Lodging in Egypt is as plentiful as the sands of the Sahara. Whether you are visiting a city or camping in the desert, visitors to Egypt are sure to find a hotel that meets their needs and budget. Lodging options run the gamut from fancy 5 star hotels to family owned bed and breakfasts to hostels. Both my trips to Egypt were via tour companies so my hotels were chosen by them; however, for my 2nd trip I selected Trafalgar on the basis that they choose higher quality lodging.
In the post “Traveling to Egypt: Tale of Two Tours”, I provided a brief overview of the three hotels that were chosen by Contiki and Trafalgar. These hotels - Victoria Hotel, Le Meridien Pyramids, and Ramses Hilton - varied greatly in terms of quality, amenities, and customer service. The following sections will offer more detailed information on each of the hotels through my tales of adventures, and misadventures.
Before I share my stories on the hotels, I would like to state that I am not a “hotel snob”. In my travels, I have stayed in every type of hotel - from very fancy, high-end hotels to local, budget roadside motels. All I care about when it comes to lodging is clean sheets and towels, secure facilities, and decent customer service. And a free breakfast is always a plus!
VICTORIA HOTEL
Stays: October 30th and November 5th, 2010
Contiki is geared towards young adults on a budget which is why the company probably selected the Victoria Hotel in downtown Cairo. The Victoria Hotel is an older hotel that must have been splendid in its glory days; however, it was looking a bit worn and tired during our visit. I did some research trying to find the year it was built and couldn’t find the answer but given the architecture, furniture style, and the rotary phones, I say the hotel must be from the early to mid-1900s.
First Night – October 30th
After two long days of travel, I arrived at the Victoria Hotel around 7:00 PM along with other tour mates who were on my flight. As I entered the hotel lobby, my first impressions were 1) the place looks clean 2) this hotel needs more lights. Since our Contiki representative handled the check-in, I did not deal with the desk clerk; therefore, I can’t share an opinion on customer service.
After checking-in, a bellhop escorted Lisa, my very amazing roommate, and I to our room on the second floor (Room 208). We had to wait a bit for the elevators since being older, they ran slower and were rather small. And you could tell they were older elevators by the fact they still had the metal accordion gates instead of the sliding doors. When we got to the 2nd floor, the first thing I noticed was that the hallway was lit in a way that resembled a haunted house. It was a long, dimly lit corridor.
The room was quite the surprise; it was simple but very spacious and well lit. The bathroom was also spacious and had a good amount of towels. Both were very clean. As for the beds, they were comfortable but the sheets were rather thin so they provided no warmth. But the best part of the room was the rotary phone!!! Since I had never used a rotary phone, curiosity got the best of me and when I started playing with the dial, I winded up calling some random person in Egypt.
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| The beds at the Victoria Hotel. |
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| My travel buddy- Albert the Gator (University of Florida Mascot) |
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| The rotary phone. |
That evening, we had our first group meeting so Lisa and I ventured out to find the stairs which took a while since the hallways lacked signage, or maybe there were signs and I just missed them in the dimness. We met in an area adjacent to the registration desk and this part of the hotel was well lit. After the meeting, our tour guide suggested we head out and walk a couple of blocks to a gas station to purchase snacks and a local restaurant for dinner. When we stepped outside, a few of us questioned if this was the best idea since the side street was very poorly lit and we had to walk in the street since large parts of the sidewalk were broken or missing. The best part was that our tour guide stayed at the hotel instead of joining the group (the first of many poor decisions made by him). During our walk, we encountered only two people and a stray dog. It was definitely not the best location for an evening stroll even with a group of about 20 people. On the plus side, the gas station, Mobile On-The-Run, had a great selection of food items and beverages and the ‘restaurant’ was inexpensive and had excellent falafel sandwiches. I say ‘restaurant’ because it was more of a food stall; you ordered your food at a cash register and then took your meal to-go, there were no tables or chairs.
