Fairmont Nile City Cairo, Egypt
Apr 12, 2010, 12:10 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YYC
Posts: 471
Fairmont Nile City Cairo, Egypt
I did end up staying in this hotel, and will give a try at a review, as I couldn't find any on Flyertalk before left. I booked a Executive King room, and stayed for two nights, April 9th-11th.
The hotel is located on across the street from the Nile River inside the Nile City complex. It is a short (~1 km) walk north of the Conrad hotel, where we walked one evening to get some air and to change some currency. More on that later. Approximately a 5 minute cab ride north of the Egyptian museum.
The cab driver on our way from the airport didn't quite know where it was, although he seemed to have a general idea, and he asked a tourist police officer when we got close. This was a theme throughout the trip, none of the cabbies knew it, I took to telling them the Conrad, and directing them from there. I assume this will improve as time passes, and the hotel becomes more well known.
We entered the lobby, and were pleasantly surprised by the look and feel. The physical plant in the hotel is very nice indeed, and the 5 story waterfall in the lobby gives it a nice ambience. We enjoyed sitting listening to the piano music in the lobby, although the smoke got to us after a short while.
The room was nice as well, not sure what made it an "executive" as opposed to standard king. The bathroom was large, finished in stone, with a separate tub and shower. We had a side view of the Nile. The furniture was of good quality, although the TV was probably a bit smaller than I would have expected for the calibre of the hotel. All in all we were pleased with the room. I took some pictures, and I'll post them once I get everything downloaded off my camera in the next few days.
I would say the service at the hotel was substandard for a Fairmont. I had 3 primary complaints.
1) A lack of accuracy in the information given by the hotel in various forms.
When we checked in, I asked about a pool, and confirmed that it's on the 23rd floor. I checked the small book in the room, which noted the opening hours are from 10:30 to 6:00, and to take the elevator to the 23rd floor. So we did, and were met by two large men saying "forbidden." That was the extent of their English. So I went down to the front desk and asked what the deal was with the pool, and was told it would open "later" with no definition of later given, even after I pressed them on it. (An hour, a day, a month?) This was on April 9th.
The next day, they delivered a letter saying the pool was closed from April 10th-23rd, and sorry for the inconvenience. Maybe they just didn't feel like letting me use it on the 9th?
The book of hotel service in the room also mentioned a 24 hour bank in the lobby for currency exchange. This didn't surprise me, since the Sheraton we stayed at in Luxor offered this service from 8:30-22:00. When I went down to the lobby, I couldn't find it, so I asked at the desk. Apparently there is a bank, but its only open during business hours Sun-Thurs. Which would have been great if that information was correctly presented. When I suggested that to the front desk clerk, he first said no information was in the room, and when I suggested there in fact was, he said of course it was correct. Then I walked to the Conrad, which does have 24 hour banking.
2) General lack of service orientation
Later the next day, I needed to get some bills changed for smaller bills. I asked at the front desk, and asked if they could change 200 Egyptian pounds for smaller bills. The woman there said she could only do 100, and proceeded to pull out a big pile of 50s, and give me two. Why I couldn't have changed 200 is beyond me, its not like they were short on change.
This was the general attitude of the staff in the hotel. I felt anytime I interacted with them it was a huge inconvenience, and they inevitably had to change something for their convenience.
For example, at breakfast, we were seated in the (mostly empty) restaurant by the host. Then, we settled in, and the waiter brought menus, and asked us to change tables, which we did. When a different waiter returned, we said we'd be having the buffet (approximately 30 USD, not priced in the menu) as there are few a-la-carte options. He promptly asked us to move to yet another table, off in the corner. At this point I was getting frustrated, as the restaurant has lovely Nile views, and the last table was one of the very few in the restaurant without one. As I mentioned it was near deserted.
3) Constant interruptions when unwanted, impossible to find staff when required
During the previously mentioned breakfast, we were unable to secure an orange juice refill, as all the waiters were too busy, and would get to it in "one minute." Keeping in mind there were more waiters in the room than patrons, and it was a buffet. Of course, promptly at the closing time for the buffet, someone showed up and demanded we leave immediately.
