Be careful with this hotel and other Cairo, Egypt Hotel/Accommodation Reviews

Hotel is located near the airport in Heliopolis suburb. Very far to get to/from Cairo - taxi is expensive; is located inside a kind of park, so you have to walk from the entrance to hotel doors about 15 min.

First they gave us a room in the back side, with entrance from the pool, you had to enter through the sliding window panel, it was a kind of summer room, although we paid the normal price. At 7 pm loud music started playing in the pool area, because they also have an open air restaurant there. We complained for about 1 hour when they finally gave us another room in the main building which had double windows (so was quiet) and was of a much superior standard in everything.

In the morning they were supposed to provide a free shuttle to the city center (Egyptian museum) but they told us the shuttle was "busy" and then it came and left at once, only after we have insisted for about half an hour they suddenly found a shuttle; the driver wanted, however, to drop us off much earlier than city center and only because we knew the city we avoided it.

Breakfast was similar to other 5-star rated Cairo hotels we stayed in (actually 3 to 4 stars on European standards): medium quality cheese (2 choices), no ham, unsalted butter, not much fruit, tea and coffee form the pot (not 1 tea bag in the cup). MIneral water had to be paid for extra (not included in buffet breakfast).

Overall, considering the location, service and price I would not recommend the hotel.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Phone: 20 2 622 6000
Address: 65 Abdel Hamid Badawi Street Po Box 6514
Directions: Heliopolis

The hotel is located direct on Nile, next to Intercontinental and Hilton. So it is very close to Egyptian Museum. If you get a room with Nile view, it is exciting, but keep in mind the heavy traffic along the river that runs 24 hours a day and will probably keep you awake the whole night.
The hotel used to be a 5 star but everything is pretty old and an inscription inside says it was last time renovated somewhen in the 1950s. It was also said that it is now managed by Egyptian tourism company and not by Helnan, but I am not sure.
Hotel staff comes to your room with you and tries to sell you tours to Pyramids, boat cruise on Nile etc. for exorbitant prices. And they want bakshish, of course. :-)
Buffet breakfast has very limited choices if judging by US or European standards, many things are absent or of lower quality, but this was the case in all 5 star rated (but not corresponding to it) hotels in Cario we stayed in.
I would not recommend the hotel, considering its actual condition, service and price.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$80-120  » Currency Converter
Address: Corniche El Nil Street, Cairo 11511
Directions: Tahrir Square (Egyptian Museum, City Center)

This hotel is located on the Shari Al Haram (Pyramids Street) which connects Cairo Center with the Pyramids, somewhat half the way. That is why it is convenient to get to both of them pretty easily, both with taxi and with public transportation (if you are courageous enough to take a street minibus for 1 LE :-)
The staff was friendlier than in other Cairo hotels we stayed in. The room was quiet (at least ours, that looked to the yard), which is rather rare considering the high street noise level and usual quality of the windows insulation.
Buffet breakfast as OK on Egyptian standards (which means less choices and sometimes lower food quality than you would often find in European or American hotels of the similar class).
The price was lower than for other 5 star rated hotels in Cairo (although most of them, including this one, are corresponding to 3 or 4 stars).
Overall, I would recommend this hotel.


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$40-80  » Currency Converter
Address: 252 Pyramids Road