Service Apartments in Cairo

This is an idea long overdue in Cairo. I have had many friends and newbies ask for just such an option, but I did not know if one existed so far (leave me a comment, if you know of any others) The Hilton Suites does offer this, but as far as I know they are 2 bedroom suites and slightly on the higher side to rent out. (It works out cheaper to rent an apartment for long stays)

A service apartment offers the convenience of a hotel (someone else does the cleaning, changes sheets, picks up your mail etc) and a home (you can cook your own food, order home delivery from restaurants that aren't a part of the hotel et al)

You can stay for as little as a day to long stays like a year or 2. Saves you the hassle of having to handle the plumbing and electric connections which could save a large chunk of time, especially in Cairo.

The StayBridge Suites have just opened in City Stars and hopefully will emerge as a more reasonable option than the Hilton Suites.

They have 56 double bedrooms, 84 single bedrooms, 140 suites. And this is what I really appreciate: 80 non smoking rooms! So you dont have to breathe the all permeating, all intrusive stale cigarette smoke from previous occupants.

They promise a weekly Friday Barbeque for the residents. There is a laundromat on the premises where residents can do their own laundry. There is also a minimal fitness centre on the premises and for an extra charge guests can use the Health club at the Intercontinental Hotel next door. They also promise to provide free wifi in all the rooms.

Ok, I just did a dummy search on the site and turns out it isnt that cheap after all. The starting price for a single studio looks like 180$ per night + 13.44% tax + 12% service charge. And the average rate seems to be about 250$ per night + taxes. I don't remember even the 4 seasons being that expensive. hmmmm. Lets see how long they can command these prices. . .

Cairo Marriott Crow

My attention was brought to this entertaining video on the Cairo Marriott Crow, created by a past guest at the hotel. He uses on scene footage and has created an interesting song around it :)

Take a look:

Taziry Ecolodge, Siwa

Just saw the website for this ecolodge in Siwa that looks very interesting.

I haven't spoken to them, haven't stayed there, just found their website very interesting. . .

http://www.taziry.com

Toilet Hygiene - Grand Hyatt

I saw a new innovation that is so much more practical than the old one on my last visit to the Grand Hyatt.

On a visit to the washroom, I saw the toilet seat, loosely wrapped in plastic and I was initially horrified, because loosely wrapped plastic has the potential to harbour germs and other wastes for longer than the vanilla toilet seat and is more difficult to thoroughly wash clean (because of the folds in the plastic)

On a closer look. I saw a green button to be pressed, which rotated a fresh roll of plastic around the toilet seat, so every user can sit on a clean seat! This is so much better than the old butter paper toilet seat covers, which tended to get soggy if the seat wasn't dry and wasn't 100% hygienic.



This new invention is foolproof, the only problem of course being the plastic waste being generated. But I'm sure the makers have taken into account the proper micron count.

The only other comparable technique is the one at Dubai airport washrooms, where disinfectant solution is provided in every stall to wipe down each seat before using it.

Plug Ins & Toys R Us in Cairo ?

Was driving on the ring road towards the J W Marriott yesterday. (which by the way is an astoundingly beautiful hotel property - especially its infinity pool and man-made beach. Yes a beach in Cairo!)

Saw an ad for Cairo Festival City in the place where it is supposed to come up and the hoardings announce PlugIns and Toys R Us among the openings. Hope its true. It will be great to be able to shop for great quality electronics at one location and a quick visit - single trip for gift shopping to all those kiddie parties I get invited to :)

Fustat Wadi el Gamal

I just heard about this place today. It looks like an eco-lodge with a difference. A Real eco-lodge who takes their commitment to the environment seriously by:
1. hiring local bedouin experts
2. disposing sewage responsibly
3. selling camel dung to nearby farms and villages for eco friendly fertiliser.
4. they feed the camels corn and fuul from Cairo and pre-crack them so that they do not accidentally germinate and take root in the desert (not indigenous to the area)
5. they use simple camel drawn wagons for visitors who aren't comfortable sitting ON a camel.

The place is 850 kms away from Cairo, which means needing at least a 3 day holiday to even get a flavour of the place. 4-5 days would be better. Organising that leave is the problem :(

Read el Moro's article on the Fustat in Al Ahram, here. Its a bit outdated, but covers the basics.

For further details and pictures visit http://www.wadielgemal.com

Alcohol sale banned @ Grand Hyatt?

Heard that the Grand Hyatt Cairo has decided to ban the sale of alcohol on its premises.