The most interesting, and frustrating, part of my first night at the Victoria Hotel was the evening entertainment. At around 1:00 AM, I start hearing the crowing of roosters but thought that was impossible since the hotel was in the middle of downtown Cairo. As the night wore on, the crowing did not stop. The following morning, when I look out my window, I see that the building across the street had several roosters and chickens on the rooftop!!! A penthouse chicken coop in Cairo.
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| The penthouse chicken coop. |
My first morning in Cairo started off with a series of misadventures. Since I had woken up earlier than expected, I decided to take a shower and much to my surprise there was barely any warm water. The previous night, there had been plenty of hot water and now, at 6:00 AM, I was having to brave cold water. Then came the incident of the wake-up call. Our tour guide told us the night before to expect a call at 6:30 AM; however, our wake-up call was 30 minutes late and some tour mates later shared they never received one. Fortunately, Lisa and I both woke up well before the expected wake up call.
Between the all-night rooster concert and freezing morning shower, I was ready to leave the room and head for breakfast. The breakfast was hosted in one of the restaurants and was an all you can eat buffet of eggs and an assortment of cheeses, breads, and fruits (being a vegetarian I never pay attention to the meat selections). I remember the food being good and filling but the coffee provided was little pouches that you added to hot water. The dining room was clean and the waiters provided excellent service.
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| Breakfast buffet at the Victoria Hotel. |
Second Night – November 5th
We arrived to the Victoria Hotel at around 6:00 AM on a Friday morning since we spent Thursday evening aboard a sleeper train traveling from Luxor. As we had some time before the tour, I rushed to my room to take a shower and much to my dismay, this time there was no warm water. It felt like you were bathing in ice cubes. On the plus side, the bathroom and towels were clean. This morning we did not eat breakfast at the hotel since we were provided some breads and cheese on the train; however, I would have prefered the more filling breakfast offered at the hotel.
The room Lisa and I had on the 5th was similar to the one we had for our first night in Egypt. It was very spacious and clean and had two comfortable beds. Fortunately this evening I was so exhausted that I fell asleep right away and slept through the night. No roosters crowing could wake me up! The following day, a few of us were headed to Alexandria rather early so the hotel provided a breakfast box with various items for us to eat on the bus. The box had several breads, pieces of cheese, and a hard boiled egg. It wasn’t that filling but the food was good.
Summary: One thing I greatly liked about the Victoria Hotel was the spacious, clean rooms and the clean bedsheets and towels. I also enjoyed the provided breakfasts and the attentiveness of the wait staff. My biggest issue was the poor lighting in the hallways and in the surrounding streets. I did not feel safe walking the hallways at night, which I had to do in two occasions, and I did not appreciate the lack of signage. I also was not a fan of the inconsistent water temperature in the shower.
Stays: January 8, 2018 for 3 nights
Trafalgar selected the Le Meridien Pyramids as the first of two hotels for the Wonders of Egypt tour. The hotel is located in Giza adjacent to the pyramid complex. Unlike the Victoria Hotel, Le Meridien is a newer, larger hotel with several restaurants and several stores, two pools, a gym, and spa.
My journey to Egypt this trip was a lot longer - 3 flights over 2.5 days - so I was really looking forward to a hot shower and comfortable bed. The Trafalgar representative picked me up at the airport around 7:30 PM and after hassling with a bit of traffic, finally arrived at the hotel around 8:00 PM. When we arrived at the hotel, the first thing I noticed was all the security measures that were in place. There was a guard at the gate, a dog that inspected each vehicle for explosives, and at the entrance, a metal detector. Upon entering the hotel, I was amazed at how lovely it was; spacious lobby, tasteful decorations, and very clean and well lit. There was also a lot more staff available to assist guests. So far, things were going great and I was really liking the Le Meridien.
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| Lobby at Le Meridien Pyramids. |
The attendant that escorted me to my room was overeager, and a tad flirtatious, but I knew it was because he was trying to get additional baksheesh (tip). He kept offering to help in various ways, i.e. I can show you how to work phone, I can show you short-cut to pyramids, etc., and despite me constantly saying la shrokan (no thank you), he would not leave the doorway to my room. After a few minutes, the attendant finally got the hint and his departure allowed me to enjoy my palatial room in peace and quiet!
