Madina Hostel — Hotel in Cairo

73 countries in 5 continents and had almost everything go wrong in this place. Some of it wasn't the hostels fault.||Pros: (1) air con in the room is amazing. With the rising temperatures the room was kept cold; specially at night |(2) When mistakes happened the owner went above and beyond to try to rectify it.|(3) Location. You are downtown and a few blocks form the museum and restaurants. |Cons: (1). I was trapped in the elevator after it broke. Not really their fault but this place has a sketchy elevator. I was able to be freed after a few min but the hostel is in the 10th floor so stairs is not something I want to do everytime. |(2) Spotty to no internet. Internet stopped working on numerous days. Especially upstairs where the majority of the rooms are located. Ended up using my SIM card from the airport as primary use of data because even when it did work it was way too slow. |(3) Lackluster tour information by staff. I arrived in Cairo and immediately wanted to see what the hostel provided. Numerous staff personnel failed to either care or give correct info on the tour. Miscommunication by night and day staff caused a massive fumble in plans to take the "historic Cairo" tour. I in turn cancelled all tours bought and requested a refund. Owner did follow up to apologize for their mistake, refunded my purchase and comped me some nights in the hostel.|(4) Excessive amount of flies in the hostel. Don't take it as they are swarming but they are rather a nussaisance. If you're in the common areas you will be swatting one away every 10 seconds. Don't know if mosquito nets on windows are an option but it would definitely help |(5) Light in my bed doesnt work. ||At my checkout the owner approached me and apologized again. I think this was a perfect storm of events. I loved Cairo and Egypt. I will be back in Egypt and will skip...

73 countries in 5 continents and had almost everything go wrong in this place. Some of it wasn't the hostels fault.

Pros: (1) air con in the room is amazing. With the rising temperatures the room was kept cold; specially at night

(2) When mistakes happened the owner went above and beyond to try to rectify it.

(3) Location. You are downtown and a few blocks form the museum and restaurants.

(4) Bed. It's bigger than normal. Bed frames are bolted to the wall thus avoiding cracking when someone gets in bed

Cons: (1). I was trapped in the elevator after it broke. Not really their fault but this place has a sketchy elevator. I was able to be freed after a few min but the hostel is in the 10th floor so stairs is not something I want to do everytime.

(2) Spotty to no internet. Internet stopped working on numerous days. Especially upstairs where the majority of the rooms are located. Ended up using my SIM card from the airport as primary use of data because even when it did work it was way too slow.

(3) Lackluster tour information by staff. I arrived in Cairo and immediately wanted to see what the hostel provided. Numerous staff personnel failed to either care or give correct info on the tour. Miscommunication by night and day staff caused a massive fumble in plans to take the "historic Cairo" tour. I in turn cancelled all tours bought and requested a refund. Owner did follow up to apologize for their mistake, refunded my purchase and comped me some nights in the hostel.

(4) Excessive amount of flies in the hostel. Don't take it as they are swarming but they are rather a nussaisance. If you're in the common areas you will be swatting one away every 10 seconds. Don't know if mosquito nets on windows are an option but it would definitely help

(5) Light in my bed doesnt work.

(6) Floor boards crack thus negating the bed...

Madina Hostel is a gem. I wouldn't stay at any other Cairene hostel. Throughout a 2-week trip through Egypt, Madina was my home base and I fell in love with the staff and the place; it was my home.

What's most loved by guests: The friendly staff. They're all young and manifest a culture of offering help any chance they can get. They always greeted you with a smile, took it upon themselves to help with whatever you wanted (booking tours, adjusting your stay, storing luggage, making phone calls, etc.), and were also great to just chat with. I got to know their high-caliber managers/owners who focus on quality of execution and caring about their people, and I believe this is where their excellent customer service comes from. Free, freshly cooked, delicious breakfast every morning. Honestly this is insane for a hostel to offer and guests consistently underestimate its value. The housekeepers make you a breakfast platter on the spot of a fried egg, Egyptian bread, fava beans, jams/cheeses, banana, yogurt, and fresh juice. For free. (Be sure to tip them.) Location. Madina is in the dead center of Cairo, so you're a 10-15 min Uber ride from a huuuge number of attractions. Zamalek is near to the west, the Citadel/Al Muaz li-Din/Khan al Khalili near to the east, Tahrir Square and The Egyptian Museum are across the street. It's insanely good. Attention to facilities. A lot of Cairo is in disrepair, but by contrast this staff works CONSTANTLY to keep their bedrooms, bathrooms, and kitchen in clean working order, and they're...