Mena Hotel - Palace section or Garden section room?

On our cruise next April, we are staying overnight at the Mena House Hotel. We have decided to upgrade to a pyramid room. We have a choice of the old Palace section or the newer Garden section. If you have stayed here, I would appreciate your opinion.

Judy:)

On our cruise next April, we are staying overnight at the Mena House Hotel. We have decided to upgrade to a pyramid room. We have a choice of the old Palace section or the newer Garden section. If you have stayed here, I would appreciate your opinion.

Judy:)

Here is a report I posted after my visit to Egypt in June:

The Mena House Oberoi easily surpassed my expectations and although I have visited many beautiful hotels around the world, it is now number one on that list in every respect for beauty, opulence, character, comfort and service.

Originally, we had intended on staying overnight on an excursion from our cruise ship but when the stop at Alexandria was cancelled in February, we changed our cruise to a shorter one and booked on our own, an overland tour of Egypt through Cairo and Luxor that would allow us 2 nights at the Mena House and more time to enjoy its charms.

We arrived in the evening after an eye-popping drive through Cairo (is there any other kind?) to Giza from Cairo airport. The driving is crazy but our driver Sayed was terribly skilled and good-natured so it was always fun. What was eye-popping to us was Cairo’s poverty; we were well-informed and forewarned yet thoroughly unprepared for the reality. It continued to be heart-wrenching throughout our tour.

When we drove into the security gates at Mena House, though, the contrast to the sights of our drive in through Giza was stark indeed. The fact that the Mena House was once the hunting palace of the Khedive Ismail should have prepared us for its potential beauty but the Oberoi Company has obviously taken the palace’s original attributes and enhanced them tenfold into something even the Khedive himself could not have imagined.

Mena House sits on 40 acres of manicured gardens with royal palm trees lining the pathways, gardens filled with flowering hibiscus trees, and alabaster fountains everywhere. It is an oasis of sheer beauty that, by itself, would be breathtaking enough, only then, as you walk through it, you look up and see the Great Pyramid of Khufu … and your heart stops dead. It has the ability to sear an indelible memory into the soul of even the most road-wearied traveler.

There are few visitors in Egypt right now. It broke our hearts to see how impossible it must be for Egyptians who depend on tourists to make a living. That being said, there is a plus side for the traveler who visits today: we had the Mena House and all of Egypt’s incredible sights largely to ourselves.

In the lobby bar - an oasis of carved mahogany, gilt panels and oriental bead-work in vast windows that offer a Pyramid view - my wife and I were offered a greeting glass of hibiscus juice and entertained by a 3-piece classical ensemble as we waited for our tour leader to check us in. We never saw more than a handful of guests in our whole stay. At Egypt’s sites, we stood before Tut’s Golden mask for twenty minutes … alone! We spent an hour and a half walking around the Red and Bent Pyramids accompanied by one lone guard on his camel … not another human being in sight, then I spent 40 minutes in Snefru’s burial chamber at the heart of the Red Pyramid, again, completely alone, with only the sound of my own breathing. We sat in the Great Hypostyle Hall of Karnak Temple … alone. What incredible memories; what unique experiences.

At the Mena House, we had originally booked a Palace room with Pyramid view but the Palace section was scheduled for renovation so we booked a Garden section room with pyramid view, instead. As it turned out, the renovations were postponed and we were offered a choice. After seeing both and to my own surprise, we actually chose to stay in the Garden section. True, the Palace rooms have more “character” and a better (closer) Pyramid view, but the Garden section rooms with Pyramid view are more modern, much larger have much larger balconies that look over - you guessed it - the beautiful gardens! And that makes the Pyramid view even better, as you sit with morning coffee in hand and imagine yourself to be a sultan gazing over the opulence of his palace.

