Novotel Cairo 6th of October — Hotel in Giza

I recently had the opportunity to stay at the Novotel Cairo 6th of October during my visit to Cairo, and while my experience was overall satisfactory, I found it to be a rather moderate stay. Here's a detailed review of my time at the hotel.

Firstly, the location of the Novotel Cairo 6th of October was convenient for my needs. Situated in the 6th of October City, it offered a peaceful environment away from the bustling city center, which was a plus. However, it's worth noting that the hotel is quite far from major tourist attractions, and reaching downtown Cairo or the Pyramids area required a lengthy commute.

The hotel's exterior and lobby were welcoming, with a modern design and comfortable seating areas. The staff at the reception were polite and check-in was swift. However, throughout my stay, I found the service to be inconsistent. While some staff members were genuinely helpful and accommodating, others seemed disinterested and unresponsive to guest needs, which left me with a mixed impression.

My room at Novotel Cairo 6th of October was clean and adequately sized, but it lacked the luxurious touches I would expect from a higher-rated hotel. The furnishings and decor felt somewhat outdated, and the room could have benefited from a refresh. On the positive side, the bed was comfortable, ensuring a decent night's sleep.

In terms of amenities, the hotel offered a decent range of facilities. The fitness center was well-equipped and had a variety of modern exercise machines. However, I was disappointed to find that the spa services were limited and required advanced booking. The outdoor pool area was pleasant, although the pool itself was smaller than expected. It was a nice spot to relax, but it could get crowded during peak times.

On-site dining options were available, and the breakfast buffet offered a decent selection of dishes. The quality of the food was satisfactory, although I found the variety to be somewhat limited. The hotel's restaurant staff were attentive and courteous, ensuring a pleasant dining experience.

One aspect that stood out during my stay was the Wi-Fi connectivity. The internet was fast and reliable, which was a great convenience for both work and leisure purposes.

Overall, the Novotel Cairo 6th of October provided a moderate stay. While it had its strengths, such as a convenient location, cleanliness, and reliable Wi-Fi, there were areas that fell short, including inconsistent service, outdated room decor, and limited amenities. For travelers seeking a comfortable and convenient base in 6th of October City, this hotel may suffice, but those with higher expectations may want to explore alternative options in Cairo.

Please note that experiences can vary, and this review reflects my personal impressions during my stay at Novotel Cairo...

I'd like to point out that I am a backpacker who's stayed in over 200 hotels, hostels, cars and even a jungle. This is not a four star hotel. If it was a two star hotel I could completely understand and give it a better review.. But it isn't.

Negatives: Receptionist took my card key and told me I hadn't booked another's night stay when we had. She asked me to produce documents. I could not as she had my card key. Luckily my husband came down the elevator with the spare key and he asked me what was happening. She asked us to produce documents. After some time (Around 30 minutes) she got a phone call from our tour operator who confirmed we had booked an extra night. Why couldn't she find that out?

The electrics went on and off for one hour.

There is a dog tied up at the front, 48 hours of the day, I know he's a bomb squad dog and has a job but he deserves shelter and a rest.

There are wild dogs in the area and you hear them barking all night. They growl at each other and howl. Trust me it's loud, I once slept through an earthquake.

Lift never works. Have to get card key renewed everytime it's used.

You are nowhere. Want to get somewhere? Taxi.

Nothing much to do. Nothing nearby, nowhere to go. I think its being built around the area, it's new.

I had several asthma attacks due to the hotel being built. I can smell fumes and paint everywhere.

Oh, you wanna relax by the pool? Nope you can't, building work next to that too, so very noisy and sawdust been blown.

No vegetarian options.

Did not feel like our honeymoon, I even told a staff member and got no response other than "yes, and, can I help you?" and I replied "yes please, I would like to have a double bed with my husband not a single".

Disorganised, lots of errors and confusion.

Lots of staff but the staff do not work for 'free' and will require and request tips constantly. The cleaners would not clean our hotel room until we tipped them. We had asked reception five times at this point and really needed toilet paper, thus tipped the cleaners so we could get the room cleaned. Bizarre.

Good points-

WiFi is amazing. Double rooms are large, comfortable and there is air con. There is a kettle in the room! Free bottle of water everyday. Thank you. TV works. Has toiletries in bathroom such as shampoo...

The staff were lovely, especially Ziad with his infectious smile and tolerance. Ali and Merna too were lovely and helped me with changing my room from two single beds to one double (queen) sized bed. The cleaning staff were lovely and helpful. The only downside to my stay is the smoking smell that was spreading in my room all the time although it was a nonsmoking floor! I did mention this to Ziad and he apologised and said it must be one of the guests who didn't follow the rules! Also, the lobby stinks of smoke smell due to the nearby open bar, where the smoking is permitted. I don't think making a smoking area in the middle of a nice hotel was a good option idea at all! I couldn't sit in the lobby without suffocating and have to leave quickly to gave some fresh air near the pool (it's winter and I struggled with it). The price at the hotel was more than my booking .. they tried to explain it as exchange rate issues.. but I wasn't convinced because that should not apply as the booking price was already in US dollars! I've paid the extra after all but wasn't happy about it! Regarding the location of the hotel, it's average not near any known attractions at all except of Mall of Arabia. However, I've chosen the hotel because it's near my Egyptian friend's house, which made it so convenient for them to pick me up and go places. Over all the stay was acceptable but not sure if I will go there again nor recommend it to...