Review: Cairo Marriott Hotel

The Cairo Marriott Hotel is distinguished by being as much a business hotel as a leisure hotel.

This is partly because the heart of Cairo is both tourist destination and business hub, but also because the hotel is surrounded by six acres of landscaped gardens with an outdoor swimming pool and various cafes and bars.

The hotel features two modern towers, linked by the historic palace which contains the casino. The casino is less glamorous than its palatial exteriors suggest, but still fun. Passports are required for entry, since Egyptian nationals are not admitted.

Large rooms, small bathrooms

Rooms are spacious and comfortable, with good beds and easy-to-control air conditioning. The bathrooms were on the small side in the standard rooms, with a lavatory, single basin, bidet and a combined shower/bathtub fitted into a relatively tight area.

This was a bit disappointing, because what is the point of sacrificing bathroom space for extra room space? Do business travellers really need two armchairs and/or a large sofa? Don't leisure travellers, generally staying two or more to a room, prefer a bathroom large enough to share?

Either way the bathrooms were clean with modern fittings. Rooms also feature good-sized balconies with lovely views over the Nile and hotel gardens (see photo). We viewed rooms in both towers, and the view was spectacular from either side. Even in midsummer, Cairo cools down nicely at night, allowing one to sit out on the balcony and even dine there.

Food and dining

In terms of dining, the Garden Promenade Cafe, which serves Arabic food, deserves a special mention for its outstandingly tasty, fresh Egyptian bread. Room service was also good; the hotel serves international cuisine but as in most countries, national (so in this case Arabic) dishes are generally the best.

Breakfast was slightly confusing because although it was a buffet, one had to afterwards specify what type of menu was eaten: healthy/continental/cooked. So this relied on honesty and memory, with no clear choice for those eating a bit of everything.

Getting connected

In-room internet was on the expensive side. The charge was 160 Egyptian pounds per day, about $28 dollars. This is a lot of money, particularly in Egypt, and especially if all you want is to sign on for 15 minutes to check email. However, it was adequately fast, and there was a discount if access was bought for several days.

The phone system however was disastrous. This may be because the hotel is undergoing some renovations. International calls would not work at all from two rooms that we tried, and local calls would only work from one room. Some of the failed calls still showed up on the bill, though we managed to have them cancelled.

The answer phone message system also did not appear to be working, despite often getting a flashing message light there was never any message there. And often when calls were made to the room, we could not connect and accept them. So this is definitely a hotel for which a roaming mobile is vital, coupled with software such as Windows Live Messenger or Skype on a laptop.

The best thing about the Cairo Marriott Hotel is its setting and location. It is ideal for extending a business trip into a weekend city break. The pyramids and Egyptian museum are within easy reach by taxi (depending on traffic) and the grounds of the hotel are lovely to relax in.

Finally, some Cairo tips:

Visa fee When you arrive in Cairo you must have foreign currency with you to pay the visa fee, if you haven't pre-arranged it. Euros or American dollars (it cost US$15 at the time of writing) are easiest. You can change other currencies there, but this will involve extra queuing. Cairo airport is chaotic at best - a major renovation and expansion is currently underway - so save yourself extra hassle by bringing in the right currency with you.

Tipping Tipping or "baksheesh" is a major part of Cairo's economy, and many workers in the hospitality and tourism industry rely on the generosity of visitors to earn a living wage. Regardless of whether they should be paid higher salaries in the first place, the fact is that it costs comparatively little to give a decent tip. Egyptian businesspeople we spoke to suggest that US$1-2 is a reasonable tip for hotel staff, and 5-10 Egyptian pounds is ample for taxi drivers and others. Try to give local currency where you can, especially for non-hotel staff.

Traffic Cairo's traffic is legendary. If you don't know your way around, do ask associates over there about travel times from your hotel to their office, otherwise you may find yourself embarrassingly late for meetings.

Internet For internet while out and about, the popular cafe chain Cilantro offers free WiFi.

AME Info stayed at the Marriott Cairo Hotel for three days as the guest of Intel, and for three days at own expense.