We also chose not go to the Sound and Light Show or the Nile Dinner Cruise. We opted instead to fully bask in the Mena House’s exotic ambience. We savoured a dinner at the Moghul Room - purported to serve Egypt’s best Indian cuisine - and we wandered throughout the Palace halls. The food in the Moghul Room was exceptional; the service was both professionally attentive and unobtrusive. Whereas, sauntering through the Palace, its décor, the shops, bars and other restaurants, kept us thoroughly entertained. We weren’t worried about missing the Sound and Light Show because we knew we would get to take in the one at Karnak temple in Luxor and, as it turned out, we were thrilled with it. We had heard that the Pyramid Sound and Light Show was “cheesy”.

In conclusion, what I recommend to anyone who will be spending one or several nights in Cairo is to decide what you are looking for when visiting. If you are looking for exciting night-life and want to be close to the heart of Cairo, do not consider the Mena House Oberoi. But if you wish to be close to the Pyramids of Giza and the necropolis of Saqqara; you wish to be surrounded with opulence, greenery and maybe lounge in a pool where you can open an eye to catch another glimpse of The Great Pyramid; if you want to be pampered after a hot day’s tour and don’t plan on stepping out in the evening … then the Mena House is definitely for you. And, if you do plan to take in the S&L Show at the Pyramids, you’re five minutes away and will get back to the Mena House in time for an Auld Stag Egyptian Whiskey at the Lobby Bar before it closes ;-)

Best of luck in your travels! Enjoy.

Here is a report I posted after my visit to Egypt in June:

 

The Mena House Oberoi easily surpassed my expectations and although I have visited many beautiful hotels around the world, it is now number one on that list in every respect for beauty, opulence, character, comfort and service.

 

Originally, we had intended on staying overnight on an excursion from our cruise ship but when the stop at Alexandria was cancelled in February, we changed our cruise to a shorter one and booked on our own, an overland tour of Egypt through Cairo and Luxor that would allow us 2 nights at the Mena House and more time to enjoy its charms.

Best of luck in your travels! Enjoy.

Who did you book with, and what was the shorter cruise? Thanks!

Here is a report I posted after my visit to Egypt in June:

 

havcamwiltravel,

Thank you for this wonderful review! I am leaning toward the Palace room since we have only one night.

The size, etc. is not as important to me as the 'character' of the room and I also like the idea of

being able to see all of the pyramid (not just the top) and also feeling so close to it.

I appreciate your reply to my post!

Judy :)

havcamwiltravel,

Thank you for this wonderful review! I am leaning toward the Palace room since we have only one night.

The size, etc. is not as important to me as the 'character' of the room and I also like the idea of

being able to see all of the pyramid (not just the top) and also feeling so close to it.

 

I appreciate your reply to my post!

 

 

Judy :)

You're more than welcome. Although we chose the Garden room, I think the Palace rooms are an equally magnificent choice. You certainly won't be disappointed. Have a great trip.

Ask about renovations (ongoing) as we were told that the old Palace section (where the restaurants, reception are) will be undergoing renovations.

havcamwiltravel,

Thank you for this wonderful review! I am leaning toward the Palace room since we have only one night.

The size, etc. is not as important to me as the 'character' of the room and I also like the idea of

being able to see all of the pyramid (not just the top) and also feeling so close to it.

 

I appreciate your reply to my post!

 

 

Judy :)

In that case, I can definitely recommend the Palace rooms to you. I like that part of the Mena Hotel much more than the newer part. However, as others have said, I'd check about ongoing renovations. (Although sometimes I wonder if that is a convenient excuse.....? Has anyone noticed ongoing renovations there recently?)

reception staff told us about upcoming renovations and we noticed a need for some in the bathroom & air conditioning.

In that case, I can definitely recommend the Palace rooms to you. I like that part of the Mena Hotel much more than the newer part. However, as others have said, I'd check about ongoing renovations. (Although sometimes I wonder if that is a convenient excuse.....? Has anyone noticed ongoing renovations there recently?)

When I was there in June, the Palace Section rooms (not the whole palace section, just the rooms) were supposed to be closed for renovations but due to the lack of tourists, the Mena House Oberoi decided to postpone those renovations indefinitely. Sadly, that means that the palace rooms vary from a little shopworn to somewhat shabby.

