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The Four Seasons Hotel, Cairo
By Juergen Stryjak
Admittedly, my hotel recommendation for the Tour Egypt
Monthly's July issue is not exactly what we understand of budget
travel (see our feature, written by Jimmy Dunn)! Nevertheless,
some of us like to dream and like to be well informed about the
things which are worth being dreamed about. Others, probably the
minority, will have the wherewithal to make a practical use of the
following hotel review. They have the right to be well informed,
too.
 The Four Seasons Hotel Cairo is the latest of an astonishingly
large number of newly opened five star hotels in Cairo. I always
ask myself, from where do all their guests come? Alone, Hilton has
three branches in Egypt's capital, you will find several Sheraton
branches, the Marriott, the Swisshotels and Moevenpicks, Oberois
and Meridiens, all of them with large guest houses. Moreover, we
recently witnessed the inauguration of the first Conrad in Cairo,
saw the opening of the interesting Sheraton Royal Garden and can
hardly wait the remaining 200 days until the new Meridien tower
will be completed - an impressive 43 stories high.
But, Egypt is a booming tourist destination. Some months ago it
was rated in the top spot by the World Tourism Organization,
considering the 1999 growth rates of the number of tourists
worldwide. And just some days ago, TUI Germany, one of the
country's leading travel companies, declared: "More and more
people seek to connect their beach holidays with cultural trips.
Therefore Egypt is exceptionally popular."
Aha, culture, the Pyramids, the famous Egyptian Museum, some of
the most important mosques worldwide, the Opera House etc. etc. -
Cairo apparently needs all these Five star hotels really. So,
let's speak about the Four Seasons Hotel. It settled down in the
First Residence, a classically, expensive looking and little bit
kitschy styled building complex with eclectic touches between the
Giza Zoo and the River Nile. If you enter the hotel, you will be
astonished about the fact that you won't find any reception, only
a little, a very little, guest service counter. The reception,
although more spacious than expected, is hidden on the third
floor. This idea already belongs to the Four Seasons Hotels around
the world and in Cairo, too. The guests should not reach the
reception as strangers, hopelessly packed with suitcases and suit
bags. The service staff at that very little guest counter will
care for your luggage while one of them escorts you to the
reception. This alone gives the hotel a very private,
personal and exclusive atmosphere, not to speak of the luxurious
decor to be found everywhere.
The Four Seasons Hotel Cairo features a total of 271 deluxe
guest rooms, including 43 suites, equipped with everything you
need, or don't need. It houses the expected first-class
restaurants and bars, a swimming pool, of course, and offers the
usual five star services, for example, 24 hour room service,
currency exchange, translation and limousine service, twice daily
housekeeping. They say they have Cairo's largest Spa and Wellness
Center, but I cannot prove it, since I don't visit hotels with a
tape measure in hand. Also I would like to know if they really
have the most spacious rooms in town, as declared, but I was able
to witness the third highlight of the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo
advertising campaign: a great view of both, the river Nile as well
as on the Pyramids. (The latter only, of course, on a less smoggy
day.)
To speak about smog, the hotel is ideally located between the
Cairo Zoo and the Nile, near to the Orman Botanical Garden and the
Cairo University, all of them large areas not occupied by traffic.
This is a priceless advantage for those who like to settle down in
centrally located city hotels, but wish to have bearable air at
the same time.
You won't be surprised: All this is not cheap. The room rates
range between $ 220 for the standard single room (standard double
$ 250) and $ 3,400 for the Royal Suite. All rates are subject to
20 % service charge and taxes. When I visited the hotel, it seemed
to be busier than I anticipated, one month after the
grand opening in May. Currently, 70 percent of all rooms are
rented. This probably comes from the hotel's invitation offer.
Until the end of July, you can get a room for $ 145 per night.
Does this fit your idea of budget travel?
Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence. 35, Giza
Street, Giza, Cairo. Telephone: (202) 569-7581,
Fax: (202) 569-7580 |
