A budget hotel that's warmly recommended by many travellers, find the Joole Jamaal (aka Joul Jammal, Gol Gammal) just west of the souk, next to the Qasr al-Adli Palace of Justice and above Nabil Nafisa Sweets. It has lovely staff, a shared kitchen, free drinking water, warm-to-hot water in the showers, decent wifi, and 24-hour electricity. It's named after Jules Jammal, a legendary and perhaps mythical military officer who is said to have sunk a French ship during the 1956 Suez Crisis, sacrificing himself in the process. Prices don't seem to be fixed, but count on paying around $15 for a small single room with a shared bathroom or $20-25 for a more spacious double room.