Review: Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence
*For pictures, hop over to the blog [if you can't tell by now, I think it's beyond tedious updating more than a few pictures at once on FT]

Introduction

During my time in Cairo, I stayed at two Four Seasons hotels: Four Seasons Cairo Nile Plaza, and Four Seasons Cairo First Residence. The latter hotel is the subject of this review.

Because I stayed at two hotels of the same ilk, this write-up contains an above-average number of comparisons [read: a lot of comparisons]. In my mind, there is nothing more trite [and annoying] than comparing things that simply cannot be compared. That said, these properties are both in Cairo, both run by Four Seasons, both have an attached mall, and both are considered to be the best hotels in the city. Because both hotels that are so inevitably similar, comparisons are inescapable. You have been warned.

Note/buyer beware: For those who are reading this review before reading my review of the Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza, you're going to be extremely confused. Context is important, so please, take the time and read the Nile Plaza review first.

Virtuoso

The Four Seasons Hotel Cairo, at the First Residence is a Virtuoso preferred supplier. The Virtuoso amenities associated with a stay here include:

Daily Buffet breakfast, for up to two in room guests
Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
A complimentary 50-minute massage
for up to two people, per room, once during stay

Other Virtuoso properties in the area:

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza [already reviewed]

Location

First Residence is located in Giza, sandwiched between the Nile River and Giza Zoo. If you go out the back door, you're one block from the river. If you go out from the front, you're at the zoo. So, by Giza standards, the location is impeccable.

From a tourism perspective, I'm not sure the location is a huge selling point. Most people who come to Cairo only come to Giza for one reason: the Pyramids. Otherwise, most of the tourist sites are on the opposite side of the river, in Cairo proper [by tourist sites, I mean: Tahrir Square, the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Khan al-Khalili market, Zamalek, etc.]. For a tourist, the Four Seasons Cairo at Nile Plaza is the better sell.

While First Residence is on the "wrong side of the river," I happen to really like the location. This part of Giza felt a bit more "real" than the area surrounding the other Four Seasons. When you leave the hotel, there is a local flair, and a vibrancy, that you just don't get from Nile Plaza's location.

My suggestion? If you're in Cairo for more than a three nights, split your time between the two Four Seasons.

Closest international airport: CAI [0:38]

Lobby

Four Seasons hotels are notorious for their chic lobbies, and First Residence is no exception.

I prefer the lobby of First Residence to that of Nile Plaza, for a few reasons.

First Residence's lobby gives off a boutique-ish, charming vibe
The space is smaller, by a long shot, compared to Nile Plaza
The lobby is also much quieter [and relaxing] than it's cross-river counterpart.
It's a more personable, welcoming experience, reminiscent of a luxury hotel you'd find in Florence or Rome, not Cairo.

In other words, the First Residence lobby lacks the "corporate hotel" feeling you may get from Nile Plaza.

"THE MALL AT FIRST RESIDENCE"

Both Cairo properties have a lobby that is attached to a large shopping mall. This hotel has "the Mall at First Residence."

The mall is a "see and be seen" type of place, and is quite popular with Cairo's upper class [people actually come here for the sole purpose of celebrity sightings]. The other reason the mall is so popular? By Cairo standards, the shops you'd find here are very upscale, i.e. Rolex, Tiffany, Ferragamo, Bvlgari, etc.

Normally I wouldn't really care about a mall, but in this case, even the non-shoppers will find themselves here every day they're at the hotel. Why? Because the first floor of the mall contains La Gourmandise, First Residence's breakfast restaurant. [Which brings up a good point...yes, you're eating at the ground floor of a shopping mall.]

Despite being a social scene, at no point was this place packed with people. Hell, the most people I saw at any one point was a handful of window shoppers.

Accommodations

In total, First Residence has 269 rooms, 42 of those being suites ["the most spacious in the city," according to Four Seasons].

The hotel only has three "standard" room categories:

Premier [624 s.f.; floors 12-20]

Deluxe [581 - 624 s.f.; floors 7-20]

Superior [452 - 527 s.f.; floors 5-14]

And five suite categories:

Royal Suite [5597 s.f.; floors 19-20]

Presidential Suite [2709 s.f.; floors 15-18]

Ambassador Suite [2992 s.f.; floors 12-14]

Diplomatic Suite [1162 - 1230 s.f.; floors 5-20]

Four Seasons Executive Suite [840 s.f.; floors 5-18]

MY BEDROOM [PREMIER ROOM; 14TH FLOOR]:

I found the room to be lightyears beyond Nile Plaza's Premier Room. In general, the layout was the same at both hotels, and the design itself wasn't far off either. Where First Residence truly exceeded my expectations was:

Headboard & bedding hardware
Furniture and fixtures
Interior design
Overall aesthetic

The only instance where I felt Nile Plaza & First Residence suffered from the same problem? Too much blank space. For instance, look below at the placement of the TV and the empty wall. For a room of this size, they should have done a better job making the space feel "whole." Spartan, blank walls make it hard - for me at least - to truly feel comfortable.

