Hilton Cairo Heliopolis — Hotel in Cairo

We are diamond Hilton honors members and we booked 3 nights at Hilton Heliopolis. Our stay was OK and here’s my review for our stay. It was our first time to visit this branch

Pros: The executive floor was nice, clean and upgraded. The rooms had a coffee machine. I loved the bathrobes and the slippers, and most of the accessories in the rooms without asking for them.

The location is great. It’s in the heart of Heliopolis.

Most of the staff were friendly.

The reception/lobby was amazingly wide. Seems that they have lots of ballrooms as if see at least a couple of weddings daily.

The lobby has a wide variety of restaurants from a wide variety of cuisines

Breakfast and food at the executive lounge was not too bad. I’ve been to other hiltons in Egypt that had better food options.

Thumbs up for Mokhles from the executive lounge; very calm and respectful and friendly.

The pool is great. I live the shades from the trees right at the pool. We’ve tried only the main pool but have seen that there’s another adult only pool and another kiddos pool.

The housekeeping service is great and quick.

Cons: Our stay was during July 2022 the checkin was very slow and the front desk staff were not that professional. We were told that the rules for the executive lounge that kids under 12 were not allowed and we talked to the guest service rep Ms. Sara to arrange for kids meals to be sent to our room for our kids and that what happens with other hiltons that don’t let kids in the lounge. We asked about the policy for having guests come over. We were advised that guests were not allowed in the rooms of the lounge but only in the reception. We respected the rules.

The first night we waited patiently for the kids meals that never came. They rarely answer the phone. We called thr room service for the kids meals were asked to call the reception. The reception were confused and we had to explain how it worked in other hiltons. They kept transferring us from one department to another then we decide to talk to the manager Mr. Michael. and we’re promised they would send meals. The meals were plain undercooked rice with chicken in a takeaway box. Very disappointing. In the executive lounge they made a fuss about the number of kids and ages in a calm yet unprofessional way. That we had to go talk to the guest services and settled that in. The next day the same person Mr. Mahmoud kept asking about the age of my girl and asked if/ when we talked with the guest services. His was way as if he’s suspecting that we talked to the guest services. We spoke to the manager Mr. Michael again that day and it didn’t seem that he was paying attention to what we said. He stopped us to answer a phone call while walking away and promising us things would be ok. The second night food was sent up to the kids on time. The third night we had to go downstairs and ask the executive lounge for our kids meals.

Surprisingly I’ve seen a guest that would have visitors coming over during the tea time at least a couple of them. And he would have his daughter not older than 7 by any means come to the lounge take a snack and or soda can and leave. He would have another family with another young girl definitely younger than 12 at the lounge.

The service at the executive lounge is very slow. And most of the times there’s no one there.

The internet was completely lost for a few hours one day. And when I called the front desk they said that the whole system was down.

The last night almost all of our family had severe diarrhea after eating the dinner, which was Indian cuisine at the executive lounge and the happy meals...

We had a pleasant stay and it truly was an ‘oasis within the chaos’ of Cairo - being far enough away from the city centre to get some peace.

Pros:

Excellent breakfast selection which was replenished often.

Rooms had good amenities and super comfortable beds.

Cleaning team deserve a special mention and were exceptional, attentive and super friendly - thank you.

Overall service from staff was very good.

Cleanliness and maintenance across hotel was excellent. Grounds were beautiful and so well looked after which I immediately noticed and appreciated.

Great selection of good restaurants on site which we really appreciated from a safety perspective, and not having to leave the hotel.

Lovely pool area to enjoy with bar service.

We had room service twice which was fantastic in terms of the quality and service provided.

Connected with Waldorf hotel which was beautiful to explore - and had a lovely bar for a few drinks on an evening.

Cons:

Hotel needs updating and some refurbishment. Eg in room wallpaper was coming away. I also really dislike carpet in rooms, not only is it dated but its also unhygienic. In public spaces it looks quite 90s, particularly in comparison to the new Waldorf Astoria next door!

There were frequently big weddings and events which made areas of the hotel exceptionally busy and noisy. On some nights, the noise kept me awake - we faced ‘The Pearl’ event space despite me specifically asking for a quiet room. Doors also frequently slammed and vibrated the walls.

Check in and check out process was early hours but left a lot to be desired. Slow and inefficient. Little to no recognition of me being a Hilton Gold member. On check out they tried to overcharge me for our tab until I challenged it and suddenly the cost went down - not pleasant.

Some staff including airport minibus driver, door staff etc. seemed to hint at tipping continually. This, on top of being hassled and harassed every time we left the hotel, left a sour taste. More broadly, I don’t understand why any Egyptians think this results in a positive experience for the visitor or helps them. It’s exhausting and tourists come home and tell others about their negative experiences. There is no escape - even in a 5 star hotel or the airport - its deeply unpleasant to just be treat as a cash machine.

The coffee machines at breakfast NEVER worked properly and need to be replaced. Staff then offer you help but on some occasions they completely forgot. In the morning I just want to get my coffee easily and without hassle.

Trips often charged extra as we were further away from...

Hi I'd like to share my 14-Day Stay at Hilton Heliopolis

Day 1: Arrival Experience

Upon my arrival, I faced a frustrating three-hour wait in the lobby, despite having booked and paid for my room a day in advance. The hotel had rented my room to another guest because I didn’t check in on the original booking date. Unfortunately, the manager did not communicate with me directly; instead, I was left to deal with the front desk staff, which added to my frustration. After a week, when I decided to extend my stay, I expected compensation for the day I was charged but could not occupy my room. Mr. Mafouz informed me that the hotel policy allowed for no exceptions.

Housekeeping:

I want to commend the housekeeping staff, particularly Sama, Samha, Zain, and Eman, for their polite and professional service. However, I found some male staff members overly eager for tips, which made me uncomfortable and frustrated. Their excessive friendliness felt more like a plea for tips than genuine hospitality.

Room Experience

I booked the King Patio Pool View Room for an extra cost, hoping to enhance my two-week stay. Overall, the room was excellent—clean, spacious, and modern, with a comfortable bed. The patio and pool view were worth the upgrade, though I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t actually see the pool from my room. I did enjoy watching the beautiful birds that wandered around in the early mornings.

Dining: Breakfast Highlights

Breakfast was undoubtedly a highlight of my stay. The quality was top-notch, and the omelette chef was exceptional—kind and attentive. The buffet offered a wide variety of delicious options, and the breakfast staff earned a solid 5/5 for their fantastic service. A Matre'D was always present to ensure guests had everything they needed.

Entertainment and Amenities

The entertainment provided was classy and enjoyable, featuring a range of singers performing in different languages at no extra charge. My favorite was the English singer. I’d also like to thank Maryanne from the Health Club for her wonderful tour of the hotel, which made me feel right at home. The pool area was excellent—clean and generally not overcrowded.

Conclusion

Despite some initial setbacks, my stay ultimately turned out well. I enjoyed my time at Hilton Heliopolis and will consider booking again...