Algeria's hotels fill up early in the evening. Accommodations range from adequate first-class hotels/resorts in major cities and along the coast to barely acceptable local properties and campgrounds. Most travelers will be happiest staying in the best property available. Because Algiers experiences chronic hotel-room shortages, advance reservations (in writing) are a must; accommodations in the rest of the country may be tight during the summer. Altour, the national tourist organization, has a network of lodgings running the gamut from good to below standard. The top hotels, such as the St. Georges, the Es-Safir and the Aurassi, are protected by armed guards and should be safe.
