Marriott Mena House, Cairo — Hotel in Giza

The Mena House - with the incredible view of the Giza Pyramids, the history of the hotel, I would have thought the food and service would have been exceptional, sadly, it was not. I made plans for my wife and I to have a final night in Egypt with a view of the pyramids at sunset. When we arrived for dinner at approximately 18:00, we were asked if we wanted indoors or out under an umbrella. Having just finishing a tour of the pyramids in Darshur I asked if there was a nice view from indoors since it was nice and cool. The only available table was right next to the front entrance, not the best place to sit, so we opted for a table outside with the understanding from the Hostess and a Manager (or at least the head waiter) that a portable A/C unit would be brought to our table (this is not uncommon in Egypt). With the reflecting pond at our feet, a beautiful garden in the foreground, the pyramids beyond, the view before us was indeed spectacular. We ordered drinks from the bar, my wife had a Gin-Fizz, I took a chance and ordered a Pina Colada (mainly because I knew it would be cold). The server asked if I wanted alcohol, I said yes. Having owned my own bar, I know what a Pina Colada should taste like, this one I could swear had zero alcohol. Meh, I was hot and thirsty so down it went. I also asked for the portable A/C unit, this now was the second person I asked and he replied that he'd look for one. We ordered our meal, my wife who is a vegetarian found the menu lacking in vegetarian options and ordered saffron risotto. I ordered a chicken with a side of mashed potatoes. If you notice in the picture, the mashed potatoes was under the chicken and was no more than a schmeer on the plate, hardly a side. The person serving our food was a new person, I again asked for the portable A/C unit, now a third time, and the third person. The sun was still going down, and eating the hot meal, the cool air of the A/C would have been nice. The meal was adequate but hardly par for the reputation of the restaurant and frankly we had better food from the local eateries in Cairo. After our meal, I asked for a dessert menu. Now this might be nit-picking, but again, this is supposed to be a higher end place, but when the server brings the dessert menu, it's customary to indicate what isn't available though it's on the menu. My wife and I decided on an apple tart, but alas, it was not available, so plan "B" was a creme brulee with blueberries. The custard delight was delivered... No blueberries! We looked inside the custard, nothing. (If you've seen the movie Casino, you know my feeling.) I determined that again, a small schmeer on the plate was the blueberries. One more detail about the dessert... In all of the restaurants around the globe, in all of my years, whenever I'm on a date, when there are two people at the table and one dessert is ordered... Two utensils are brought to the table. Not here! This was definitely a first! The dish was placed directly in front of me with a single spoon. My wife and I looked at each other, "Really?!?" I looked around for the server, but he was gone. I got up from the table, three servers and a head waiter were standing off to the side, talking and looking at their phones, not one person noticed I was clearly looking for something. I went to the service stand hoping to find cutlery, but no. Instead, I took prepped cutlery and napkin from an unused table. We didn't get the A/C nor was an explanation ever given as to why we didn't. A person could have said they didn't have one, they were broken, whatever, some sort of explanation would have been fine. But the fact that the hostess said a unit would be brought to our table, leaves me wondering what the story was. To wrap up, the only time we were asked how our meal was, was when they brought the check. My feeling is that perhaps the restaurant lives off the view, that people are ready to accept mediocre service and food because of it. That or perhaps it was because we were not guests of the hotel. In any case, my hope is that your...

🚦Warning: long review with tons of pix‼️ We stayed 5 nights at the amazing Marriott Mena House,Cairo for spring break. Family of 4, got two rooms next to each other (no connecting door). I checked in to my room and found rose petals and a birthday cake waiting for me. My birthday was early March but that didn’t matter 🤭

Here’s my honest review after our stay—

Location: far from downtown, very close to the pyramid, literally 5-10min walk from the hotel entrance. I personally think it’s the best location because traffic in Egypt can be very loud, even after 11pm. This hotel is a bit away from the hustle and bustle.

Staff: very friendly and helpful! Always greeting us with smiles. My child got sick during the last 2 days, I use the chat from app and the person whom I spoke to got the local pharmacy to bring ibuprofen to the hotel. They even got two different dosages for me to choose since I mentioned it was for a child.

Restaurants: 139 Pavilion - had an amazing breakfast there every morning. The best part was definitely the view of the pyramids. Breathtaking!! Great selection on pastries and breakfast items. The omelette station could get pretty busy but worth the wait. I had lunch at 139 as well, the menu was pretty average American food.

Alfredo Italian - had two dinners there. Very good pasta and selection of seafood.

Moghul Indian - restaurant is not open, it’s sharing space with 139. You can still order from the menu but we didn’t get to try it.

