Le Meridien Pyramids vs. Cairo Marriott

[Animated-one]

We just recieved our documents yesterday from GCT on our much anticipated "Ancient Egypt & Nile cruise" for Oct. 14, 2008 and we were shocked to see that GCT has switched us from the the beautiful 5 star Cairo Marriott to the Le Meridien Pyramids in Giza (20k or 13 miles from Cairo). We feel like GCT has pulled a bait and switch at the 11th hour. First I thought no problemo, we get to see and be near the Pyramids in Giza!!! But after reading all the negative feedback on "Tripadvisors" about the Le Meridien, I'm very disappointed and mad!!! There are more than a few issues that I read about, first as mentioned, we are approximately 13 miles from Cairo and we have 2 1/2 days on our own! That means we have to pay for a roundtrip taxi to go to Cairo. The traffic to and from is horrendous and the taxis drivers are trying to rip off the tourists!!! We also read on Tripadvisors that Le Meridien was NOT a 5 star hotel but more like a 3 star hotel! It was noisy, dirty, old, tattered, and in disrepair!!! And, the staff at the Le Meridien were rude; they always had their hands out for tips for doing nothing, like pushing the button on the elevator door, putting towels out around the pool, showing you to your room without your luggage and expecting a tip, the list goes on!!! Also, several people warned that they became very sick after eating at the buffet and the dishes had not been cleaned well. I guess I'm looking for some ray of hope that it isn't THIS BAD!!!! Has anybody out there been there, done that, and had a good experience???

[paul929207]

When we took this GCT trip two and a half years ago we were lucky enough to stay at the Cairo Marriott. There was another GCT group either a few days ahead or behind us that was staying somewhere else. They were not happy when the heard we were at the Marriott. I think the GCT stuff says Marriott or "similar", and hotels are subjet to change.

[cruisemom42]

I can understand your disappointment. I agree that being out at Giza would not be ideal for your free time in Cairo. You are right; the traffic is a nightmare. I would definitely be upset, but I don't know what option you have.

 

However, regarding the hotel itself, I would take the reviews on tripadvisor with a grain of salt. I've stayed at 3 different hotels in Cairo (including the deluxe Conrad Hilton) and have found it is universal that the lower staff will try to get a tip for doing just about anything; this is the way things are done there.

 

Also the general state of cleanliness is (unfortunately) not always to the same standard as in the US; you will see that even from reading the Cairo Marriott reviews.

[Animated-one]

Thank you for your replies. I guess I need to get an attitude adjustment before we go on this trip, or I'm going to be setting us up for a BIG disappointment!:(....... :)

BTW, does anybody have any suggestions for a good (safe) restaurant in Cairo????

 

 

Trish

[cherylakers]

We were just there with GCT on the same trip in January. We stayed at the Marriott. It was a wonderful hotel, but honestly, we took all the side trips, etc. with GCT and never ventured out in the city by ourselves. We tried it one evening and the traffic was horendous and we did not like the location of the Marriott. I have a friend that stayed at the Le Meridian with OAT in April and absolutely loved it. Do the extra excursions with GCT, going to Alexandria, the museum, the bazaar, etc. If you do all of that, you will enjoy your hotel and the down time there. We had a buffet lunch at your hotel the day we went to the pyramids and it was wonderful. Truthfully, I wouldn't be too upset about staying there. At least you won't have the long drive like we did to get to the pyramids. You will also see the sun come up and down on them, which is a site to behold.

 

Go with an open mind, and enjoy. It's a wonderful trip.

 

Cheryl

[Animated-one]

Hi there again,

 

My husband and I would like to know if the optional Alexandria tour is worth the $130.00 per person GCT is charging? Also, can anyone tell us their thoughts on the optional tour to Sakkara, or the hot air balloon ride in Luxor, was it worth it? Any input would be deeply appreciated.

 

Trish

[Toto2Kansas]

Haven't been to the Marriott in Cairo, but we did spend one night at the Le Meridien Pyramids in Giza last December. Didn't find a thing wrong with the hotel at all, except the elevators were a tad strange and slow. The hotel was lovely, and the room was very nice with a great balcony. We did opt, and pay extra for a pyramid room, to our disappointment. Any room with the tinest view of the top of a pyramid is considered a pyramid view room. Not a great view in ours by any means.

