Le Riad, Cairo

This is the coolest small hotel in Cairo and it stands in the middle of the medieval Islamic quarter, the most vibrant in town. Inside Le Riad is the lap of luxury: vast suites, fantastic art, loads of colour and possibly the chicest bathrooms in Egypt. Best of all is the sublime roof terrace, where you can sink into a sofa in the shade of a parasol and listen to the street below.
• Doubles from £198 B&B

Siwa Villa, Siwa

Siwa Villa is a Flintstone-style mud-brick house in a small oasis on the edge of the Western Desert. It has an enormous roof terrace, open fireplace and four stylish bedrooms. Guests can explore the wilderness with Duncan, the owner of the villa, in his 4WD, or hire a sandboard in town and surf down the dunes. Rooms are comfy and cool, with mattresses lying atop whitewashed mud-brick platforms.
• The villa sleeps up to nine people and costs from £116 a night

Dahab Paradise, Dahab

Dahab Paradise offers easy style, a cool pool, guaranteed sun and excellent value for money. It's a friendly place which stands 10 paces from the sea with views across the Gulf of Aqaba. There is a dive school attached to the hotel, so arrange a trip to Blue Hole or pick up some flippers and go snorkelling.
• Doubles from £36 B&B. Yoga and diving packages are also available

Nour el Nil, Nile cruise

It takes six days to meander from Luxor to Aswan aboard an elegant and stylish dahabiya. You breakfast in the sun at the front of the boat, then decant to see something wonderful, perhaps a visit to a pharaonic quarry or an enormous temple. You can walk in the desert, swim in the river, sunbathe on the poop deck or kick back in your chic room with its super-comfortable bed. As for the crew, they're as good as their boat, a highlight of your cruise.
• From €1,100-€1,900pp all-inclusive for a five-night cruise, excluding flights

Al Moudira Hotel, Luxor

Al Moudira is not simply the best hotel in Luxor, it's one of the best in Egypt – an architectural pleasure dome of vaulted ceilings, pharaonic murals, wooden latticework and regal arches. It appears to be ancient, but it's not yet 10 years old – a decade ago, there was nothing but sand here. The 40 rooms range from huge to huger – expect high domed ceilings, crisp white linen, beautiful tiles and warm colours.
• Doubles from £149 B&B

For more information on these places and the rest of i-escape.com's new Egypt collection, visit i-escape.com/links/egyptcollection.php