My room had a queen sized bed, sofa, loveseat, coffee table, desk, and plenty of walking and dancing space. The bed was super comfortable and had a fluffy comforter that kept me warm which was needed since it was rather cold in Giza. As for the bathroom, I was in love! It was spacious, had plenty of counter space, was well lit, and the shower had plenty of hot water. There was some honking given that my room faced a busy road but by 11 PM, the honking had subsided and it was comparable to what one is used to back at home. The only two issues with the room were the air conditioner and number of outlets. The AC knob was only inscribed with Roman numerals but no clear indicator on how to turn on the AC/Heat or set the temperature. As for the outlets, I only found 2 in the room and there were none in the bathroom. This may be different for the deluxe rooms which are those that have a view of the pyramids.
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| Albert enjoying the comfy bed at Le Meridien. |
After a good night sleep, I was off for a hot shower and then breakfast. Just like the night before, the shower had plenty of hot water which was a big improvement from my first trip to Egypt when I had to bathe in ice cubes. As I left my room, I noticed the hallways at Le Meridien were very well lit and had plenty of signs noting the location of elevators and fire exits. When I arrived at the restaurant, Latest Recipe, I was greeted by one of the waiters who escorted me to my table which had a view of the outdoor restaurant and pools. Since I was starving, I made a beeline to the breakfast buffet, which was one of the meals included in the tour. WOW! The buffet was like a market: several types of eggs, a chef making custom ordered omelettes, mini pancakes with a variety of syrups, different styles of potatoes, a salad bar, a section with all types of breads and cheeses, an area with yogurt and fruits, and much more. After making 2 laps around the buffet, which was spread out over a sizeable area, I finally decided what I wanted to eat. Upon arriving to my table, I saw the waiter had filled my coffee cup and left several packets of sugar. I was ready to enjoy my feast! The food was delicious and filling and the coffee was good. This will be the case for the next two mornings; breakfast was always great and the servers were very attentive.
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| Breakfast buffet |
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| Breakfast buffet |
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| 1st Breakfast: eggs, mini pancakes with strawberry sauce, croissant, bananas, and vanilla yogurt |
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| 2nd Breakfast: eggs, mini pancakes with strawberry sauce, sweet bread, mashed potatoes, and apples n melon |
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| 3rd Breakfast Part 1: eggs, sweet bread, and strawberry yogurt |
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| 3rd Breakfast Part 2: more eggs and potato tots |
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| Albert enjoying some coffee. |
Since I had free time the first morning, I decided to stop at one of the gift stores and the bank for currency exchange. There are several stores at Le Meridien and I went to the one that sold general items to purchase some souvenirs and gifts. The store had quite the selection of items but nothing had a price, which is not uncommon in Egypt. As I walked around the store grabbing items, the clerk followed me around describing each item, i.e. that is a postcard, that is a camel, that is a pen, that is a notebook, etc. It was a bit annoying but I understood that he was just trying to make a living and times have been tough for those in tourism. I spent $50 on 12 postcards, 4 small camels, 4 small notepads, and 1 flag (I may be forgetting an item or two). Given that souvenirs are generally inexpensive in Egypt, $50 was a tad much but I figured it was because the store is located in a hotel. The other stores sold clothes, papyrus paintings, and jewelry. The bank at the hotel has one clerk and a small waiting area and next to the bank is an ATM. That morning, I learned that the ATM is where you got your Egyptian Pounds (LE) and then, at the bank, you exchanged the large denominations for smaller bills which are needed for tips and purchasing souvenirs at the sites.
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| Statues by the ATM |
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| Statue by the ATM |
My third evening at Le Meridien marked the end of the first day of the tour. After a day of exploring pyramids and tombs, my tour mates and I had worked up quite an appetite so we went to the Latest Recipe in the hotel for dinner. The menu was diverse and had a good selection of items at very reasonable prices. It should be noted that prices are listed in LE which is why, at first, they may seem a bit high but after doing the conversion, you’ll realize that 100 LE is about $5.70 (as of March 2018). I ordered a bruschetta that came with a salad and I was very surprised; it was the best bruschetta I have ever eaten!!! The bruschetta had so much flavor as did the salad and both were very filling.