MY BATHROOM:

The First Residence bathroom was a typical Four Seasons bathroom: fantastic. Then again, so was Nile Plaza's.

Dining

At first glance, First Residence doesn't look flush with dining options. They only have two restaurants and three lounges - which, for most hotels of this size, isn't a lot [don't forget the hotel is connecting to a mall]. As far as restaurants go, you have two options:

STRADA
Aura

And as far as lounges go:

Tea Lounge
Library Bar
La Gourmandise

I ate at one of the restaurants [Aura] and one of the lounges [La Gourmandise]. Both were exceptional.

La Gourmandise:

La Gourmandise is the on-site option for breakfast, which is complimentary if you're booked at the hotel under a Virtuoso rate. They act as a dual-option for diners: [1] an all-day boulangerie; and [2] a solid multi-course breakfast spot. If I were you, I'd partake in both options.

La Gourmandise was a fantastic hotel breakfast experience. In fact, it didn't feel like a hotel breakfast at all, and I'd go so far as to say this was one of the best breakfasts I've had anywhere in my life [yes - it was that good]. So...what made it so memorable?

Fresh baked breads and pastries, the quality of which rivaled what you'd find in Europe. It took a lot of willpower - and the thought of being arrested - that kept me from stuffing my pockets with as many almond croissants as my pants would hold.

A large selection of local food [they had half a dozen types of foul, for Christ's sake].

Furthermore, the spread reminded me a lot of what you'd find in Tokyo at a five-star hotel: a 50/50 split between Asian breakfast and Western breakfast, both cooked to perfection.

Impeccable service: waiters and cooks know you by name, bring made-to-order food to your table, and are easy to talk to. They also know your drink order, day after day

Aura:

As great as breakfast was at La Gourmandise, lunch at Aura may have been even better.

For starters, the hard-product is really solid. The interior is very attractive, with a crisp aesthetic and well-apportioned furnishings [I loved the colors, too].

The food at Aura was beyond delicious. I'm not kidding when I say: I still dream of the entree I ate here, Cousa Bil Laban [zucchini stuffed with minced meat cooked in yoghurt garlic sauce]. The table bread with olive tapenade was equally memorable. And the hookah...so, so good.

The food & beverage component of First Residence was worth writing home about [as I'm doing right now!].

Spa & Wellness

The First Residence spa is much smaller than the one at Nile Plaza. That said, the space is entirely sufficient for a city hotel of this size. The problem is: good size doesn't necessarily mean efficient use of space. I thought the layout was pretty ridiculous, and not a good use of that space at all.

For instance, the relaxation room is the first thing you come across after check-in. In no way is the relaxation room cordoned off, and anytime someone walks into the spa, noise and foot traffic ensue [not to mention the tea station is directly behind the relaxation room]. This is the antithesis of relaxation. Furthermore, the sauna/steam/jacuzzi space was sandwiched into a tiny corner of the spa - a tiny corner that is at the complete opposite end of the sinks, showers, mirrors, and treatment rooms. For a spa of this size, the sauna and steam were ridiculously small [think: one person per unit].

While the spa has a lot of potential, it's nowhere near the quality of Nile Plaza's spa.

POOL:

First Residence, like Nile Plaza, has one hell of a nice pool. Both pool decks are very stylish & modern, with comfortable chairs and a nice layout.

If you're one of those travelers who needs a hotel pool [like I need a hotel spa], don't fret - you can't go wrong at either hotel.

Service & Soft-Product

It is very hard to convey what good service actually means, mostly because it's a lot more nuanced and involved than the typical hotel truisms one hears about service ["they remember your name" or "they were all friendly," etc.]. For that reason, I'll try to keep it as simple as possible for this particular review: I was extremely impressed by the people working at First Residence [from housekeeping all the way to the top managers].

Conclusion

First Residence exceeded my expectations in nearly every way possible. Does that mean it was a perfect hotel? Not at all.

Let's start with the good. Aesthetically speaking, First Residence is a stunning hotel, reminiscent of some of the most charming mid-size European hotels I've seen. The lobby was super chic, as was the wall decor, furnishings, artwork, and accouterments.

The rooms were good, not great. Bathrooms are typical Four Seasons quality [which is a good thing].

The soft-product [employees, food, and service] are beyond exceptional, so nothing to complain about there.

As far as negatives go, I can break it down into three major issues. (1) The spa was a middle of the road experience, nothing more; (2) The room, despite being a step up from Nile Plaza, remained quite bare [it's hard to feel truly comfortable in a stark, empty room]; and (3) I'm willing to bet that most people won't appreciate the location as much as I did.

I'm not sure when I'm headed back to Cairo, but if I am to visit for a second time, I'll most likely be staying at First Residence.