This issue extended to the services delivered in the room as well. We were constantly getting knocks on the door, even with the do-not-disturb sign up. Many of the reasons were inconsequential, and we had gone to sleep early as we had to leave for the airport the next day at 4:30. For example, here is a letter saying the pool is closed, then ten minutes later, here is an extra garbage can. The constant visitors at the door reminded me of an Ibsen play!
I also wanted to mention that the mall the hotel is attached to has a few restaurants on the second floor, casual type places, but the ones we tried were pretty decent, and much cheaper than dining at the hotel. There is also a Starbucks in the mall if you're into that sort of thing.
In summary, I would have to say:
Location: B+
Rooms/Physical Plant: A
Service: D
The hotel is brand new and well thought out, but the service doesn't match the physical plant or the brand on the building.
I will probably try elsewhere if I have a reason to return to Cairo.
If anyone has any specific questions I'll try to answer them.
Michael
The hotel is located on across the street from the Nile River inside the Nile City complex. It is a short (~1 km) walk north of the Conrad hotel, where we walked one evening to get some air and to change some currency. More on that later. Approximately a 5 minute cab ride north of the Egyptian museum.
The cab driver on our way from the airport didn't quite know where it was, although he seemed to have a general idea, and he asked a tourist police officer when we got close. This was a theme throughout the trip, none of the cabbies knew it, I took to telling them the Conrad, and directing them from there. I assume this will improve as time passes, and the hotel becomes more well known.
We entered the lobby, and were pleasantly surprised by the look and feel. The physical plant in the hotel is very nice indeed, and the 5 story waterfall in the lobby gives it a nice ambience. We enjoyed sitting listening to the piano music in the lobby, although the smoke got to us after a short while.
The room was nice as well, not sure what made it an "executive" as opposed to standard king. The bathroom was large, finished in stone, with a separate tub and shower. We had a side view of the Nile. The furniture was of good quality, although the TV was probably a bit smaller than I would have expected for the calibre of the hotel. All in all we were pleased with the room. I took some pictures, and I'll post them once I get everything downloaded off my camera in the next few days.
I would say the service at the hotel was substandard for a Fairmont. I had 3 primary complaints.
1) A lack of accuracy in the information given by the hotel in various forms.
When we checked in, I asked about a pool, and confirmed that it's on the 23rd floor. I checked the small book in the room, which noted the opening hours are from 10:30 to 6:00, and to take the elevator to the 23rd floor. So we did, and were met by two large men saying "forbidden." That was the extent of their English. So I went down to the front desk and asked what the deal was with the pool, and was told it would open "later" with no definition of later given, even after I pressed them on it. (An hour, a day, a month?) This was on April 9th.
The next day, they delivered a letter saying the pool was closed from April 10th-23rd, and sorry for the inconvenience. Maybe they just didn't feel like letting me use it on the 9th?
The book of hotel service in the room also mentioned a 24 hour bank in the lobby for currency exchange. This didn't surprise me, since the Sheraton we stayed at in Luxor offered this service from 8:30-22:00. When I went down to the lobby, I couldn't find it, so I asked at the desk. Apparently there is a bank, but its only open during business hours Sun-Thurs. Which would have been great if that information was correctly presented. When I suggested that to the front desk clerk, he first said no information was in the room, and when I suggested there in fact was, he said of course it was correct. Then I walked to the Conrad, which does have 24 hour banking.
2) General lack of service orientation
Later the next day, I needed to get some bills changed for smaller bills. I asked at the front desk, and asked if they could change 200 Egyptian pounds for smaller bills. The woman there said she could only do 100, and proceeded to pull out a big pile of 50s, and give me two. Why I couldn't have changed 200 is beyond me, its not like they were short on change.
This was the general attitude of the staff in the hotel. I felt anytime I interacted with them it was a huge inconvenience, and they inevitably had to change something for their convenience.
For example, at breakfast, we were seated in the (mostly empty) restaurant by the host. Then, we settled in, and the waiter brought menus, and asked us to change tables, which we did. When a different waiter returned, we said we'd be having the buffet (approximately 30 USD, not priced in the menu) as there are few a-la-carte options. He promptly asked us to move to yet another table, off in the corner. At this point I was getting frustrated, as the restaurant has lovely Nile views, and the last table was one of the very few in the restaurant without one. As I mentioned it was near deserted.
