Grand Royal Cairo

The rooms they offered as alternatives were just as bad. One didn't have proper lighting, and they told us to use an “emergency light.” That's when it became clear we'd been misled. We refused to stay and asked for a refund. Management said by phone they'd help, but after several follow-ups, nobody has responded. At check-in, our room was filthy and poorly maintained, nothing like the online photos. We'd booked a Royal Studio with a kitchenette, but there wasn't one, or even basic essentials. They didn't provide drinking water and told us to go out at 1 AM to buy some, despite our being new to the area. They changed their story only after we showed the booking confirmation, and the staff kept contradicting one another. Very unprofessional and disappointing. Think twice before booking.

The location is hard to beat. Stores, malls, restaurants, museums, and the metro are all within a kilometer or less. The hotel sits on the sixth floor of Talaat Harb Square and has an elevator. Rooms are clean and nice, and the staff try hard to make your stay pleasant. Just don't expect luxury, these rooms aren't five-star. Breakfast doesn't offer much variety either, though the staff are happy to try to meet your requests. A decent choice if you don't need a luxurious place, and I'd recommend it.

We were five friends sharing two rooms for six nights, and the staff kept everything clean. They were friendly and professional, and made us feel welcome. They listened when we asked for a very early check-in and a later check-out. Breakfast was lovely, with local bread, great cheeses, yogurt, marmalade, chocolate, honey, eggs, coffee, and fresh juices that felt safe to drink. When we had to leave early for a day trip, they packed food for us to take along. The hotel is in a safe city center area, near a drug store, mini market, cafes, and restaurants. It was a very pleasant trip.

It feels like the place's former glory is long gone. The rooms were tiny, dirty, noisy, and in awful shape. They charge about what a normal hostel costs, but the whole place left a bad taste. Even leaving baggage meant dealing with greedy hustlers asking for a tip. Wouldn't recommend it.