Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza

As a family that uses the standards of houses such as St. Regis, Mandarin Oriental, Raffles, The Peninsula, Oberoi properties, as well as icons like Badrutt’s Palace as a benchmark, our first stay at a Four Seasons was met with high expectations. Check-in & Amex FHR: A functional but impersonal arrival The reception was professional, and our request for an early check-in was handled smoothly. However, the arrival lacked any sense of ceremony: check-in took place standing at a counter, no sitting down, no welcome drink. Anyone who has been greeted at the Constance Lemuria with the traditional gong and a phalanx of the team knows what a true welcome feels like. Furthermore, the implementation of the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits was disappointing. Despite online availability, an upgrade was denied, and we were assigned a suite on the 9th floor, even though my 50th birthday was noted on the file. By comparison, the Peninsula Beijing placed us in a suite three categories higher without any special occasion. While our suite at the Nile Plaza offered a great view of the Nile, we are aware that this would have been significantly more spectacular on one of the higher floors (20+). The Suite & the lack of a "Sense of Luxury" The Executive Suite was in impeccable condition. A special mention must go to the room service staff member: he was highly educated, spoke excellent English, and was extremely attentive to our needs. Yet, the details reveal why the house falls short of the world's elite: a turndown service without slippers or floor mats by the bed, and without any chocolate at the bedside, is unusual in this league. Furthermore, while water was provided, it was merely in a plastic bottle and without a glass. In houses of this class, we are familiar with details such as a jasmine spray for the pillows. The fact that such touches were missing here was sobering. Dining & Service: Light and Shadow The Highlights & Pricing: Prices in the restaurants are generally very reasonable. The restaurant "8" was a dream—food, service, and views at a world-class level; here, we felt we received exceptional value for our money. The Pool Bar and the Upper Deck also impressed with very good service and family-friendly portions (the club sandwich is excellent). The Breakfast Fiasco: While the quality and selection were good, the offering was far from what is provided at, for example, the Armani Hotel Dubai. Furthermore, the behavior of the staff was shocking: when I ordered a second portion of Eggs Benedict from the chef, he reacted by rolling his eyes and stating, "But you just had a portion." When I asked if that was a problem for him, he replied that everything was fine. Such a comment is unprecedented in high-end hospitality. The Riviera Experience: On my birthday, the seating in the restaurant was unfortunate. Despite a reservation made weeks in advance as a family with a note regarding the birthday, they tried to squeeze the three of us onto a cramped table for two. Only after our intervention (we almost had to beg) were we given a larger table. What was incomprehensible: there were three other tables of this size where only two people were sitting. The general atmosphere in the restaurant was characterized by very cramped seating, which raised the noise level and allowed for almost no privacy. Handling of Criticism & CRM On a positive note, the hotel app and its chat function work wonderfully and very quickly. When we complained that the cutlery had been forgotten for room service, the reaction was exemplary. The F&B Manager sought us out for a conversation at breakfast the next morning, apologized personally, and removed the item from the bill. The handling of criticism is highly professional, though one would wish that processes were organized in a way that prevents such errors from occurring in the first place. Nevertheless, my 50th birthday was effectively ignored (the cake was placed in the room two days too early, and no reaction followed on the actual day). Conclusion The Nile Plaza operates like an efficient luxury machine but lacks emotional intelligence. At times, we felt like second-class guests, which particularly surprises us given that over three nights in a booked Executive Suite, we were already staying in one of the higher categories. It raises the question of how guests in standard rooms are treated, or if the hotel simply makes no distinction based on the category booked. Those who appreciate the warmth of Singita or the welcome culture of Constance, Six Senses, or Baglioni will find the soul missing here. We suspect (or rather hope) that this location does not reflect the global gold standard of the chain.

After a full day at the Egyptian Museum we stopped into the Four Seasons hoping to find a table for dinner. We met Mr. Kamal Walid at the Concierge Desk who accompanied my wife and I to several of the hotels' restaurants searching for a table until he could finally procure us a table at the poolside restaurant and bar where we enjoyed a lovely meal and service. Our experience was incredible because of Mr. Walid. He is an astounding gentleman and representative o The Four Seasons, a true asset to the hotel. Because of him we would book our next stay in Cairo at The Four Seasons.

This 4S is probably not as nice as many, but it’s still the gold standard in Cairo. We had a premium Nile view king for four nights and it was fine. Only complaint is a lack of horizontal space in the room—no place to put packing cubes, etc. Great location. Nice breakfast. Ate at the Italian resto on Valentines Day. There was a set menu which was a bit too much. Also ate at “8” the Asian-themed resto. Food was good, but service seemed a bit confused. Lobby bar is very nice, as is the bar above the pool area. Beware though . . . Cocktails and imported wine are extremely expensive. All-in-all a pleasant stay, if a bit underwhelming.

A Truly World Class Hotel located ideally in Cairo. I can’t recommend this hotel enough. One of the finest I’ve visited anywhere in the World. Staff went out of their way to assist. I emailed a request through in English and Salma Ahmad answered swiftly enabling my wishes and everything was arranged with style and elegance. If you are looking for the best hotel in Cairo… Stay here.

5 star Four Seasons- this does not deliver anywhere near a 5 star experience. At the beginning of a 5 night stay I was thinking of 4 star recommendation- this changed rapidly. Breakfast service is best described as ‘chaotic’ and I struggle to give any positives. We were left to stand and wait by an uncleared table on every visit- table was not set up even after waiting. Guests were collecting their own cutlery from a disorganised service. One morning after waiting for a table- we came back from the buffet to find our table ‘given away’, even though we had coffee and juice in place. If you wanted a plate to get some pastries- they never existed unless you asked. Room service was really below par to be honest. Bedding was made- upside down- I’ll post a photo. We came back after a day exploring at 3.10 and no room service. Room was as we left it. I contacted room service, I was told that that it’s up to 3pm that rooms are s serviced. The duvets are very old and lumpy. Our balcony door- room 2811- had issues from the start. The handle came off and we reported this twice. A maintenance person came to fix it and we went out leaving him. We came back and the whole mechanism fell out- to be fair, we were offered another room, but we were checking out the following day. We slept with an insecure door. The furniture on the balcony is dated. To sum up what other guests have commented on- Reception staff are great. The other staff are talking in groups or on their phones. No concierge help outside the hotel, no showing to your room- you find your own way and are expected to figure out lights etc.