Also, the construction on the new gardens, fountains, reflecting pools and pavilion were about 99.9% complete in June and slated to open in July. They replaced the old pool and the new additions are simply spectacular, adding so much to the gardens in front of the Garden Section.

The lack of tourists also meant that the only restaurants open were the Khan el Khalili and the Moghul Room but that was where we always planned to dine anyway. The Moghul Room was exceptional in both cuisine and service.

Being the armchair historian that I am, I'd still choose to stay in the Palace Rooms, if they were available. I fully enjoyed my stay in the old Shepheard Hotel in Cairo a few years back; despite being distinctly shabby, it had an air of elegance and "days gone by" that I appreciated. By contrast, I didn't enjoy my stay in the very new and very luxurious Cairo Fairmont Nile City half as much. :o

Of course, if renovations are needed, I hope they get done -- just that they stay true to its history. It's a lovely p(a)lace.

Thank you all for your comments, but after hearing about the air conditioning, I have changed my mind. I am going to request the Garden room. If the renovations have been completed by the time we are there, I may change to a Palace room, if one is available.

Being from Texas, good air conditioning overrides everything else! :eek:

Would this be a good hotel for a family? We will be travelling there next May. Our kids are 12 and 11 years old.

Yes, very nice for children. We stayed in the Mena House last week and our kids loved it.

The hotel is very empty and not all restaurants and bars were open. Also the big pool with pyramid view was closed. There is also a lot of building going on.

Still, I would go there again any minute :) Just be prepared, tourism is very down right now and you can even realise this in the hotel.

We had a pyramid view room in the new wing, which was very nice. Absolutly nothing to complain about. Also, you can get extremly good rates at the moment. We paid about 150 € per night- less than in some ugly airport hotel.

Okay want opinions on this is it worth giving up a nice dinner at hotel at pyramids for a 2 hour cruise with belly dancing and a buffet of I don't know what. Is there that much to see and is it a pretty ride or is it dark. Is it worth $110 US for it?????

Kwar

Okay want opinions on this is it worth giving up a nice dinner at hotel at pyramids for a 2 hour cruise with belly dancing and a buffet of I don't know what. Is there that much to see and is it a pretty ride or is it dark. Is it worth $110 US for it?????

 

Kwar

I live in Ottawa which sits on the Ottawa river and has the Rideau canal running through it. Thousands of tourists take scenic boat rides every year, despite the fact that they can easily see the sites on foot or by using other means of transportation. Ultimately, I suppose it's the idea of sightseeing from the particular vantage point of a leisurely cruise that is appealing.

In Cairo, however, it is not the sights that draw because the Nile in Cairo cuts through the heart of the bustling city; there are neither view of the Pyramids nor view of the desert. It is the idea that you are sailing on the Nile that attracts; bragging rights are gained, I suppose, once you've done it. For $110, I'm sure you can get a better meal with belly dancing in many venues in Cairo with less time set aside from your precious touring time.

After reading on this site and hearing accounts from others, my wife and I dismissed the idea of a Dinner cruise mostly because, with such limited time in Egypt, the value for us was not there. That being said, I must also point out that we also spent more than just 2 days in Egypt; we knew we would get to see the postcard views of the Nile in and around Luxor.

Just returned from our Suez Canal cruise on the Celebrity Solstice. Stayed overnight in Cairo at the Mena House arranged by Memphis Tours. We were in a lovely, large room in the newer wing. Woke up the next morning with a view of the pyramids. Fantastic.

One thing to remember if you're taking a private tour from the ship, it's about 3 1/2 hrs from the port into Cairo. We allowed that much time for the return; however, due to a severed water line in the main highway out of Cairo, we sat in traffic for over an hour. The driver drove like a race car driver to get us back to the ship and we made it......10min before sailing! :eek:Definitely build in extratimefor your return trip.

The entire trip, Cairo, Luxor, Suez, Petra and finish in Dubai was so interesting. We feel very lucky to have been able to get into all the ports during this tenuous time in the Middle East.