Indiana Hotel

The building is old, but the staff are very hospitable, friendly, and understanding, and they’ll sort out any issues you have. I’d recommend the hotel if you don’t mind an older place.

I got back from a four-day trip to Cairo today, and it was a very traumatic experience. An agency I trusted booked this hotel. I hadn’t checked it online, and since there’s nowhere else for me to share my views about Cairo, I’ll explain the hotel issues first. There was no air conditioning in our room, and I caught a cold. The hair dryer didn’t work, so I didn’t wash my hair for four days. Nobody changed the towels, brought toilet paper or shampoo, or changed the sheets during those four days. Staff also kept $20 from a payment we made: we had $100 for a night cruise they’d told us cost $80, though we later saw it listed online for only 10 euros. One receptionist insulted me and said I spoke very badly. Breakfast never arrived. We waited downstairs for pita, and skipped it entirely on two mornings because nobody came. I asked the hotel for a guide because I’d seen reports online about scams and wanted protection. We paid 110 each per day, $220 a day in total, for a guide who only stayed until 14:00 and an all-you-can-eat lunch. At the pyramids, someone offered scarves for 1 euro each, but the guide said she’d take us to another seller. We ended up paying 15 each per scarf, and I believe she knew the seller and was taking a cut. The same thing kept happening. The camel ride cost 75€, though it normally costs 20€, and we were too afraid to argue. When we tried to negotiate, she spoke with sellers in Arabic about whether they’d lower the price, since she had a share of the money. We tried to avoid scams and ended up buying the biggest one ourselves. On our last day we asked to visit the cave church and were told no, so we took an Uber ourselves and saw how little rides cost. But an Uber driver was aggressive, repeatedly hitting the wheel in traffic. The guide’s driver, who had seemed fine, then asked us for 1000 EGP at the airport for a ride that normally costs 200 at most. I’m sorry, but I totally suggest avoiding Egypt, especially Cairo. The streets are very dirty, the driving is crazy, and crossing the road safely is difficult. I felt that tourists were treated like walking wallets, and worried that without paying, people wouldn’t help if we were in trouble. I regretted the trip and wish I’d booked as few days as possible, at most two, even if you’re passionate about the pyramids. There’s also rabies. We spent more than 2 million for four days. I was relieved to get home and kissed the ground. There were wars nearby in Jordan and Iran, and a risk future flights from Cairo might be closed. There are many European countries with beautiful beaches, buildings, and history, and they’re a lot cheaper. People in Europe help for free, while here, even after paying, people tried to scam us.

The hotel was filthy, unhygienic, dark, and dingy, and the staff avoided us. We booked six nights through Love Holidays, but the pictures and reviews didn’t match what we found, so we left after just two hours. The air conditioning leaked water, and the lift felt unsafe. If zero stars were possible, that’s what I’d give.

The location is great, but there was no network access at all during the three days I stayed. If being connected matters, I’d look for another hotel.