Le Riad Hotel de Charme

Le Riad Hotel de Charme is one of the very few places to stay inside the medieval city. It sits just off Al-Muizz Street in El-Gamaleya, between Bab al-Futuh and Bab Zuweila, facing the Ottoman-era merchant's house of Bayt al-Suhaymi. Staying here means waking up among the mosques, madrasas and workshops of Islamic Cairo rather than commuting to them from a modern district.

The hotel has a small number of suites spread over four floors, each decorated around a theme drawn from Egyptian history and culture, with names such as the Pharaonic, Arabian Nights and Iznik suites, and others honouring writers including Naguib Mahfouz. Carved wood, mashrabiya screens, coloured glass lanterns and khayamiya fabrics from the nearby Tentmakers' Market are used throughout. Suites have a sitting area, a marble bathroom and air conditioning, and several have balconies.

A lift runs up to the rooftop terrace, where breakfast is served with views over minarets and domes and of the upper floors of Bayt al-Suhaymi. The rooftop restaurant serves Egyptian food, and a tea lounge in the building offers pastries and shisha. The hotel does not serve alcohol, in keeping with its setting, but there are restaurants nearby, including the Naguib Mahfouz Café in Khan el-Khalili.

Le Riad suits couples, independent travellers and anyone interested in architecture and history who wants an atmospheric stay rather than resort facilities. It is less suitable for light sleepers, as the call to prayer from the surrounding mosques begins before dawn, and the street outside is lively in the evenings. Families with young children may find the lanes and steps tiring. Because the area is largely pedestrian, arrange your arrival with the hotel so that your driver knows where to stop.

From the door you can walk the length of Al-Muizz Street, from the Qalawun complex to Bab Zuweila, and Khan el-Khalili and Al-Azhar Mosque are within a few minutes on foot. The Tannoura show at Wekalet El Ghouri is an easy evening walk. Downtown and the museums are reached by taxi from Al-Azhar Street, and the Grand Egyptian Museum and pyramids need a longer drive. Pack light if you can, as luggage may need to be carried a short distance along the lane.