3) Constant interruptions when unwanted, impossible to find staff when required
During the previously mentioned breakfast, we were unable to secure an orange juice refill, as all the waiters were too busy, and would get to it in "one minute." Keeping in mind there were more waiters in the room than patrons, and it was a buffet. Of course, promptly at the closing time for the buffet, someone showed up and demanded we leave immediately.
This issue extended to the services delivered in the room as well. We were constantly getting knocks on the door, even with the do-not-disturb sign up. Many of the reasons were inconsequential, and we had gone to sleep early as we had to leave for the airport the next day at 4:30. For example, here is a letter saying the pool is closed, then ten minutes later, here is an extra garbage can. The constant visitors at the door reminded me of an Ibsen play!
I also wanted to mention that the mall the hotel is attached to has a few restaurants on the second floor, casual type places, but the ones we tried were pretty decent, and much cheaper than dining at the hotel. There is also a Starbucks in the mall if you're into that sort of thing.
In summary, I would have to say:
Location: B+
Rooms/Physical Plant: A
Service: D
The hotel is brand new and well thought out, but the service doesn't match the physical plant or the brand on the building.
I will probably try elsewhere if I have a reason to return to Cairo.
If anyone has any specific questions I'll try to answer them.
Michael
May 10, 2010, 9:01 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YYC
Posts: 471
Bizaro enjoyed reading your review and it's a shame the staff didn't make you feel welcome. Did you mention anything about the service to hotel management yet or comment on your FPC account online?
I would be tempted to return again simply to see whether this has been done, as some of it (the in room information) would be easy to determine. However, Cairo is a long flight for me, so I'm not likely to return any time soon. If anyone else visits, I'd be interested in hearing your experience.
Michael
May 9, 2011, 10:58 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
A Five Star Property that was a four and a half star experience
A quick trip report on my stay at the Fairmont Cairo Nile City.
I stayed at this property May 3, 2011 to May 6, 2011.
I booked a Non Refundable Advance Purchase (no cancellation) Rate for a City View King Room for $150 USD + taxes via the fairmont website.. Upon arrival, I was upgraded to a Nile View with two doubles, which I gladly accepted. I was thankful for the upgrade, as I had previously stayed at a very obviously empty Le Meridien Dahab and was not offered an upgrade, despite presenting a SPG Gold Card that is supposed to offer upgrades. My impression in Egypt is that you get exactly what you pay for / reserve.
The fit and finishing of the hotel is fabulous and the rooms have lots of amenities. Free Loufas for scrubbing, fabulous rain shower, bath salts, turn down service, high quality finishing’s in the rooms, his and her’s slippers and FPC internet at a reasonable bandwidth speed.
The hotel is located in an “in between” neighborhood. It is 7-10 minutes away from downtown on the El Corniche. Unfortunately it means that you need to take a cab every time you need to go out as it is just beyond walking distance. Behind the hotel are slums, and the river side boasts some of the finest riverfront view property in Cairo. I was actually cautioned by the hotel staff not to walk into the area behind the hotel (I was looking for a convenience store that would sell coca cola at street prices). The hotel is in the middle, making this a truly in between location.
View from my room of the Front of the Hotel:
View from my floor of the rear of the Hotel:
I also found that many cab drivers are not aware of the location of this hotel, even when showing the Fairmont hotel business card with the address + map in Arabic, which I had obtained from the front desk. Perhaps Fairmont is not a well-known brand within Cairo to date? Even more challenging, I was assured by the hotel staff and my guide the fare from the hotel to Midan Tarhir was 10LE ($1.70 USD), but in actuality, many of the cab drivers refused to move accept fares for less than 20LE, some even attempting to gouge 50LE before they would even turn a wheel. I did have a public white taxi hailed through the hotel that decided to take a very long way around to my destination, when I insisted on using the meter. While one could go one about being lucky to live in the first world and being able to afford Fairmont prices, I don’t agree with the concept of overpaying just because of the way that you look. Especially when a minibus ride for a similar distance goes for 1LE and 50 piastres.
