Cairo house - Hostel

The room itself had several problems: the advertised balcony wasn't there, the Wi-Fi was unreliable, and we had no hot water. When we lost our keys, staff first said there was no spare, then argued with us for about half an hour before giving us another one. Apart from one person, communication with the staff was difficult. I also felt they might have treated us differently because of our appearance or because we were a couple, though I can't be sure. Even before that, getting settled was stressful. I couldn't reach anyone after booking to confirm things or ask questions. When we arrived at night, the receptionist said the booking was for one person and we'd need to pay for another room. I said I'd booked for two and offered to show the reservation on my computer if he gave me the Wi-Fi password, but he couldn't provide it and kept arguing. I was scared about where we'd sleep. After around 30 minutes, he admitted it was his mistake. I regret staying here.

I ended up asking for a refund and finding somewhere else that night. The whole ordeal took more than an hour, and it felt as though they were counting on tired travelers not wanting to switch places at the last minute. I found it dishonest and unacceptable, and wouldn't recommend staying here. I had booked a budget double room, but at check-in they tried to put me in a budget single. First they said that was what I had booked, then said the double wasn't available, and then claimed the price was the same. I showed them my Booking.com reservation, which clearly showed a price difference, and they told me to cancel and book again. There were no budget singles listed online then, but three budget doubles still showed as available. The front desk staff suggested I cancel and pay him cash directly, saying it would cost the same as on Booking.com. After I paid, he said breakfast wasn't included because I'd booked directly and would cost another 100 EGP, exactly the original price difference between the single and double. On top of that, no one was at the front desk when I first arrived, so I waited at least 20 minutes.

I had two confirmed bookings, but on arrival they said there were no rooms and sent me to Travellers hostel, which had lower quality and poor reviews. If you're overbooked or have any other problem, warn guests ahead of time, not on the day they arrive. Bad service.

I wouldn't recommend this place to Arab or Egyptian travelers. They have a policy I don't understand that keeps Arabs and Egyptians out of the dorms, so you end up paying three times the dorm price for a single dusty room with no hot water in the shower. The staff were friendly, though, and offered to upgrade the room for that reason. If you're Arab, just don't go there.