I have been coming to this hotel for nearly 10 years. It is a real oasis in the middle of a hot, congested city. Beautiful garden and what used to be the best hotel breakfast I had had anywhere in the world Now the service isn't as good as it used to be - breakfast experience was poor, aside from the brilliant Waleed serving fantastic omelettes and falafel as always.
The staff desperately look as if they more training in customer service. Worst of all is that the hotel has now become a big prostitution house for guests particularly from the Gulf.
Not nice and terribly damaging for the reputation for one of the most famous hotels in Cairo. I understand they need the business of rich clients but once the reputation of the place goes its almost impossible to get it back More.
Very good place to come back to after a hot and dusty day of work. Very friendly personnel and lots of good restaurants inside the hotel. Traffic is, well, Cairo traffic. Noisy and busy, but in the hotel you do not notice that. Had a very pleasant few days here. The staff is extremely cordial and helpful. The garden is a lovely oasis of calm in a busy city. The rivers views are lovely. The old palace rooms are impressive.
The hotel also offers pricey but very convenient tours with excellent personal guides. My Pyramids guide was a diplomaed Egyptologist. My only reservation is the food. I ate lunches and dinners mostly in the Garden Promenade Cafe. The dishes were quite mediocre, although the setting made up for it, in part. Much better were the local dishes in Egyptian Nights. Stayed as part of a tour group.