The Cairo – Luxor//Aswan rail line is 1 block from the hotel. Despite this, the room was well soundproofed and being on the 11th floor was quite quiet. (You can just see the train bridge in the right of the Nile photo)
Sadly the Egyptian Revolution has taken its toll on the tourism and business economy. During my stay, several of the restaurants in and around the hotel were closed or burnt to destruction by fire.
Napa Grill – I had the opportunity to dine here one night after a long day tour. Aside from room service, it was the only restaurant open. It was our most expensive meal in Cairo. Dinner with two entrees, two glasses of Egyptian Wine, Egyptian Taxes (10% and mandatory service charge (12%) came to 480 LE ($80 USD). The food and service was of excellent quality, particularly for Africa, but it did not offset the prices paid in comparison to other offerings in the city.
Saigon Blue – Closed
Wayagama Noodle Bar in Nile City Mall – Permanently closed. A pop up display indicates that this is as a result of the revolution and that customers should visit it's other branch in City Stars Mall.
The Arcadia Shopping Mall, which occupies the lot immediately to the south of the Fairmont, has been completely destroyed by fire as a result of the revolution. As a result, there really are no other restaurants or shops in the area. As previously reported, there is a Starbucks in the Nile City Towers Mall under the hotel. There is also a Cilantro restaurant, which appeared to cater to office operatining hours.
Picture of the Arcadia Shopping Mall:
The only hotel problem experienced during my stay was that I was unable to get the TV to work when I was settling into my room. I mentioned it on my way out at the front desk the next morning and they said that they would send someone to fix it. On the second night it remained broken (no power?). They had to send two “technicians” to fix it, and eventually it was sorted out after about 10 minutes. Similar to other’s experience, it took a few attempts to get the problem sorted out. However, they did attempt to fix it immediately when I raised the issue during turn down service, so I have to give hem the thumbs up for that.
I was easily seduced into staying with the Fairmont and received terrific value on the room. However, I don’t know that I would stay here again, given that the convenience of staying at a more centrally located property around Midan Tarhir (Seramus Intercontinental – fabulous Lebanese food at Serbaya, the New Nile Ritz Carleton or even the Marriott – great tea garden) might be much more convenient. Overall a fabulous experience, but one that I probably wouldn’t repeat in a hurry. Especially considering I ended up dining at these other two hotel properties while choosing to stay at the Fairmont as they simply were better located, and had more restaurants open.
I stayed at this property May 3, 2011 to May 6, 2011.
I booked a Non Refundable Advance Purchase (no cancellation) Rate for a City View King Room for $150 USD + taxes via the fairmont website.. Upon arrival, I was upgraded to a Nile View with two doubles, which I gladly accepted. I was thankful for the upgrade, as I had previously stayed at a very obviously empty Le Meridien Dahab and was not offered an upgrade, despite presenting a SPG Gold Card that is supposed to offer upgrades. My impression in Egypt is that you get exactly what you pay for / reserve.
The fit and finishing of the hotel is fabulous and the rooms have lots of amenities. Free Loufas for scrubbing, fabulous rain shower, bath salts, turn down service, high quality finishing’s in the rooms, his and her’s slippers and FPC internet at a reasonable bandwidth speed.
The hotel is located in an “in between” neighborhood. It is 7-10 minutes away from downtown on the El Corniche. Unfortunately it means that you need to take a cab every time you need to go out as it is just beyond walking distance. Behind the hotel are slums, and the river side boasts some of the finest riverfront view property in Cairo. I was actually cautioned by the hotel staff not to walk into the area behind the hotel (I was looking for a convenience store that would sell coca cola at street prices). The hotel is in the middle, making this a truly in between location.
