16 Best Hotels in Western Desert Oases, Egypt

Perched on a hill overlooking Al-Qasr, this luxurious eco-lodge commands stunning views of the town and the surrounding desert. Built entirely of local, natural materials, the plastered mud-brick structure blends well enough with Al-Qasr below for many first-time visitors to assume it's the town's citadel. Solar power and on-site recycling facilities have earned it kudos from environmentalists, while guests still enjoy most modern comforts, although not air-conditioning. The rooms are spacious, with mastaba beds, palm frond furniture, and ceiling fans. The restaurant serves alcohol.

Certainly the most expensive hotel in the oases—and the most unusual—it has been watched by eco-travelers with great interest. The hotel's name means "White Mountain," and it has been built entirely from local materials incorporating desert stones and bricks. Its stunning design has won wide acclaim. Everything is natural, from the nummalites (small coin-like fossils) on bathroom walls to the furniture made of gypsum blocks. There's no electrical power at the lodge: the chef cooks on a wood-burning stove, and beeswax candles and oil lamps illuminate the lodge after sunset. This also means there are no fans, heaters, or air-conditioning—a drawback to some—but the architecture is designed to keep the rooms warm in winter and cool in summer. The lodge's pool is a natural spring. Local and imported alcohol is served.

Nestled below the jagged ruins of Shali, this eco-lodge has been designed to blend with the architecture of the 13th-century fortress. Constructed of karshif and palm trunks, it merges traditional aesthetics with modern comfort and amenities. Guest rooms are spread out on three levels and linked by staircases and small shady courtyards. Enjoy a drink or a meal on the terrace in the evening while watching the activities of the shops and street hawkers below.

Owned by the same trio behind the popular Badawiya Hotel in Farafra, this property is grander and more luxurious, yet still with down-to-earth room rates. The traditional desert architecture employs domes and vaulted ceilings to create cool, castlelike interior spaces. Chalets encircle the summit of a small knoll; choose a west-facing one for the best view of the sunset and desert escarpment. The rooms are spacious and clean, with stone tile floors and an assortment of traditional fabrics. The terrace is a big draw, with a decent size swimming pool (a rarity in these parts), parasols, and stunning views of the desert and escarpment. Staff is ut generally friendly, but not overbearing.

Travelers often arrive in Qasr al-Farafra with low expectations, which makes this attractive and comfortable locally owned hotel just north of town a pleasant surprise. The building merges traditional desert architecture with modern standards of cleanliness and comfort. Its 12 two-story, split-level rooms sit under domed ceilings. There are also eight bungalows. All standard rooms come with large comfy beds, clean bathrooms, mosquito nets, and fans or heaters. The suites add air-conditioning and are furnished with local handicrafts. The restaurant-lobby is spread out under a series of white domes and arches opening onto gardens and courtyards. The hotel has arguably the best swimming pool in any of the oases, with a cozy deck.

What makes this four-story hotel noteworthy is that it brings the standard of midrange interchangeable international hotels to the desert—where a nondescript hotel is in fact unique. The building is clean and well maintained, even though the fixtures are a few years old (this was the first hotel to open in Mut). The interior is dark, but there's an attention to detail and care here that's more noticeable than in other hotels in this price range. There are several different room designs, so check a few until you find what you're looking for. Those at the front can be noisy; top-floor rooms have views.

This three-story concrete building's best assets are its beautiful, lush palm garden, friendly atmosphere, and central location. Happily, it's just far enough away from the square to be removed from most of the noise. Rooms in the main building are spartan; some have fans and a few have private baths. Skip them and check into one of the six recently constructed bungalows, which have enclosed bathrooms and small terraces. This hotel has an Internet café.

The tranquil desert setting and spacious interior spaces have made this midpriced hotel a favorite of visiting groups of archaeologists and paleontologists. The grand classical entrance hall, with its columns and cornices, presents a curious first impression in the middle of the desert. Rooms, which are set around the rear gardens, offer two options. Older single-story domed bungalows are well furnished and have small patios in front and wet showers (no curtain); newer rooms in two-story buildings are much bigger and have matching metal-and-wood furniture. Both are spotlessly clean. A new wing with a large pool was expected, at this writing, to open in early 2011.

