Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah — Attraction in Geziret al Zamalik, Jazirat al Zamalik

The location of this hotel is outstanding. The rooms facing the Nile are beautiful and adequately stocked with necessities. The bed for me was not comfortable but linen was good They do have a outer balcony that is locked. It wasn't easy to get this open so that you could enjoy the outside. We had to fill out a disclaimer before they would open the door. I would think that this should be a standard procedure at check-in and not once you moved into the room then try to figure out how to get the door opened. For the standard of the hotel the quality of food was poor. We had dinner at Kebabgy the local restaurant. I ordered the shish kebab and it was one of the worst I have ever eaten. Besides which I was served cubes of meat along with two small dried pieces of shish kabob. Very disappointing food. What came to me as a surprise at check in, is that they stopped me because I was carrying a small Bose Bluetooth travel speakers. They will not let me take that to the room. Here is the irony, I stayed in the same hotel a week prior to my current stay and there was no issue with my speaker. I spoke to the manager who told me that this was a hotel policy and that at the time of check-in they make you sign a piece of paper. Agreeing to that. I brought to his notice that at the time of booking the room there is no mention of any restriction about bringing in a small portable speaker. I do understand rules and regulations are to be followed. However, there has to be transparency to the clients at the time of booking of what will be allowed in the room and what will not be allowed. These are scary times and security is extremely important. If taking the speaker into the the hotel Is a security issue (which is what the security guard told me) then there was clearly a breach in security failure the first time I stayed there a week ago. When I brought this to the notice of the manager I don't think he was really interested in hearing this. If playing loud music in the rooms is a problem, I understand that as well. However today's Smartphones, laptop and other electronics can play music at high volumes. The next day I bought a antique clothes iron that was about 6 in long by 3 in wide and probably weighed 2 lb. I was stopped at the entrance and once again they wanted to keep it with them till I checked out. Doesn't make sense. When I asked to speak to the manager they said I could take the iron in the room and that they were making exception.

The next best thing besides the view was Mr. Ahmed Abdul Magied who was a server who attended to me in the breakfast area . He was outstanding, friendly with great timely service, Not only to me but to all the guests that he was looking after. I made it a point that his manager knew about it.

The drainage of the shower was poor resulting in pooling of the water. With the lack of responsiness of the team, I decided not to report this. Similarly I did not complain about the terrible food served at the kebabgy restaurant. I was over this place and did not bother to talk to the FNB manager about my bad experience with the quality of food at that restaurant..

Bottom line If you want the view then this is a good place to stay. If you want to get your monies worth with good food, good service and hospitality, this is...

Its our first time in Egypt and we mainly came to enjoy the views of the Pyramids and visit museums. But we also wanted our children (5 and 9 year old) to stay in a good hotel so they can do what kids do. (Plqy in pool area and hang around the hotel grounds). While I am writing this review, I am still in the hotel. We cant sleep at 02:00 am in the morning. I will explain further later on.

Let me first start with why we chose this place. We chose this place mainly because of the Sofitel brand. We stayed in Sofitel Singapore, Munich, London, Dubai and Paris. Usually there is a minimum standard which is pretty good and there is less risk of a surprise. So we checked out the pictures of the website and decided to book a room.

The building is in a rather safe area but the building itself is extremely old and in desperate need of restoration. We checked in on our first night and the room was dirty, toilet flush wasn’t working and there were dead insects lying around. The smell of the room with an ancient carpet was awful. I immediately came downstairs again and asked what options we had. The person at the desk did try her best and I chose to just spend another 750 USD for an upgrade to a suite. I didn’t want to ruin my family’s holiday and just swallowed the bitter pill. We moved to the different room but even here the shower was clogged, carpet dirty and the overall condition was very very old. Anyway. We went down to eat in the Kebabgy restaurant. We didn’t even Order, and two waiters got into a physical fight. Punching, kicking chairs etc. My kids and my wife were in shock and looked to me with the „Where did you bring us here“? Look. The food was OK. Not worth the excessive price though. I guess tourists have no choice but to just pay it.

Tired, we went back to our room in the 26th floor and we thought there are sone celebrations going on because the music was just so loud you could hear it clearly in the room even though the doors were shut. But because we were extremely tired, we all fell asleep. Next night, same story. Super loud music until 5am. Again my wife and kids are worried and asking what is this place. At breakfast, my wife went to get food just to see another guest took her table. And on top of that, her phone was stolen as well. Of course with cameras etc it was recovered, but this was just another low point of out impression of this place. Later on , at tea time, a manager came to me telling me I shouldn’t worry and complain too much that the phone was stolen because it was recovered. I was just lost for words.

Now to the noise. It just doesn’t stop. I was offered a different room, but guys, it’s impossible to sleep here.

This hotel is dirty, old and suitable for party people at best. Not for a family with children that wants to sleep at night and enjoy the city and its landmarks. I am documenting everything with video and will Upload a YouTube video of the whole...

Beautiful Hotel, Great View — But Poor Handling of a Serious Issue

I’m currently staying at Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah, and I’m writing this review on the same day that a very upsetting incident occurred—one that unfortunately overshadowed the positive aspects of my stay.

Let me start with what deserves praise: the view of the Nile is absolutely stunning, and the hotel itself has a luxurious and welcoming atmosphere. The breakfast was truly a highlight delicious, well-organized, and served by a team of professional and attentive staff. Housekeeping has also been excellent.

I also want to thank Ahmed at the reception, who handled our early check-in after a long flight with professionalism and a warm attitude. He really made us feel welcome upon arrival.

However, today I experienced something that left me shocked and disappointed—mainly due to the unprofessional behavior of the duty manager, Mr. Yousef.

I had ordered food from an external restaurant for myself and my son. After waiting for over three hours, I called the restaurant and was told they had already come to the hotel but were turned away by reception, who claimed there was “no guest under that name.” I then called reception myself, and they admitted the mistake, saying, “Sorry, we didn’t see the name.”

That alone could have been resolved. But when I spoke with Mr. Yousef, instead of taking ownership or trying to help, he flat-out denied that it ever happened. When I asked if he was calling me a liar, he said, “I don’t know.” Then, during a phone call later, he changed the story again, even though all conversations are recorded.

I was honestly shocked. This kind of dismissive and defensive behavior is completely unacceptable for any hotel—let alone a 5-star Sofitel. I wouldn’t accept this kind of attitude even from a Mickey Mouse hotel, let alone one that prides itself on luxury and service.

If Mr. Yousef had simply acknowledged the error and apologized, I might have been understanding. But instead, his approach made the situation worse. At that point, I no longer even wanted the food. The experience ruined our evening and left a lasting negative impact on our vacation.

I’m not writing this for compensation. I’m writing it because guests deserve honesty, respect, and accountability. People make mistakes—that’s human. But what’s not acceptable is denying them, shifting the story, and treating guests like they’re not telling the truth.

I sincerely hope senior management reads this and ensures that other guests don’t...