I'm not sure how true this is, but will check it out the next time I head to The Hard Rock Cafe for my Margarita dose. Well, if they have stopped the sale of alcohol, then I will just have to content myself with the high of the hot chocolate fudge sundae, won't I? :)

Possible reasons being ascribed are, that this is a marketing strategy by the Saudi based owner to entice his high-spending countrymen with this unique religiously compliant USP.

Other rumours also say that the Hyatt group, may pull out of the joint venture if this stalemate continues!

Edited on 15 April 2008, to add the following links to relevant news articles:
www.dailystaregypt.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=13456
www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidANA540123203517
http://almasry-alyoum.com/article2.aspx?ArticleID=103597
news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080502/lf_afp/egypttourismislamsaudi

Siwa Oasis - Part 2 : Where to Stay

This is the second in a beautiful series of articles written by my friend Gabi Philips who has spent an extended period of time in Siwa.

There are many hotels in Siwa with great variety in prices starting from 10 LE/night and upto 400 $/night :)

I'll start with the cheap and budget hotels:

1. Cleopatra Hotel: It is 5 minutes walk away from the main square, good location in my opinion.
This hotel has 3 levels of accommodation, the cheapest is a room with an external bath for 17 LE and with internal bath for 23LE (single).
The one I tried was a normal room with bath for 35-50 LE (single-double).
There are rooms with air conditioning and TV for 85 LE with an excellent view on Shali.

2. Kelany Hotel: In the main square. The normal room with bath and view of the market and Shali is for 50 LE with fan and water heater.
A side view room with TV, receiver and fridge costs 70 LE.
Triple room is for 120 LE.
The hotel has a restaurant on the roof with a good view of Shali and prepares normal and local food and is reasonably priced.

3. Arous el-waha: Very close to the main square and looks very good, prices start from 50LE, I thought it was much more than that because of some comments I read on the internet.

4. Palm Trees Hotel: 2 buildings away from the main square.
15-25LE for bed with external bath (single-double).
35-45LE for double- triple with attached bath.
50LE for Siwan Chalet in the garden of the hotel.

5. Youssef Hotel: In the main square
10-16LE single-double with external bath.
15-25LE single-double with attachedbath.
(not advisable unless you really want to rough it out)

The following hotels most of them have a natural water pool and some are 3 stars, prices are around 150-300 LE

1. Kenoz Shali Lodge: few minutes walk from the main square, built in the Siwan style, there is a restaurant for anyone to dine.

2. Siwa Safari Paradise: has a natural water pool, 3 stars, few minutes walk to the main square.

3. Reem El-waha: has a natural water pool, on the way to Aghouramy (more than 1 km from the main square).
The rooms have TV, fan, water heater and fridge.
90-140LE for single-double room.
110-160LE for single-double room with air conditioning
All rates on B&B basis.

4. Taghaghein Island: few kms away from the main square, it is an island in the Western Lake of Siwa with lodging and day use facility.

5. Mubarak Hotel: Long walk from the main square, no pool.
About 150 LE for B&B.
Mainly used for official events.
Very good hotel, I tried it couple of years ago.

6. Penta: Relatively new, it is between the gardens on the Eastern side of Siwa.

7. Siwa Inn: Far from the main square, has a natural pool, prices from 160-280LE.

Many more interesting hotels with photos in the next message.

Gabi


Pictures and more descriptions can be viewed here

Holiday in Europe

Being this close to Europe, I've been evaluating several options to travel there. Its difficult to get the visas and find the time to visit, but this doesn't stop me from daydreaming and checking sites online and planning the trip in my head. :)

Europe is full of some really interesting cities and each one has its own charm. The top of my list of European cities/areas to visit are:
Tuscany / Florence for their wonderful Renaissance buildings, art and culinary trails.


Rome for its Colosseum, Catacombs, Circus Maximus, Roman baths and the Pyramid of Cestius.

Barcelona to visit Gaudi's masterpiece - the Sagrada Familia Church and other Romanesque buildings and art museums.

Madrid for a quick feel of Spanish Culture.


Paris for its Champs-Elysses, The Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe and of course the Eiffel Tower


Scotland for its wonderful old castles.

Dublin for its nightlife and a bit of Irish luck and to try my luck at finding a Leprechauns pot of Gold :)

Review : Garden City Hotel and other budget places to stay at in Cairo

A lot of people have asked about The Garden City House Hotel in Cairo. Its recommended in a lot of guidebooks to Cairo as a budget location to stay in.

Here are some reviews of the place, by people across a couple of websites and information groups.