View from my room of the Front of the Hotel:
View from my floor of the rear of the Hotel:
I also found that many cab drivers are not aware of the location of this hotel, even when showing the Fairmont hotel business card with the address + map in Arabic, which I had obtained from the front desk. Perhaps Fairmont is not a well-known brand within Cairo to date? Even more challenging, I was assured by the hotel staff and my guide the fare from the hotel to Midan Tarhir was 10LE ($1.70 USD), but in actuality, many of the cab drivers refused to move accept fares for less than 20LE, some even attempting to gouge 50LE before they would even turn a wheel. I did have a public white taxi hailed through the hotel that decided to take a very long way around to my destination, when I insisted on using the meter. While one could go one about being lucky to live in the first world and being able to afford Fairmont prices, I don’t agree with the concept of overpaying just because of the way that you look. Especially when a minibus ride for a similar distance goes for 1LE and 50 piastres.
The Cairo – Luxor//Aswan rail line is 1 block from the hotel. Despite this, the room was well soundproofed and being on the 11th floor was quite quiet. (You can just see the train bridge in the right of the Nile photo)
Sadly the Egyptian Revolution has taken its toll on the tourism and business economy. During my stay, several of the restaurants in and around the hotel were closed or burnt to destruction by fire.
Napa Grill – I had the opportunity to dine here one night after a long day tour. Aside from room service, it was the only restaurant open. It was our most expensive meal in Cairo. Dinner with two entrees, two glasses of Egyptian Wine, Egyptian Taxes (10% and mandatory service charge (12%) came to 480 LE ($80 USD). The food and service was of excellent quality, particularly for Africa, but it did not offset the prices paid in comparison to other offerings in the city.
Saigon Blue – Closed
Wayagama Noodle Bar in Nile City Mall – Permanently closed. A pop up display indicates that this is as a result of the revolution and that customers should visit it's other branch in City Stars Mall.
The Arcadia Shopping Mall, which occupies the lot immediately to the south of the Fairmont, has been completely destroyed by fire as a result of the revolution. As a result, there really are no other restaurants or shops in the area. As previously reported, there is a Starbucks in the Nile City Towers Mall under the hotel. There is also a Cilantro restaurant, which appeared to cater to office operatining hours.
Picture of the Arcadia Shopping Mall:
The only hotel problem experienced during my stay was that I was unable to get the TV to work when I was settling into my room. I mentioned it on my way out at the front desk the next morning and they said that they would send someone to fix it. On the second night it remained broken (no power?). They had to send two “technicians” to fix it, and eventually it was sorted out after about 10 minutes. Similar to other’s experience, it took a few attempts to get the problem sorted out. However, they did attempt to fix it immediately when I raised the issue during turn down service, so I have to give hem the thumbs up for that.
I was easily seduced into staying with the Fairmont and received terrific value on the room. However, I don’t know that I would stay here again, given that the convenience of staying at a more centrally located property around Midan Tarhir (Seramus Intercontinental – fabulous Lebanese food at Serbaya, the New Nile Ritz Carleton or even the Marriott – great tea garden) might be much more convenient. Overall a fabulous experience, but one that I probably wouldn’t repeat in a hurry. Especially considering I ended up dining at these other two hotel properties while choosing to stay at the Fairmont as they simply were better located, and had more restaurants open.
Jan 25, 2012, 5:13 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,032
I was easily seduced into staying with the Fairmont and received terrific value on the room. However, I don’t know that I would stay here again, given that the convenience of staying at a more centrally located property around Midan Tarhir (Seramus Intercontinental – fabulous Lebanese food at Serbaya, the New Nile Ritz Carleton or even the Marriott – great tea garden) might be much more convenient. Overall a fabulous experience, but one that I probably wouldn’t repeat in a hurry. Especially considering I ended up dining at these other two hotel properties while choosing to stay at the Fairmont as they simply were better located, and had more restaurants open.
We're going to Egypt in two weeks and we're getting a rate of $150 after tax for a deluxe nile view room with three people through and without breakfast. Seems good to me and I was thinking of booking it.
Jan 25, 2012, 6:29 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
I think that depends on how long you plan to stay.
Our trip involved Cairo and Dahab. We weren't using Cairo as a stepping off point for a Nile Cruise. So, we ended up staying 3 days at the hotel and using it as a base for city and pyramid tours.
Since it was a bit removed, we did end up travelling closer into town for meals. Mind you, this was my second trip to Cairo so perhaps I had a bit of a different vision on what the hotel should be.
