Hi, Thx in advance for your kind replies! Prefer to travel independently but as a solo woman traveler feel it is prudent to join a group for some destinations. That said am tentatively booked for Egypt, Alexandria & Petra February 2010. Would like to fly into Cairo a few days before the group to adjust. Could anyone recommend a reputable hotel for a woman that would have a driver for airport pickup & a restaurant to eat in the evenings? Have traveled before solo on the 7 continents but is there anything special I need to know? Thx again, fodorites!

Since you're meeting up with a group in Cairo, whom I assume will be spending a day or two here, why not stay at the hotel the group is using. In situations like this, the hotel can often offer the same competitive rate. Also check whether the hotel can arrange a meet/greet at the airport.

A couple of very good women friendly hotels are -

1)The Longchamps at http://hotellongchamps.com/
2)The Pension Roma at http://www.pensionroma.com.eg/english/pensionroma.htm

Both of these are owned and managed by women and are good for women traveling alone.

I think you have gotten good advise above. However if you are looking for another idea, I stayed at the Cairo Marriott. I was very pleased with my stay there, which was part of a group tour. I would have felt perfectly comfortable if I was staying there on my own - very safe and several restaurants.

We stayed at Le Meridien Pyramids. While I would not choose to stay in Giza again (would prefer to have been closer to downtown), if that is where your tour is staying, I would absolutely say it is fine for a solo woman. There's a nice bakery/cafe in the lobby, and an excellent (this still strikes me as funny) Tex-Mex restaurant.

Thank you again for your good advisements. I am considering staying in the first group hotel but there are a couple of reasons I asked for recs. First, often they do not release the names of the hotels til quite close to departure & I like to have plan B if they are full. The other reason is that sometimes especially if I am going in a couple of days ahead to adjust, I like to stay in a hotel of charm & character. Depending on the destination & language, a well known chain for safety is the best choice. Thx again!