1. I have stayed in the Garden City House Hotel multiple times. It is a favorite place for archaeologists passing through Cairo on their way to sites. I think it is a favorite because of it's location -- close to the American Research Center in Egypt office (across the street) and the Egyptian Museum -- and because it traditionally was a good value. However, I have to say that I think 100 LE per night for a single room is over priced for what you get. The staff are nice and it's a very good location, but its nickname among people I know who've stayed there is the "Garden Shitty".

Sometimes you luck out and get a decent room, but sometimes you get one where the a/c or toilet isn't working (they'll repair it, but not necessarily the same day) and/or where the bed sags and the pillow is rock hard. Also, I don't think they've painted the walls in the building in a few decades -- the massive amount of dirt smudges is really unappealing. Don't get me wrong, I have many fond memories of my stays in this hotel, but that is partly because of the comedy that sometimes ensues from the state of the accommodations and the other people staying in the hotel with me.

That being said, I'm not sure you have much in the way of other budget options for that particular area of town. From what I've read, there are good budget places elsewhere, but none as close to the Egyptian Museum (if that is important to you). I'd suggest looking in the Lonely Planet guidebook if you want other budget suggestions. I've always stayed at the Garden Shitty because someone else was paying and choosing the place.

Another option, if you really want to be close to Tahrir Square and/or Garden City is the residence in the American Research Center in Egypt offices. I tend to think they are a little over priced too at 25 USD per night, but you get a lot more, especially if you'd like a place where you can make your own food. It's more like a shared apartment -- a few bedrooms, one bathroom, and one kitchen. But most of the time it is not full and you may be the only one staying in one of the rooms. The only catch is that you must be a member of ARCE to reserve a room, but this is not too expensive if you are a student. You can check them out at www.arce.org

2. Garden City House is basically a hostel, similar to other hostels around Tahrir such as Ismailiya House, and New Sun Hotel (over-priced for the rooms you get). This is convenient if you are working near Tahrir, Garden City, or even other areas such as Zamalek or Doqqi.

I've heard that a bit more expensive but nicer is Hotel Luna, Meramees Hotel, and Lialy Hostel, also near Tahrir. All of these are in the Lonely Planet Egypt.

My favorite hostel downtown is off of Midan Talat Harb. It's actually not in the Lonely Planet, but I found the rooms to be clean, prices cheaper than other places, and the manager to be fair. It's called Kings Palace, located at 3 Ibrahim El Qabbani which is about 2 minute from Talaat Harb Square. Tel #s are 23919374 or 23919689, fax 33920401, email kingspalacehotel@hotmail.com or kingspalacehotel@yahoo.com

Further from Tahrir, but still in downtown (on 169 Mohammed Farid street) is Pension Roma. This is in a classic downtown building, and rooms are in nice condition, with lots of wood decor. The beds are a bit uncomfortable, but the charm is high. Prices are about 45 for single, 75 for double, no bath. Higher prices for room with bathroom.

3. Zora : Garden City House: I've stayed there, and I found it to be dingy as described, but actually a lot more homey than some other, cleaner budget places. My bathroom was enormous and I had a full tub and a dedicated hot-water heater. I didn't use my a/c, so I'm not sure whether it worked or not.

I really appreciated the fact that the staff, while very nice and polite, did not want to get into my business at all--I could come and go as I pleased (I was staying there alone) and didn't get a single question. (More hostel-y places with younger staff can just be a daily battle with getting hit on.) The location in Garden City is nice too because you're not descended upon by touts the instant you step outside. The traffic noise is pretty severe, but I guess that's everywhere but Zamalek.

I also really, really liked Pension Roma. Equally homey feeling but much better kept, and very used to people staying for weeks at a time.

The only drawback is that there are no rooms with en-suite toilets (some have showers, though), so that can be a deal breaker for some people. Also no a/c, but super high ceilings. There's no online booking or email contact--just reserve by phone, but that's worth the effort (whoever answers will speak perfectly good English).

By the way, I wrote the Cairo chapter of the Lonely Planet Egypt that's coming out in May. I generally agreed with the recommendations in the previous edition (8th), but they tend to favor the chatty backpackers' places over the mellower places with less of a social scene (and Pension Roma does not rank high for this reason, I guess).

4. I stayed there for like 3 or 4 days when I first arrived in Egypt. It is a good location but you can DEFINITELY do better. It sucks. The showers are awful and the beds are the worst. Look into other hostels, they are all pretty much the same price. My friend stayed in the King Tut hostel and he said it was good. Don't stay at the Garden City- its awful.

5. Vivian : I agree with the previous post. The Garden City is simply dreadful especially arriving at 4am from Europe. ARCE has beds on site. But the Nile Zamalek Hotel is a great alternative and a 5LE taxi ride to Tahrir and ARCE.