Built in 1929 overlooking Alexandria’s harbor, the Cecil is the hotel Lawrence Durrell wrote into his “Alexandria Quartet” novels, and where Naguib Mahfouz set part of “Miramar” — a literary landmark as much as a place to sleep.
During World War II, the hotel served as the headquarters of British Intelligence in Egypt, with General Montgomery himself using it as a base — the hotel’s bar, Monty’s, is named for him. Original wooden elevators from 1929 are still in use, and the guest list over the decades has included Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, Somerset Maugham, and reportedly Al Capone.
The hotel served as British Intelligence headquarters during World War II — its bar is still named for General Montgomery.
Now managed by Steigenberger, centrally located on Saad Zaghloul Square directly on the Corniche, walking distance to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel. A 4-star heritage property — the appeal here is history and location rather than ultra-modern luxury.
