| |
Cairo’s brand new Four Seasons Hotel certainly raises the bar for the city’s five-star hostelries. Every detail, down to the fluffy slippers provided in the spa, radiates first-class luxury. The stupendous location, on the Garden City corniche just south of Downtown, commands views of both the Nile and the Citadel. Even if you don’t happen to stay here, your really must try at least one its four sumptuous restaurants—especially Zitouni and Spice. As a respite from the city’s bustle, the Four Seasons offers three outdoor swimming pools, an amazing spa with 15 treatment rooms and a 24-hour gym which it claims is the largest in town.
|
The InterContinental’s gleaming marble lobby, punctuated with palm trees and ferns, is an apt introduction to this glitzy, modern hotel. The amenities are topnotch and the nightlife options—by hotel standards—are quite good. The grounds boast an enormous pool with a swim-up café island. The La Terrazza restaurant, with its outdoor seating, is a romantic spot for a very decent Italian meal. As well as a full-service business centre, the hotel has three large banquet halls and a breakaway room. For travellers with business meetings in the industrial suburb of 6th of October City, the location is ideal. The downside is that it’s about 35 minutes by taxi from Downtown. This is the only hotel in Cairo with its very own children’s zoo, complete with flamingos, trained monkeys and horses.
|
The recently renovated Meridien is one of Cairo’s largest luxury hotels. Many of the rooms have a wonderful view of the Pyramids, which are just down the road. Well-appointed and modern, the hotel is popular with European travellers. It’s also well-equipped for businesspeople—every room has high-speed internet and there is a large business centre for preparing corporate presentations. The Royal Club floor boasts 64 rooms, all with desks, fax machines and wi-fi. There are numerous conference rooms, which can accommodate up to 500 people. The grounds, while not especially tasteful, are large and sit in the shadow of the Pyramids. The poolside bar is an especially nice feature. Popular with Americans is the informal Tex-Mex Restaurant, which serves up the best American food in Cairo. Other restaurants include Al Shams (international cuisine), The Med (Mediterranean) and the Nubian Village (Egyptian and Lebanese).
|
The impressive Sofitel Le Sphinx is a gleaming, modern hotel in the shadow of the Pyramids. Its lobby sets the tone for the rest of the hotel with its shiny white pillars and minimalist appointments. The rooms are comfortable though modest in size and look out either over the Pyramids or on to the hotel garden. Business travellers will appreciate the high-speed wireless connection, but the hotel lacks a business centre, and faxes must be sent through the hotel’s own offices. The conference facilities are excellent, however. The hotel’s ‘Thebes’ wing sports two large banquet halls, which hold between 250 and 350 people and can be re-arranged to meet your corporate needs. The manicured grounds are wellmaintained and the pool is lovely, with a cordoned-off shallow end for children.
|
| |