I think the rate is really good that you have - you will likely find it perfectly suited for your needs.
I did write a trip report about the tour that I booked through the Fairmont - you can see it here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...25-2011-a.html
Our trip involved Cairo and Dahab. We weren't using Cairo as a stepping off point for a Nile Cruise. So, we ended up staying 3 days at the hotel and using it as a base for city and pyramid tours.
Since it was a bit removed, we did end up travelling closer into town for meals. Mind you, this was my second trip to Cairo so perhaps I had a bit of a different vision on what the hotel should be.
I think the rate is really good that you have - you will likely find it perfectly suited for your needs.
I did write a trip report about the tour that I booked through the Fairmont - you can see it here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...25-2011-a.html
Last edited by worldtraveller73; Jan 25, 2012 at 6:35 pm
Jan 25, 2012, 11:29 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,032
I think that depends on how long you plan to stay.
Our trip involved Cairo and Dahab. We weren't using Cairo as a stepping off point for a Nile Cruise. So, we ended up staying 3 days at the hotel and using it as a base for city and pyramid tours.
Since it was a bit removed, we did end up travelling closer into town for meals. Mind you, this was my second trip to Cairo so perhaps I had a bit of a different vision on what the hotel should be.
I think the rate is really good that you have - you will likely find it perfectly suited for your needs.
I did write a trip report about the tour that I booked through the Fairmont - you can see it here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...25-2011-a.html
Our trip involved Cairo and Dahab. We weren't using Cairo as a stepping off point for a Nile Cruise. So, we ended up staying 3 days at the hotel and using it as a base for city and pyramid tours.
Since it was a bit removed, we did end up travelling closer into town for meals. Mind you, this was my second trip to Cairo so perhaps I had a bit of a different vision on what the hotel should be.
I think the rate is really good that you have - you will likely find it perfectly suited for your needs.
I did write a trip report about the tour that I booked through the Fairmont - you can see it here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...25-2011-a.html
Jan 26, 2012, 8:07 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: YVR - Vancouver, with most winter weekends in Whistler.
Programs: Aeroplan 35K, Alaska MVP, Marriott Titanium / Lifetime Platinum, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 4,609
There was a mall next door to the south - it was burned out when we were there in April. I actually have a photo of it in my trip report.
There is not much within walking distance of the hotel after business hours (6PM). The Napa Grill was actually quite nice although you're paying western prices. We had a fabulous steak with truffle mac and cheese with a glass of wine each for about $70 USD.
The next night we took taxis to the Intercontinental Seramis for Lebanese and spent one night across the water at Sequoia (check trip advisor) which was also quite nice - but a bit smoky.
I'd highly endorse the day tours from the Hotel for the Pyramids. It was a really neat, if not expensive experience.
There is not much within walking distance of the hotel after business hours (6PM). The Napa Grill was actually quite nice although you're paying western prices. We had a fabulous steak with truffle mac and cheese with a glass of wine each for about $70 USD.
The next night we took taxis to the Intercontinental Seramis for Lebanese and spent one night across the water at Sequoia (check trip advisor) which was also quite nice - but a bit smoky.
I'd highly endorse the day tours from the Hotel for the Pyramids. It was a really neat, if not expensive experience.
Feb 9, 2012, 5:39 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YYZ/NYC/CDG/NRT
Posts: 171
Yeah, there's two malls including the Nile City. Canadian chain O+B has a location with a pretty decent food in Nile City, along with a Starbucks.
The mall that's burnt out just south isn't the mall, it's a building attatched to the mall. It's been squatted for over 10 years as far as I know. Nifty site actually, not too many sky scrapers of homeless people around for first worlders to see.
The traditional breakfast from room service is also awesome when you're not feeling brave enough to try the traditional street food.
The mall that's burnt out just south isn't the mall, it's a building attatched to the mall. It's been squatted for over 10 years as far as I know. Nifty site actually, not too many sky scrapers of homeless people around for first worlders to see.
The traditional breakfast from room service is also awesome when you're not feeling brave enough to try the traditional street food.