This stone complex makes a dramatic impression, rising up the hillside like an Islamic citadel. Constructed entirely using local stone and traditional materials, its curvaceous domes and barrel-vaulted ceilings reflect the region's traditional architecture. Rooms are beautifully styled, with natural stone floors and stucco interiors, and tastefully decorated with rugs and other handicrafts. Each of the four spacious suites is unique; the Al-Qasr commands the high ground with a sweeping view from its private patio. An enclosed room houses two plunge pools fed by a hot spring (reddish, iron-rich water), a spacious cool pool, and a garden where you can relax or enjoy a shisha in the shade of a gazebo.

Spacious grounds and a remote location make this beautifully designed property a treat for couples or small groups who want to experience the silence and solitude of the desert. The eco-friendly hotel was designed by an award-winning architect and constructed of indigenous materials; its undulating domes and barrel ceilings keeping indoor areas cool during the daytime heat. Interior space is simple, but stylish, with traditional wood and textile furnishings. The chic bar appears to have been lifted from the pages of House & Garden, but it is rarely used. Each room is unique, but all come with large beds, spotless bathrooms, and crisp white linens. Bring your swimsuit: there are sun loungers and a crescent-shaped spring-fed pool in the courtyard. To reach the hotel, take the Siwa Road and continue straight at junction after Ahmed Safari Camp, then left.

The owner of one of the longest-established hotels in the oases continues to expand and improve the choice of rooms. Hidden in a quiet, shady palm garden just outside town on the way to Aghurmi, this two-story hotel offers clean air-conditioned rooms and fan-cooled bungalows. Better still are the luxury El Khan suites, which come with air-conditioning and large bathrooms. A spring feeds a large, inviting pool in the leafy palm garden. Guests can dine in the gardens, or in more a formal setting indoors.

One of the prettiest and best-equipped hotels in the oases, the traditional styling of these single-story mud-brick bungalows surrounded by maturing gardens helps make the resort a relaxing place to stay. Interior decor is simple, with natural desert tones and locally made blankets and carpets. The bathrooms are unusual for the area in that they have walk-in showers and ceramic-tiled counters. But truly unique is the resort's pool: it's about four feet wide and snakes 600 feet through the gardens like a lazy river. Take an afternoon dip, and retreat to the resort's spa for some pampering.

This curious two-part motel-style property makes a good overnight stop but is less inviting for a longer stay. The main part of the property offers tiny en-suite chalets around a natural sulfurous hot spring, which has been formed into a swimming pool. There's a paved area for relaxation, but the young trees offer little shade. If you're tired of desert food, an international menu is served at the hotel restaurant, which is down the road (about 250 yards away) along with a few larger rooms, some without private baths.

The salmon-colored Pioneers is the only truly international-style hotel in the oasis, offering amenities such as a comfortable lounge-bar where you can enjoy a drink, and a pool where it takes more than five strokes to get from one end to the other. The styling and design are not sympathetic to the region, however; standards of decor and service are imported from the Nile Valley. Spacious rooms have sitting areas; some have balconies. The hotel's new café across the street offers fabulous sunset views.

Smack-dab in the middle of Bawiti, this hotel is an obvious choice for anyone who might be arriving late at night or who doesn't like to feel too far removed from civilization. The four-story building shows signs of hasty finishing and kitschy décor, but it is spotlessly clean throughout. All rooms have private baths and balconies, the upper floors offering views. Singles can be cramped, but the doubles are spacious and better furnished. The owner has purchased an adjacent property and plans to add a midsize swimming pool.

This traditionally styled hotel made from red stone, karshif, and palm trunks has rooms leading off an internal courtyard. Rooms are simply yet stylishly furnished using Siwan handicrafts (carpets, baskets, and blankets). Fans are used to keep the interiors cool. Some rooms have terraces overlooking the gardens, for which there's no extra charge, so ask for one when you book. The interior communal lounge has palm trees growing out through the ceilings, and the canopies of these same trees provide shade for the upstairs terrace and restaurant.