Miscellaneous Tips (Cairo, Egypt)- Hotel Reviews

I stayed at Golden Tulip Hotel Flamenco for 4 nights during a visit to Cairo in November 2007.

I paid 28 GBP per night for a standard single room with en-suite facilities and the inclusion of a hot buffet breakfast. I found several websites offering this hotel, but booked my stay via www.hotelclub.net - they charged my card in advance, and provided me with a voucher to present at reception upon arrival. Everything went smoothly.

Location

Hotel Flamenco is located in the leafy, embassy district of Zamalek, sitting on an island in the middle of the river Nile. The hotel is located on the banks of the Nile, offering excellent views from its top floor restaurant and bar.

At 3am, the taxi journey from the airport to Hotel Flamenco took about 30 minutes. It could take considerably longer than that in heavy traffic. Similarly, the Pyramids at Giza were 15-20 minutes away by taxi, and the Khan al-Khalili bazaar about 10-15 minutes away.

There are many cafes, shops and restaurants around the hotel, including a Pizza Hut, a McDonalds and a 24 hour Internet cafe right across the street.

Zamalek is a pleasant place to stay in Cairo. The traffic is still fairly heavy, but far less so than in much of the city. The streets are shaded, the air feels fresher and there are plenty of international standard dining options close by.

Bedroom

My single room was clean and fairly well furnished. It contained a comfortable double bed, air conditioning, a mini fridge, satellite TV (with English language news channels), an armchair, a dressing table, bedside cabinets, a large double wardrobe, a telephone and a radio. The heavy curtains and the dark carpet made the room warm and cosy in winter.

The en-suite shower room was medium sized (plenty big enough for my needs) and spotlessly clean. It contained a toilet, a washbasin, a shower, a hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. Fresh towels were provided each day and hot water was always available when I needed it.

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Breakfast

A good all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. This includes an extensive choice of cereals, breads, fresh fruit, yoghurt, cold meats, cheeses, eggs, sausages, muffins, cakes, fruit juices, coffee and tea.

My only small complaint is that the dining area is too small to cope with the crowds when a lot of people turn up for breakfast at the same time. Breakfast is available for several hours (approx 6am to 10am if memory serves correct), but you may need to wait for a table at busy times.

General

Hotel Flamenco is a large hotel with almost 170 rooms, ranging from single rooms like mine (which was spacious enough for me, and much larger than many single rooms I've stayed in) to large suites.

The top floor of the hotel contains the Florencia Spanish Restaurant (serving a good choice of international dishes and offering superb views of the Nile) and the adjacent Sevilla Bar (where I enjoyed a local Stella beer). The hotel also includes the Carmen Pub, a Coffee Shop and the Postres patisserie shop, neither of which I visited.

There is a small shop on the ground floor, selling postcards, souvenirs and a few essential items such as batteries. You can also buy stamps there and send your postcards from the postbox immediately outside the shop.

The entrance of the hotel is guarded 24 hours a day and all guests must pass through a security scanner (similar to those at airports) when entering. I also noted the continuous presence of two armed police on the corner just outside the hotel. This was common throughout the city. I never felt threatened anywhere in Cairo, so I guess the seemingly excessive security measures are justified.

A variety of tours (the Pyramids, the Citadel, the Museum, day trips to Alexandria, Port Said, Luxor...) can be booked from reception.

A good value international standard hotel in a favourable location. I would highly recommend staying in Zamalek...and I would have no hesitation in recommending this hotel.

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