Talisman Hotel de Charme

Very pleasant four-day stay. Large room, very helpful staff. A travel agent visits regularly so that guided tour arrangements can be made. The address is 39 Talat Harb Street, but the the hotel entrance is on a shopping alley a short distance from Talat Harb St Street. Our taxi from the airport had a hard time finding it. Another hotel in the building, Hotel Minerva, has a big sign up high on the side of the building on Talat Harb Street, so that sign can be used to locate the hotel. If you use the Cafe Americaine (across the street)... more

My husband and I stayed at the Talisman Hotel for 4 nights and we absolutely loved it. It is hidden away on a small side street in a building we would never have expected to find such a gem. The rooms were immaculate and beautiful, and the staff was friendly and helpful. After our exhausting days of touring Cairo on foot, we looked forward to going back to our beautiful room and relaxing in our cool comfortable suite. The tour operator, Hamdi El-Shora, who works along-side the Talisman Hotel, organzed a wonderful tour of the... more

We had a wonderful stay at the Talisman. Staff were extremely friendly and the service was great. There was some confusion with my booking through expedia but this was resolved thankfully. I think it was due mainly to disorganisation. Breakfast was simple but sufficient for a day of sightseeing. We decided to book trips through the tour operator alligned with the Talisman. The first day was planned for the Pyramids and I was explicitly told by Hamdi that it would be 30 GBP per person and this included entrance fees. The tour guide was... more

I have just returned from a trip to the middle east and spent the last night at the Talisman in Cairo. What a wonderful place. Although most taxi drivers wont know where it is it is tucked down a small alley in a very convenient part of Cairo, walking distance to the Cairo museum. The staff were very friendly and could not do enough to help, without being intrusive. The front of house staff were extremely knowledgeable and happy to arrrange anything you may require be it tours, taxis or restaurant bookings. The rooms are... more

In egypt for business meetings, I took a weekend beforehand to see as much of Cairo as possible. Tripadvisor ratings steered me towards the Talisman hotel, and I was not disappointed with this clean and comfortable hotel in bustling downtown Cairo. Staff were warm, friendly, and helpful, room was nice, large, and clean. I arranged my transfer from the airport through the hotel (highly recommended) and for €20 they picked me up at the airport and handled my visa--not a burdensome task to begin with, but nice when you're arriving at... more

If you're looking for a bit of colonial charm or Middle Eastern exotic in Cairo, stay in the Talisman. Taxi drivers never know where it is so get the directions off the hotel website and note the main streets nearby. The hotel is reminiscent of a Moroccan riad, with beautifully decorated rooms complete with lanterns and wall hangings and carpets and comfortable chairs. It's on the 5th floor of a crumbling old building that must have been lovely in its day. The staff are helpful and friendly and the breakfast was simple but good. Each room is... more

It's the combination that makes this hotel wonderful: very helpful & knowledgeable staff, great location, charming antique rooms and especially the travel service onsite -- run by Hamdi. He set me up with a driver and tour guide who took me to the pyramids & sphinx, and they were completely trustworthy. I left my bags in the car repeatedly throughout the day, able to tell instantly that the driver Sabri was honest and I let him drive away with everything repeatedly. And he was a safe driver -- no small feat in Cairo where drivers pay no... more

Stayed in Talisman, Cairo January 2008. Boutique hotels are best hotels in the world. What I liked about Talisman is it's quite central location, and "french-arabic style". Is located on Sharia Talaat (think so) st., with lots of cafes, shops, restaurants. Takes about 7 minutes in a taxi to get to the Islamic Cairo, 10 minutes to the Souk-bazaar, and about 10-15 minutes walk to the Museum. The staff of the hotel is very nice, polite and always ready to assist you: whether you need to book a tour or just looking for a nice... more

The Talisman is a very good hotel with an individual feel. Rooms were a decent size and well furnished. The staff were friendly and helpful. The hotel is a little hidden away, up a sidestreet but it's worth looking it out. Overall a really nice hotel.

We picked this hotel solely on the Lonely Planet "Authors Choice" review and we were not disappointed. Rooms are beautifully decorated in bright Arabian style. The hotel can be a bit difficult to find as there is no sign outside but if you head for the Hotel Minerva then it is in the same building (wonderful old wrought iron lift on left hand side of entrance hall). The front desk (24 hour) people were always friendly and helpful at all times and got us settled in our room pretty quickly. Breakfast is a cold affair. Lovely... more