hotels. Their record with me – worldwide – is 100% bad stays. I have never had a good nights sleep or good service. This is no exception. I reserved on-line so I could stay in a bit of luxury on my last night here. I booked a month ahead of time because it had use of gym facilities and free airport transfers. Both were a complete lie. When I showed up all the facilities seemed to not exist! My room was smoking and noisy. Then I was forced to pay for my ‘free’ airport transfer and hassled for a tip! When I complained to the booking website I was told I would get a refund over the transfer. That was in 2006. Still waiting!
• Free airport transfers you have to pay for
• Forced to tip the driver for the same transfer
• Never repaid for the transfer – despite the website saying they would
• Non-smoking rooms that become smoking rooms
• Quiet room becomes a noisy room
• The gym that does not exist
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The Old Town of Sana’a is dominated by ancient ‘skyscrapers’ that are tower blocks built of stone, brick, mud, paint and wood. Taj Talah is an authentic building that is at least several hundred years old. It has all the unique features of such a building from the Mafraj (top room of the house used for socialising) to the deadly uneven and steep stairs. The hotel's Mocha Coffee Shop on the top floor allows you the best view of Sana’a in the city – day or night.
Please find my Nightlife Tip on this hotel here:
%L[http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/30b4a/1c5bf1/5/
]Old Town at Night
The Hotel is an authentic part of Old Sana’a. Rooms are basic, but clean and have brightly coloured windows at the top that reflect across the walls during the day. There are en-suite bathrooms which you pay a couple of extra dollars for. Flush toilets and basic shower. Rooms are a little warm so do keep the curtains closed during the day. The only bad thing about this hotel is that it is noisy, especially in the lower floors. People like to run, scream and kick bottles day and night as they pass the hotel. It is cheap and well situated, so a great place for sound sleepers.
Please Note: Many taxi drivers do not know how to find the Hotel. Ask them to take you to the “Masjid Dawud" or Dawud (David) Mosque in Old Town. It is just around the corner. They may stop short and tell you that you have to walk, it’s OK, you are very close. Theme: HotelPrice: US$20-40 » Currency ConverterComparison: less expensive than averageAddress: Old Sana'a City, Harat Talha (Zone), P.O. Box: 4172 - SANA'A, YEMENPhone: 00967 – 1 - 287130Directions: Near the Dawud (David) Mosque in Old TownWebsite: http://www.taj-talha-hotel.com.ye/ Other Contact: info@Taj-Talha-Hotel.com.ye
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Well, good luck! Khartoum is known among expats as being quite expensive when it comes to accommodation...as soon as the landlord knows that a khawaja (foreigner) is looking for a place to live, the rent skyrockets to ridiculous heights. Things to look for include a reliable water supply, constant electricity and a lockable door. Houses or apartments along public transport routes are markedly more expensive. Most expats prefer to live in areas such as Amarat, Khartoum 2, Riyadh and Arkaweet/Ma'amoura, and as such, these are the most expensive places to live. Omdurman is apparently cheaper, although again there are expensive parts. Elsewhere in Sudan, finding somewhere to live can be a nightmare...maybe Kassala was a special case, but I searched and searched for a house within my modest budget, but found nothing...it may have been because of the recent floods, it may have been because nobody wanted to rent to a khawaja, or I might have been just unlucky. It is possible to find home-stay accommodation with local families (easier for women), although a complete lack of privacy might get on your nerves after a while. Wherever you are looking, whether in Khartoum or outside, try and get the help of a Sudanese friend, or ask your company/organization to arrange it before you arrive. Theme: Other
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The region is far from a hot backpackers paradise and with the constant violence in Iraq etc the place seems it will stay this way for a long time to come making the hotels highly varied from country to country due to lack of first hand knowledge. Couple this with Arabs ability to travel to places where their family member are located and the pickings are slim. Other than Yemen, rock bottom budget is tough to find but possible. Prices reflect amenities and are accordingly high with about $20 US getting you a budget style up as high as $150 without blinking an eye. Budget hotels can be found in souq areas but in some cities 'natashas' roam around at night time. In general, search around the souq or bazaar area and you will find something that will be suffice for the night en shallah :)
No unique frills in the budget area other than the location of some of the hotels. Sometimes, the staff is friendly making up for the dirty interiors but that is another story in itself ;) Theme: HotelPrice: US$20-40 » Currency ConverterComparison: about averageDirections: Near the Souqs and Bazaars
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 Shahba Al Sham Aleppo by dr.firas
it is a very big choice between the cheap good hotels like 20$ for a night and the luxury level like 500$ for a night!
it is up to you and your financial case! Theme: HotelAddress: Middle EastDirections: Middle East
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 by maen31
Between 300-1000 SP. 6$-20$ You choose.
Al-Sham palace in the middle of Damascus ,little expensive but nice place .
Aphamea palace in Hama near waterwheels ,so nice . Theme: Pension/GuesthouseComparison: less expensive than averageDirections: In each city you can find the right places in according to money and time.Other Contact: I don't know .
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 by maykal
There are rental agencies all over Damascus, especially in the posher areas of Abu Romaneh and Mohajireen. However, I found these to be a bit pricey for my liking, as foreign-looking foreigners are often charged according to their supposed wealth. A better way to find somewhere to live is just to ask your hotel receptionist. That was how I found my room....I asked the receptionist at the Hotel Haramain, who went out into the street shouting "does anyone know of any rooms?"...the man in the clothes shop opposite knew a couple of families, and arranged for me to visit them....many people I know found their rooms in this way. Theme: OtherComparison: least expensive
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