best bed:  Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, Cairo, Egypt

Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, Cairo, EgyptThis is one great hotel that wow’s with opulent empire style elegance and the best service imaginable. By the end of my four-night stay there wasn’t a staff member who didn’t greet me by name. They can arrange anything you want including shopping adventures, felucca rides and even dinner with King Tut at the museum (though the price for this is pretty hefty!).   Housekeeping impressed with special person touches like leaving a glass cleaning cloth beside my dirty specs and refolding Jack’s messy pile of clothes. Saved me nagging!!  I first stayed here back in 2002 when it had just opened with two small kids. It was wonderful then. It is better now. They’ve been undergoing a massive renovation, by the end of 2019 all the rooms will have been renovated. Ask for a pyramid view.

Number of Rooms: 212 rooms with 50 suites

Sweet Suite: I love the diplomatic suites which overlook the French Embassy on one side and the pyramids and zoo on the other, so luxurious you struggle to leave and explore Cairo.

Favorite Thing: The breakfast! The selection at the multi station buffet is mind boggling. The cooked dished divine. I had to struggle not to order eggs benedict over and over they were so yummy. There are local favorites (foul and taameya), international offerings and the most wonderful fresh fruits and just squeezed juices.

Near By: Surprisingly Cairo is not a great walking city. The sidewalks are often falling apart, attention is spent weaving around park cars and traffic is insane making crossings an adventure to say the least. The hotel is across the street from the Botanical Gardens and the zoo but sadly neither are very appealing from the ground.  I happily walked around the neighborhood to get my 10,000  steps. At no point was there any danger it just wasn’t particularly charming. I did, however, like the attached First Mall (see 5 things to do in Cairo that aren’t the pyramids). Luckily Uber is super cheap and easy so getting to other parts of the city is a breeze.

Amenities: room service, bottled water, free Wi-Fi, pool, gym, L’Octaine products, casino, spa, restaurants , pillow menu, 15-minute room service, twice daily housekeeping service

http://www.fourseasons.com/CairoFR