Room service - wonderful! For 20 Egyptian pound, you can get room service delivered to your room. Food is always hot and I ordered soup one time and it came in cast iron pot!

Beware ⛔️ if you charge your bills to the room, there will be an additional 10% charge on top at checkout. I didn’t read the fine prints but it was not bad.

M club: nice space for those who has access to it. The gentleman who works there at night was amazing and attentive. The club has small plates and alcoholic drinks from 530-730pm. There are coffee, soda and water for grab with small bakery items nearby.

Pool: the pool is big! It’s not deep either, I forgot exactly how deep with its probably only 4 ft. There are plenty of lounge chairs around and even during the busiest time, the pool attendants always come and help find you a chair. They also bring you towels and move the umbrella around to make sure you are comfy.

Spa: oh the spa! Ladies, please go get a massage! I paid $70 for a 1.5 hours of massage with a sea mud mask. For that price, I can probably only get the mask. A word of caution, if you choose to add on the mask, please don’t go with any makeup. They never warn me about it and I went in with my moisturizer and sunscreen on my face. Halfway through the massage, the masseuse slap the mud on my face. I wish I could’ve go in with clean makeup free face.

Security: they take security very seriously!! There’s a gate right at the entrance. All drivers need to show their ID and a search dog will smell the car for every entry. Then after you are dropped off, metal detectors at every entrance in the hotel. Some doors even need card to access it. We feel absolutely safe staying here. Once the security “know” you, you can walk right through because I took walks with my husband at night after dinner.

Room: I had partial pyramids view rooms and I see the pyramid from my balcony every day and every night and still not sick of it. The room is spacious, so is the bathroom. The only thing I could pick on is the shower/bathtub combo. The glass door is only half way from one wall to another, so the floor gets wet after every shower. We stayed at a newer part of the hotel, so you can still smell the paint in the hallway. Not too strong but it’s enough that you notice once you walk by.

💕Overall, we really enjoyed our stay and I hope if you are debating to stay there, you will find this review...

I've been planning on staying at this unique property for a decade, which is the only hotel overlooking one of the world's wonders.

I was always conviced at staying at their sister property Marriott Zamalek which has a prime location in the busy heart of Cairo. This time I called the hotel to inquire about the hotel room types and the atmosphere of this incredible hotel; I spoke to the guest experience supervisor who not only convinced me to stay at the property for my next visit, but also made me excited to come the next day to Cairo, and book my airline tickets ASAP. They were very hospitable, smart, and had high communication skills who were a real addition to the historic Mena House. Upon check-in the front desk ataff went beyond their task to help me with my bags, as well as helped me unpack, to make me feel right at home since the first hour of my stay. I enjoyed my flawless stay at this great property, and saw myself extending it to more than 40 days!! instead of my initial 4 nights. Mena house is now my new favorite hotel in all of Egypt, thanks to friendly staff's daily follow-up insuring my stay is an exceptional one. Along with hotel stars such as Ashraf, Saeed, Sammy, Hanafy, and Bakr at the pool, who helped me get my perfect gold tan and made sure I was hydrated. As well as Sherif at housekeeping who was so professional making sure my room is spotless, and went over the top to help me with other requests at other departments at the hotel. Not to forget Shaaban, at the laundry department, who made sure I looked sharp during my stay. Wageeh, Amal, Marian, Madonna, Sameh, and Youssef at the 139 restaurant greeted me with a long lasting smile every morning that made my day a remarkable one, along with their extensive food choices that satisfy all tastes; with customized picture worthy dishes. In the middle of the day i found myself enjoying the M club great choices with the incredible Nagy, Adel, and their colleagues who made sure I tried the talented chef's creations. When I'm up for a change, I'd head to the Moghol Room to find the welcoming Sama, Nabil, and Mohamed satisfying my taste buds with a delicious lamb biryani and Korma, enjoying it with a breathtaking view of the pyramids of Giza; that for sure has me coming back every 2 days for another mouth watering experience. When I want to change, with a European appetit, you'll find me at the Alfredo Italian restaurant overlooking the pool, enjoying delicious and authentic Italian dishes created by the amazing chef Mohamed and his colleagues. This is truly a destination within a destination; Cairo has a lot to offer, but i don't blame other guests who barely leave this iconic property. I see myself eagerly wanting to come back as soon as I leave sight of this amazing hotel that I called home for the amazing 40 days I was there.

Will definitely go back here for my next vacation. During my 40 days I had nothing but great memories and great interactions with everyone there. Truly a relaxing vacation that is hard to "pause" and not come back to.

Thank you to all those I mentioned, along with other stars that made me feel right at home in this unforgettable getaway.

A special thanks to Mr. Islam, the front desk supervisor who made sure my stay was flawless, enjoyable, and...