Villa Belle Epoque, Cairo’s first boutique hotel, will open on 21st March 2009 for its first guests. The new hotel offers a smaller, more intimate way of experiencing Cairo, located in the leafy suburbs of the city’s Maadi area.

Tarek and Beryl El Gendy, the Egyptian/Dutch owners, bought the property a year ago. Since this time they have painstakingly restored the former 1920’s townhouse into a stunning 13 bedroom hotel just five miles south of the city centre to the east of the Nile.

The setting is tranquil, with lush gardens date palms and fruit trees surrounding an inviting swimming pool. The original mango and guava trees are now joined by younger peach, apple, olive and lemon trees with plenty of cosy seating areas for guests to sit, relax and take tea or cocktails. There are also fire pits which will be lit during the winter evenings so guests can continue to enjoy the outdoors.

Each guestroom is individually designed using a mixture of contemporary and period styles. For example, many of the chandeliers have been purchased from El Atareen, the famous antique quarter of Alexandria. In addition the hotel has a fine collection of contemporary Egyptian art. Many rooms have conservatory areas opening onto balconies Bathrooms also have a period style combined with modern features with marble toped cabinets, bath tubs and powerful showers.

All meals are served at the hotel including lunch and dinner from a choice of Egyptian, Oriental, Italian and French cuisines. The hotel will be organising a high tea to be served on the shores of the Nile at a Plant Nursery from where guests can take a felucca sail boat to enjoy a sunset over the Nile.

Villa Belle Epoque offers guests a concierge service for advice on how to enjoy a different and more personal experience of Cairo. For example, excursions to the Fatimid quarter of the city with its historical houses and trade centres or a night out for dinner at the restaurant of the Azhar Park. Events can range from traditional musical performances, singing, dance or maybe a ballet at the Cairo Opera House. Colonial Maadi still boasts many rare trees brought into the country during the English and French periods. Special tree walks can be organised to view the old gardens of colonial houses, embassies and clubs.

The hotel is a short walk from Maadi’s main street, Road 9 where there is a small souk with many small boutiques worth a browse, from gold, silver to copper ware and bookstores. In addition t here are plenty of coffee and tea houses and restaurants as well as the metro station for convenient transport into central Cairo avoiding the traffic of the city.

The hotel offers the perfect alternative to the larger branded hotels of Cairo’s city centre and is the ideal base for a long weekend break to explore the sites and sounds of the lesser know side of Cairo, or before heading off for a Bales ‘dahabiyya’ cruise along the Nile.