Algiers has a wealth of historical attractions and is a genuine architecture lovers’ paradise.
Situ’s serviced apartments in Algiers are the number one choice for the business traveller who wants their own private space. Each of our corporate properties offers cooking, dining, and washing facilities, much of which you wouldn’t expect in a standard hotel room, and all at a very competitive rate too.
If you want to dine out rather than cook for yourself, of course, you can go to any of the excellent restaurants in the city. However, that might not be something you want to do every night, so having your own kitchen has its benefits.
Many of our serviced apartments also have on-site housekeeping services and laundry services.
Another advantage of Situ’s serviced accommodation in Algiers is that they can be much more convenient than hotel rooms as places to do business. Guests have access to free wi-fi and some have professional meeting rooms – or at least places to enjoy a coffee. 'Choice' really is the keyword here – you choose a fully equipped, serviced apartment that offers what you want.
Algiers is both the capital and largest city in Algeria, which is itself the largest country in Africa and the tenth largest nation in the world, by land area.
With the south and centre of the country occupied by the Sahara Desert, Algeria as a whole is a very sparsely populated country. However, its capital, in the north of the country on the Mediterranean Sea, is very densely populated, with around 3.7 million residing within the city limits and another 1.7 million living in the wider Algiers metropolitan area.
It’s 37 miles in an easterly direction from the capital to the second largest city, Boumerdes. The third largest, Oran, is 218 miles west of Algiers.
The official languages of Algeria are Arabic and Berber (also known as Amazigh or Tamazight). The local Arabic dialect and Berber are also the most common first languages of residents of the capital. A large number of people also speak French, especially in business, government, and other official circles.
The currency here is the dinar, with one dinar comprising 100 centimes, or santeem.
There are direct flights to Algiers from most major European nations. The city centre is served by a modern and frequent metro train service.
Business in Algiers
Oil and natural gas have been mainstays of the economy here for many years. Algeria is a major exporter of oil and gas to Western European nations, especially France, which is the former colonial power here. Other important industries include petrochemicals and food processing.
Although a number of professional services, telecommunications, and technology companies have a presence in Algiers, the services sector here is smaller than in most major global cities. Companies with operations in the city include Schlumberger, GE, Huawei, KPMG, EY, Halliburton, Unilever, Microsoft, and Google.
Algeria is considered to be an upper-middle income nation, according to the World Bank. Its business potential was enhanced by a new government policy, introduced in 2016, of offering ten-year tax exemptions for business start-ups in certain locations.
Like many cities in the Arab world, Algiers has a superb old town, known here as the Casbah. You can spend many happy hours wandering through its maze of steep, narrow streets, visiting the art and craft shops.
One of the finest buildings in the Casbah is undoubtedly the Palais des Rais. A superb example of 16th century Morrish design, this former Ottoman Empire mansion now houses an art gallery and performance arena.
There are certainly some fine mosques here, such as the Ketchauoa, but perhaps the finest religious building in Algiers is the Catholic Cathedral of Notre Dame d’Afrique. Those who make the climb to its hilltop location will be rewarded by a superb example of neo-Byzantine architecture and superb views of the sea and the city.
The Museum of Independence is located inside the Martyrs’ Monument. Algiers maintains a very French and European feel to this day, some 60 years after the country’s independence, with much French-style architecture, including the Post Office.
There are also a number of excellent French restaurants here, but for authentic Algerian cuisine, head for Jenina. Of course if you want to cook from fresh local produce, you will find a fully-equipped kitchen in Situ’s self-catering accommodation in Algiers.
Houari Boumediene Airport, also known as Algiers International Airport, has direct flights to around 50 other cities. These include Paris, Istanbul, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Rome, London, Marseille, Madrid, Moscow, Cairo, and Montreal. The airport is 10 miles south-east of the city centre.
The Algiers Metro has one line, with 14 stations in various areas of the city centre. Trams run every three to five minutes between 5am and 11pm on this largely underground rail system.
A half-hourly service operates between Houari Boumediene Airport and the main city rail terminus of Gare Agha.
Most of the inter-city rail services in Algeria serve the major cities along the Mediterranean coast. There are daily services from Algiers to Oran, Constantine, and Annaba.
Algiers’ fleet of modern buses operate on more than 60 routes in and around the city. Services include a half-hourly airport shuttle.
Several ferries per week connect Algiers with Marseille, Barcelona, and Alicante. There is also a single weekly boat to Genoa.