Lipstick on a Pig
Jan 15, 2018, 4:07 am
Nile Ritz Carlton
1113 Corniche El Nil Cairo, Cairo Governate EG 11221
Lipstick on a Pig (6 Photos)
Nile Ritz Carlton
We usually stay at the Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence and decided to give the Nile Ritz Calron a try. It was more than double the price and I honestly will never return.
Check In
We booked The Ritz Carlton Suite and were not given private in room check in. While not expected genrally booking a high tier suite it's offered.
At the reception desk they confirmed we were only staying one night and were ugrading us to the Presidential Suite. Despite the amazing upgrade arriving at the hotel set the tone for the stay.
The lobby is packed with scores of people. Given they were there when we checked in, went to greet our guests and again eight or so hours later it was clear they were members of the public loitering. It's busy, loud and not what one expects from a five star hotel.
We were escorted to the room.
Room
The room has amazing views of the Nile, Cairo Tower and three balconies, although only one opens.
It also has a living room, dining room with full kitchen, bedroom and 2.5 bathrooms.
It feels a little meh in comparison to the Four Seasons. The fresh flowers one expects in such a hotel and noticabley missing.
As many Tripadvisor reviews warn, the noise form the nightclub reaches the 9th floor and it certainly reached the 6th for our second room. As a light sleeper who needs a quiet room this is a reason in itself not to return. The bass just thuds through the windows until the late morning.
Despite the 6th floor being a non smooking floor a group of guests took it upon themselves to chain smoke between there six rooms with their doors open and the housekeeping staff wouldn't do anything.
Service
The two gentlemen on front desk were delightful but it's not up to Four Seasons standard.
Dining
We checked out the Club Lounge and invited external guests and there was a selection of cold mezzeh, a chef who cooked a kofta and kebab plate with rice or a fish dish and of course salads and desserts. It was a good spread but perhaps on par with US club lounges and not Asia. Beer and wine is in the fridge but they do make hard liquor on requests.
Even the Hyatt Regency in Sharm has a much better club lounge.
Brekfast was like eatining in a dining hall and the food didn't appear to be the highest quality like the FS.
Overall
The main issue with the Ritz is that it is the old Nile Hilton and you still see its remains. You access the gym and the spa by walking outside and it's clear the windows and doors are decades old it feels like a US strip mall. They've redone the ineriors but the basic remanents of the hotel remain the same.
The common areas are dull in colour and the business of the hotel and calibre of guest, to me, were concerning. Safety is a big issue in Egypt and the FS and other hotels do not admit members of the public so freely.
As I stood outside saying goodbye to our guests I was shocked to see the people entering the hotel, it is anything but a five star experience.
Overall, the Ritz really is lipstick on a pig. The foundations are all the former Hilton and despite the nice room it's not a five star experience.
The Ritz Sharm el Sheikh was far, far superiod and I look forward to their new return.
Jan 15, 2018, 5:14 pm
What was the room technology like? There's nothing showing sufficient electrical outlets for modern devices nor is there a picture of the television.
Are those holes in the carpeting in the third from last picture?
No arrival gift for a suite?
Jan 15, 2018, 5:20 pm
What was the room technology like? There's nothing showing sufficient electrical outlets for modern devices nor is there a picture of the television.
Are those holes in the carpeting in the third from last picture?
No arrival gift for a suite?
I think they are indents from where those table legs were. I also forgot to mention they use an odd brand of coffee machine, not Nespresso, and when I went to add an additional capsule I lifted up the lid and boiling water came shooting out angled toward me and burnt my thigh. The hotel was very apologetic and offered to get a doctor but we had to run to the airport.
Honestly, the pricing is ridiculous. I suspect many pay for the name and what they expect to be a five star experience but skip it and choose either Four Seasons.
Jan 15, 2018, 5:52 pm
I think they are indents from where those table legs were. I also forgot to mention they use an odd brand of coffee machine, not Nespresso, and when I went to add an additional capsule I lifted up the lid and boiling water came shooting out angled toward me and burnt my thigh. The hotel was very apologetic and offered to get a doctor but we had to run to the airport.
Honestly, the pricing is ridiculous. I suspect many pay for the name and what they expect to be a five star experience but skip it and choose either Four Seasons.
Jan 15, 2018, 6:07 pm
You can see my FS reviews https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxu...est-cairo.html and At its exceptional best
Dec 30, 2022, 12:54 am
(All caps on for a little sprinkling of humor because we really need some now 🤣
THIS PLACE IS A DUMPSTER FIRE IN TERMS OF SERVICE!
I would say after speaking to a couple of other guests around us at breakfast that the staff has pretty much come to ignore American guests. An attempt to get dinner in the lobby lounge last night was met with indifference, repeated errors, food that we didnt eat because it was cold or poor quality and then hardly an inquiry when i abruptly asked for the bill. I calmly explained the failings and there was no attempt to course correct (such as remove items from the bill). This morning at breakfast a table of women next to us was being completely ignored and finally one of them grabbed a manager and has been chewing him out for 15 minutes about how they have been ignored for a week in every F&B outlet in the hotel.
Dec 30, 2022, 1:29 am
If anything, they should serve you better out of self interest in bahsheesh.