el masaadya hotel

It's a good hotel for somewhere to rest and sleep, and the staff were friendly and helped us around the hotel. We booked two rooms: one was clean and neat, while the shower in the other had a serious issue. There was no hot water, and then the pipe suddenly burst. The location was just okay. Breakfast choices were limited, which was disappointing.

The main advantage of El Masaadya Hotel is how close it is to Cairo International Airport (CAI), about a 12-15 minute drive. That helps for a transit stay or an early flight. Beyond that, the stay involved a lot of compromises. We were switched to a different room at check-in. It smelled strongly of stale cigarette smoke, and the view wasn't what we had paid for. The safe was locked when we arrived, so we had to call maintenance to make it usable. The room didn't feel well designed for a family, though I did appreciate having a safe once it was working, and the flat-round plugs fit North American flat-pin adapters easily. Room service was a mess. I called ahead to order food for 8:00 p.m. because we had a flight to catch, and asked three times if they understood the order and timing. They said yes, but after waiting half an hour and going downstairs at 8:00 p.m., I found they hadn't ordered anything. The back-and-forth took ages while we were short on time. We eventually got the meal, but were charged 100 EGP extra for VAT and a room service fee, and they wouldn't accept the coupons they'd initially given us. We were rushing to leave, so we paid the higher bill and went. The food itself was tasty and Halal. Prices were around two-thirds of US standards, which was a relief and typical for three-star places in Egypt. Breakfast was complimentary but sparse. Eggs or cheese were basically the only protein choices, and decent coffee cost extra, otherwise it was instant Nescafe. The bathroom needs a redesign. Water drained poorly and flooded the floor outside the shower, and there was nowhere to put a bar of soap, not even by the basin. Hot water took a long time to come through, and the towels were falling apart and leaving lint. Amenities were another frustration: unlike at Crowne Pyramid View Inn, there was a charge to order an iron, and you had to specifically request a hairdryer. The front desk was hard to reach. We tipped the bell boy generously, but the desk didn't remind him to come to our room on time. Calls to reception just got a busy tone or a full mailbox. The quick airport drive is fantastic, but the room mix-up, failed food order, unhelpful front desk, and basic comfort issues made this a difficult stay. I'd only choose it if a fast airport commute were an absolute priority.

The room was excellent, but I couldn't get a receipt to claim reimbursement from work. They don't reply to emails, and when I called the owner, he wasn't helpful.

The rooms are spacious and amazing, and the hotel staff were helpful and cooperative. The adjoining restaurant is pure rubbish, though, and that's the reason for the star I took off.