StarWood Lurker and sc flier:

Thank you for your input. I booked via the SPG website, so presumably the rate I paid was not a non-qualifying one. I will indeed raise this with the mother ship, I found the front desk staff's explanation both disingenuous and annoying.

I'm pecking this out from a hotel that has a real lounge, and a nice one at that -the LM in Amman. What a lovely hotel with first-rate people. All thoughts of putting my SPG Amex through the shredder have dissipated.

Happy trails.

Well although my circumstances are different I appreciate the feedback anyway. I am actually staying using points (on the "5th Night Free" rate) and will be there mainly to sightsee. I don't have enough points to cover the upgrade to the Club Level but was/am considering buying up. From the sounds of it I could probably skip it and be fine although Mrs. G2244 may not agree...

I had the same issue last week. Got upgraded to a club level room (floor 22) without entitlement for any additional thing. The staff was really nice and friendly but told me "that is the policy" for upgrades to a club room.
I remembered your post and asked them whose policy it is. They told me "starwood".

That is absurd and if it were me, I would file a formal complaint with Corporate Customer Service.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Online Guest Feedback Coordinator
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

The last several Tripadvisor reviews were brutal for the Le Meridien Heliopolis.

Are the beds firm or sagging? I'm not sure if it's just dated decor or broken down.

I need to be by the airport that night, but am hesitant about dropping $200 plus (or 20k points) on the JW Marriott for a 10 hour stay.

Any updates appreciated.

hmmm. The Fairmont Heliopolis used to be the Sheraton Heliopolis is a fine hotel. Actually stayed in the Diplomatic Suite several times that was also frequent by Dr Condoleeza Rice. Otherwise try the IC Citystars.

I believe they are reopening a Sheraton Heliopolis in a few years.

You know they say 'you can't trust a used car salesperson' .... well the folks at Egypt beat that hands down!! You simply can't trust anything in Egypt! I might get flamed for this, but the folks everywhere are all 'smiles' but deep down, they just don't care or care only about backsheesh (tips)!.

Stayed at the LM Pyramids in July '10 for two nights - great location to the Great Pyramids and Sphinx, but that's the first of only two things that it has going for the hotel. The staff here are FIXATED on backsheesh, and would do ANYTHING to suck a tip off you. One staff who wanted to play 'tour guide' took me to my room, and started explaining where everything is eg. there is a light switch!!! I'm thinking to myself; "Hello buddy, I'm a Platinum who stays in hotels many nights a year and he wanted to show me the damn light switch?!?!" Anyway told him to 'rack off' withouth me tipping him :D . The second thing and last thing this hotel has going for it, is the full renovated pool area. It's spacious, loads of daybeds, cabanas, bar and dining area, also table service and with a view of the Pyramids in the background. Finally on departure, I asked for a taxi (to the Sheraton Cairo)..... and the bell boys pointed to the end of their driveway and tells me I can hail a cab from the road :td:

I then moved to the Sheraton Cairo after hailing a dodgy cab from the roadway with the help of two policemen? who also wanted backsheesh. And then the taxi driver gave me a lecture for not tipping 5 LE each to those policemen :td: The taxi driver gave $$$ Anyway, I played the notion that back in my country it's illegal to TIP anything! :D

Arrived at the Sheraton Cairo as a PLT was upgraded to a corner suite with two balconies overlooking the City and the mighty Nile River. The Club Lounge that is in question in the last few posts technically exists but adjacent to the Check-In desk - and only serves minimal food and drinks. I wouldn't get all steamed up if I didn't get access to this as it was one of the worse club lounges I have seen, ever!

Sounds an awful like Vegas.:td:

I'll be in Egypt in about a month. Planning on a night at LM Heliopolis and a night at the Sheraton Cairo and three at the Sheraton Luxor. I'll report back on all when we get back, but not going in with very high expectations...

Was wondering if anyone had recent stays here this summer (or this year).

Anyone? Considering a stay in a few days since we will be flying into Cairo late at night and need a hotel.

DON'T go to the Le Meridien Heliopolis it is truly one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in with crooked management and incompetent and rude tip-seeking staff. Unfortunately there is no good SPG option in Cairo. I would suggest Marriott or Fairmont.

We stayed at the Meridien in Giza and didn't have a high opinion of the staff there either - I won't call them crooked though. They just seemed incompetent, rude and tip-seeking in the way that most Egyptians are (I'm sorry this is our first time in Egypt and this is a whole new level of harrassment).

We were thinking of taking a chance at the LM Heliopolis even though it sounds dated by all accounts because every other Western chain hotel at the Heliopolis is close to $250 for 3 people. At the LM, we would be using SPG points so would save a pretty penny.

Le Meridien Pyramids is The Ritz compared to the Heliopolis location which has every bad quality of the former but with a broken down infrastructure and tired, dirty rooms. I would stay at LM Pyramids again if I had to to in order to avoid LM Heliopolis!
Notice on Trip Advisor that the manager seems to respond to almost every review with some nonsense about renovations happening just around the corner; only he has been saying this for years! The only renovation of this property will be the wrecking ball and it can't happen soon enough.

Hmm. Thanks. I guess we will try other options.

Any opinions on the Sheraton in Alexandria, BTW?

so here is my situation....i'll be in cairo for one day for a meeting....my flight reaches around noon & i'm meeting my clients for dinner later that evening....so i'll have about 5-6 hours to kill during the day which could be used for a quick trip to see the pyramids....then my flight leaves early morning on the following day....

keeping the above in mind which property would be better between the le méridien heliopolis & the le méridien pyramids????the sheraton is not available on that date....i was leaning towards heliopolis due to its close proximity to the airport but i'm not sure if staying here will give me enough time to make it to the pyramids & back before my evening meeting....any advice is appreciated....