• Cairo's Talisman Hotel (i-escape.com/talismanhotel.php), which opened a year ago near the Egyptian Museum, claims to be the city's only boutique hotel. Its 24 colourful rooms (£66 B&B) with chandeliers, parquet floor and beautiful quilts, take up the fifth-floor of an apartment block in downtown Cairo and, along with decadent salons and a dining room, are accessed by an old wrought-iron lift.

• Hard to choose between Marrakech's riads, isn't it? Riad Chi Chi (i-escape.com/riadchichi.php) which opened last year, is a great-value option. Five rooms in subtle cream have wooden lattices looking onto a courtyard with a small petal-strewn swimming pool and cushioned alcoves. A canopied chill-out area on the roof has Atlas views. Doubles from £53 B&B.

• Syria's second city, Aleppo, has the best souks in the entire region – miles of medieval alleyways lined with stalls selling everything from milk to silk. Boutique hotels abound, and one of the best has just had a revamp. Hidden down a passageway beside one of the Old City gates, the Mansouriya Palace (mansouriya.com), was built in the 16th century around an interior courtyard. Nine suites sport luxurious fabrics and lavish design touches, from marble baths to inlaid headboards. It ain't cheap though, from £279 B&B.

• A luxury hotel, the Russelior (preferredhotels.com/russelior), opened in the Tunisian seaside city of Hammamet this year, and has a hip white spa with drapes and posh lights, luscious gardens, tennis courts and several restaurants. Rooms cost from £111 including breakfast.