I am looking for recommendations for hotels in Cairo or Giza. Egypt is supposed to be affordable compared to other destinations, so I don't want to pay more for a Cairo hotel than I would for one in France or Greece! I've found many good reviews for a few places on Booking.com (I look at what Americans say because we're a picky bunch), but my tour guide is trying to talk me out of them and into ones that cost 4x as much.
Where have you all stayed that you would recommend?
We stayed right on the Nile at the Fairmont. It was beautiful and compared to other cities in the world, not expensive.
We stayed at Mena House Marriott in Giza twice. It's pricey by Egyptian standards, but it's about 1500 feet from the base of the Great Pyramid. The view is pretty spectacular.
I have been to Egypt three times and would not consider going to Egypt without taking a guided tour.
Sure, staying in Cairo and walking to the Egyptian Museum or Giza and walking to the Pyramids and Sphinx is a bad idea. There is much more walking than you would thing. Also, security is very important in Egypt. Guided tours include armed government guards.
As for Hotels, there are many that are excellent, but take a tour and your hotels are included.
We recently did a Gate 1 Travel tour/cruise of Egypt and stayed in J. R. Marriott five star hotels, one on the Nile and one near the airport. They were great. Also, earlier trips, I stayed at the Sheraton and the Ramasees Hilton. Those were great.
@geovagriffith - did anyone imply walking to the Cairo museum or the pyramids? Maybe I missed something.
Marie,
Yes, you implied stating the distance from the Great Pyramid.
@geovagriffith -- I only said that the view from the hotel is spectacular, and I stand by that. It's nice to eat breakfast while admiring the Khufu pyramid. Mena House is iconic, and, yes, it's a 5-star hotel with tight security. The security level has been good enough at least four sitting U.S. Presidents, multiple European prime ministers, and a host of celebrities. I am not worried about it.
Back to the OP's question. I have stayed in a wide range of accommodations -- from 5-star historic hotels to simple guest houses -- in Egypt. I would gravitate toward the high end in Cairo (or Giza) simply because Cairo is so chaotic, so different. It's the one place I have visited where I would not want to wander around on my own, and I would want tight security in a hotel.
Even a 5-star hotel is not expensive in Cairo. When we were looking for places to stay in 2020, the Ritz Carlton was less than $200 per night.
So, for those expressing concern, I am taking a custom tour with Egyptologists and everything that you'd find on a big group tour, but without the big group. The reason I chose this particular company was because I can pick my own hotels and not pay the astronomical markup that comes with a company that books the hotels for me. I will not be going anywhere alone in Cairo or Giza; we have a tour guide and driver who will be with us at all times outside of our hotel.
Since we'll be in Cairo for 4 nights, I didn't want to pay $250+ a night when there are many less expensive options. It is just a matter of which one. Thank you all for your suggestions.
Rochelle,
I don't recommend going below the 4 star level in Egypt.
