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Located 15 minutes from the airport, the Baron is friendly, clean and a little run down. Guests needn’t bother with the little shopping mall on the second floor, there are plenty of stores close by. But the bank, with acceptable market rates on foreign currency, is a useful convenience. The Starlight Restaurant on the top floor offers a great view of the sprawl of Heliopolis, the once elegant suburb, and of the army club next door. The Café le Jardin, which serves international dishes at reasonable prices, has a few open-air tables. The rooms are small but acceptable, with new carpet, cleans walls and functional bathrooms.
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The central building of the Cairo Marriot is a converted palace, originally built in 1869 by Khedive Ismail to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal. The palace itself is an Oriental masterpiece, with intricate woodwork and elaborate chandeliers. While the standard rooms haven’t been revamped in a decade or three (renovations are currently taking place), they are nevertheless luxurious. Business facilities include 14 meeting rooms, including the sumptuous 1,ooo-seater Aida ballroom. The hotel is located on the island of Zamalek, close to shopping, theatres and Downtown. Despite its central location, the hotel is quiet, especially the famous garden bar, a popular haunt for celebrities. The best steaks in Cairo can be found at JW’s Steakhouse, and the floating Nile Maxim restaurant is a great way to see the city’s riverfront. Those with money to burn might try their luck at the Omar Khayyam Casino.
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The central building of the Cairo Marriot is a converted palace, originally built in 1869 by Khedive Ismail to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal. The palace itself is an Oriental masterpiece, with intricate woodwork and elaborate chandeliers. While the standard rooms haven’t been revamped in a decade or three (renovations are currently taking place), they are nevertheless luxurious. Business facilities include 14 meeting rooms, including the sumptuous 1,ooo-seater Aida ballroom. The hotel is located on the island of Zamalek, close to shopping, theatres and Downtown. Despite its central location, the hotel is quiet, especially the famous garden bar, a popular haunt for celebrities. The best steaks in Cairo can be found at JW’s Steakhouse, and the floating Nile Maxim restaurant is a great way to see the city’s riverfront. Those with money to burn might try their luck at the Omar Khayyam Casino.
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The Conrad International is perched on the Downtown corniche, just north of the Egyptian Museum and close to the main conference locations of Cairo. The hotel specialises in serving the needs of travelling businessmen, regularly hosting international meetings. The rooms are up to snuff and those overlooking the Nile offer a relaxing view. The hotel frequently hosts visiting chefs to spice things up a bit. If not, the in-house choices range from a buffet lunch to Italian, seafood or barbecue for dinner. For those who want to explore a bit without wandering too far, the cool riverside Sangria restaurant/bar is just a hop across the corniche.
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The Cosmopolitan is not what most business travellers expect of an hotel. An old classic in the middle of Cairo, it’s a little run down and doesn’t offer all the amenities that larger chains are able to provide. Despite its shortcomings, however, the staff are exceedingly friendly and eager to help. They can offer a suite or make arrangements with a local restaurant to accommodate business meetings.
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