Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

Art and design are a major feature here, with an on-site gallery in celebration of Egyptian artist, Farouk Hosny, and plenty of striking pieces on show throughout the hotel. The signature restaurant, Zitouni, offers 24-hour dining in an elegant setting, Bullona (the first international outpost of this famous Milan restaurant) is the place for Italian cuisine, and the trendy '8' serves a delicious Chinese menu. The view is stunning and ever-present, but the Upper Deck Lounge is one of the best spots to enjoy it from. When you fancy a dip, head upstairs to the adults-only sanctuary or the three-tiered rooftop pool, complete with tropical palms.

All rooms are decorated in soft, sepia tones with delicately-patterned carpets and the obligatory gold trimmings! Enormous, skirted beds are plush with buttoned headboards, stout couches and armchairs fill the living room, and on the walls, paintings depict bygone scenes of Cairo. Each room has floor-to-ceiling glass windows, with some leading onto a private balcony. As the suites rise in height, their features build to include entertainment spaces and private kitchens, and increasingly stellar views of the Nile, Great Pyramids, and the city.

Cairo is a city that has to be seen to be believed, its great and glossy buildings sitting in striking contrast beside ancient temples, and all of it reflected in the shimmering River Nile. You could easily fill a few days with strolls through the bazaar, eye-opening visits to its many fascinating museums and felucca rides down the river (they're especially beautiful at sunset). Then, of course, there are the Pyramids of Giza and their guardian, the Sphinx. From the architecture of downtown to the centuries of art in its galleries, Cairo is one-of-a-kind.