The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo

Before coming to Cairo, I noticed this Ritz had some lower ratings, but my actual experience was really great. The hotel lobby maintains a consistent old-money decor style, and although the room facilities are a bit dated, they are very well-maintained, making for a comfortable stay. The view of the old Egyptian Museum is also quite nice. What really stands out is how incredibly comfortable the Ritz beds are. We also stayed at the Fairmont and Mena House Marriott in Cairo, and both my son and I independently agreed that the beds here were the most comfortable. The Italian restaurant downstairs is also good, with nice Nile views and delicious food. However, I felt the hotel wasn't very busy, as the signature Ritz rooftop bar was unfortunately closed, which was a shame.

Please, for your own sake, avoid this hotel at all costs! Do not come here! 1. The facilities are old and run-down, and the service is absolutely terrible. 2. The attached 'entertainment venue' explicitly forbids Chinese people from entering, and it's a deeply discriminatory policy. They seem to believe we are unworthy of such a 'high-end European establishment,' exhibiting a bizarre, colonial-era sense of pride. 3. After we called the police, the hotel staff even lied to them. I only found out later when I followed up with the police. 4. Most importantly: If you stay here and something goes wrong, the hotel will absolutely not help you. In a city like Cairo, which can be a bit chaotic, I sincerely hope everyone steers clear of this place.

The breakfast was absolutely delicious with a huge variety of fresh ingredients. On our third day, we had an early domestic flight and heard there would be long queues, so we skipped breakfast and the hotel prepared breakfast boxes for us. Turns out, there was no one at the airport, and I really regretted missing out! I wish breakfast started at 6 AM instead. Getting a taxi in Cairo is so easy to get ripped off; an Uber driver tried to charge me 1200 EGP, which was four times the 300 EGP quoted in the app. The bellboy at the entrance was very helpful and found me a car for 600 EGP, which was much more reasonable.

Thanks to my Marriott Gold status, I got upgraded to a Nile River view room, which offered stunning sunset views. I still regret not tipping the friendly guy at the front desk – a huge thank you to him! At breakfast, there was a lovely server who learned 'ni hao' (hello) from us and would greet us with it every day, even chatting with us a bit. The breakfast spread itself was also very good. Getting a taxi from the hotel was super convenient, and it's not too far from anywhere you'd want to go. Highly recommend this place!

The location is quite good, right next to the old Egyptian Museum, which you can see from the terrace. We were a family of three, and the hotel proactively added an extra bed for us. However, overall, the service felt a bit lackluster. To attract more high-end Chinese tourists, the quality of services needs to be improved.

Is this room really a Ritz-Carlton? It's dirty and run-down. What's worse is the bar downstairs playing loud music until past 1 AM, making it impossible to get any rest.

The breakfast spread was incredible, and I was so impressed to try fresh honey for the first time! Plus, the location is fantastic.