Bruschetta and soda cost $7.45.
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| The very delicious bruschetta and salad. |
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| Soda I ordered with my meal. |
Summary: I greatly enjoyed my three nights at Le Meridien given the clean room and bathroom, delicious and filling meals, attentive staff at the front desk and restaurant, and the convenience of a bank and ATM. I also appreciated the security measures and well lit hallways.
RAMSES HILTON
Stay: January 18, 2018
This hotel was quite the disappointment especially after spending 3 nights at Le Meridien followed by 7 nights on a Nile Cruise. The Ramses Hilton is located in downtown Cairo not far from the famous Tahrir Square and what appeared to be a major shopping district. It took us about an hour to reach the hotel from the airport since traffic was insane given that Thursday evenings are the start of the Egyptian weekend and many folks were gathering downtown. My tour mates and I finally arrived at the Ramses Hilton around 8:00 PM after a very long day which included no proper lunch break, a delayed flight departing from Luxor, and hellish traffic on the way to the hotel.
Stay: January 18, 2018
This hotel was quite the disappointment especially after spending 3 nights at Le Meridien followed by 7 nights on a Nile Cruise. The Ramses Hilton is located in downtown Cairo not far from the famous Tahrir Square and what appeared to be a major shopping district. It took us about an hour to reach the hotel from the airport since traffic was insane given that Thursday evenings are the start of the Egyptian weekend and many folks were gathering downtown. My tour mates and I finally arrived at the Ramses Hilton around 8:00 PM after a very long day which included no proper lunch break, a delayed flight departing from Luxor, and hellish traffic on the way to the hotel.
When we got to the Ramses Hilton, I noticed that it had the same security precautions as Le Meridien; security guard, explosives sniffing dog, and metal detector. Unlike Le Meridien, this hotel was very crowded but that was expected given the fact that the Hilton has 25 plus floors of rooms and a multitude of facilities such as restaurants, event rooms, a casino, beauty salon, gym, and much more. I am not a fan of large, crowded hotels so that was one aspect of the Hilton I did not like.
Upon arriving to my room on the 15th floor, I was greeted with the smell and sight of disappointment. After 10 nights of wonderful lodging experiences, I was now standing in a dark, dirty room that smelled strongly of cigarettes/tobacco. The Hilton permits smoking and unfortunately, my room reeked of it. Since it was almost 9:00 PM and I was only spending one night, plus the fact I was beyond exhausted and hungry, I decided to bear the smell instead of hassling with a room change. Aside from the smell, the sheets had some stains, the bathroom was very poorly lit, and the tiles around the tub also had stains. The only positive of the room was that it was very spacious and it had a small balcony. Also, because of the location, you could here constant honking most of the evening.
Upon arriving to my room on the 15th floor, I was greeted with the smell and sight of disappointment. After 10 nights of wonderful lodging experiences, I was now standing in a dark, dirty room that smelled strongly of cigarettes/tobacco. The Hilton permits smoking and unfortunately, my room reeked of it. Since it was almost 9:00 PM and I was only spending one night, plus the fact I was beyond exhausted and hungry, I decided to bear the smell instead of hassling with a room change. Aside from the smell, the sheets had some stains, the bathroom was very poorly lit, and the tiles around the tub also had stains. The only positive of the room was that it was very spacious and it had a small balcony. Also, because of the location, you could here constant honking most of the evening.
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| My room at the Hilton. |
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| The bathroom at the Hilton. |
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| View from the balcony. |
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| Dinner at The Citadel. |
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| Breakfast the Hilton: eggs, yogurt, and some danishes |
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| The breakfast box provided by the Hilton. |
Summary: My stay at the Ramses Hilton was definitely less than positive. The room was just not up to the Hilton standard in terms of cleanliness and lighting. Also, while the staff at The Citadel was attentive there is no excuse for the poor service during breakfast. The only positives I can think of are the security and the ATM and bank at the lobby.
Excellent!
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