 

But we had no problem with the staff or anything else. I wouldn't worry too much about the hotel switch, it honestly will not ruin your planned trip, in fact, you might be quite satisfied with the accomodations provided. I know we were.

 

Have a wonderful trip!

[smeyer418]

Hi there again,

 

My husband and I would like to know if the optional Alexandria tour is worth the $130.00 per person GCT is charging? Also, can anyone tell us their thoughts on the optional tour to Sakkara, or the hot air balloon ride in Luxor, was it worth it? Any input would be deeply appreciated.

 

Trish

Sakkara isworth the side trip its much less crowded than the Pyramids in Giza and the Balloon trip in Luxor is worth the money as well(as long as you don't mind getting up at 4 am).... I am not sure about Alexandria but we took a private tour to the Suez canal and thought that was worth the money.

[cruisemom42]

Animated-one,

 

Most of the good hotels in Cairo have good (and safe) restaurants. If you are on your own for the day and looking for a meal, I would suggest any of these as a good option (for example the Hilton right across from the Egyptian museum has a sort of "snack bar" lunch place where you can grab lunch if you are there. (With your ticket, you can exit the Museum and get back in without paying again...)

 

Even for dinner, many of the best restaurants are in the hotels. But if you are looking for an Egyptian style restaurant for dinner, I can suggest a Giza restaurant at the nearby Mena House Oberoi called Al Rubayyat (sp?); they have a show as well. In the Khan el Khalili bazaar, there is also a restaurant managed by the Oberoi group, I think it is simply called Khan el Khalili restaurant. Very atmospheric and probably would be my top choice for an Egyptian meal.

[cruisemom42]

Hi there again,

 

My husband and I would like to know if the optional Alexandria tour is worth the $130.00 per person GCT is charging? Also, can anyone tell us their thoughts on the optional tour to Sakkara, or the hot air balloon ride in Luxor, was it worth it? Any input would be deeply appreciated.

 

Trish

 

 

Sakkara -- yes by all means; fascinating and beautiful site

 

Alexandria -- not so much of a "must do" -- if I had to choose between this and doing something else in and around Cairo, like the bazaar or some of the beautiful mosques (like Ibn Tulun), I'd say stay in Cairo. If you are interested in seeing some of the Egyptian remains from the time of the Romans/Cleopatra, then you might be interested in going but be warned that there is very little from that area (most of it is now underwater).

 

Luxor/Hot air balloon -- I had about talked myself out of doing this because I'd heard how expensive it can be. However, our guide negotiated a great rate and it was one of the most thrilling experiences for me to see the Valley of the Kings, the Nile, and Luxor from the air. I don't know how much GCT charges, but you can book this on your own from most any hotel in Luxor or one of the several travel agencies right in the main street.

[paul929207]

We did the Sakkara & Alexandria trip. Sakkara was fascinating, it is the oldest standing building in the world.

 

Alexandria was also good. We enjoyed the scenery from the train on the way to Alexandria. The library is excellent. On the other hand it was a long bus ride back to Cairo.

[Animated-one]

I have a couple more questions. First, is it safe to walk around in Cairo on your own? We want to go to the bazaar and see some other highlights. Any suggestions? Second, GCT is charging $165 per person for the hot-air balloon ride in Luxor. Can we do better booking it on our own? Thanks for your input.

[cruisemom42]

I have a couple more questions. First, is it safe to walk around in Cairo on your own? We want to go to the bazaar and see some other highlights. Any suggestions? Second, GCT is charging $165 per person for the hot-air balloon ride in Luxor. Can we do better booking it on our own? Thanks for your input.

 

The bazaar is very safe. It is quite crowded though, so do be prepared. You will be hassled in a good-natured way to buy things. (By way of comparison, I found the market sellers in Istanbul were much more aggressive than in Egypt, but it is still a shock for some people.) There is very little petty crime in Egypt, but when you are in a crowded place, it always pays to be conscious of your belongings. Never buy anything without bargaining!

 

As to other sightseeing, I don't know what you are already going to be seeing with your tour. Some of the "must see" places for me in Cairo included the Egyptian museum (#1, even if it is included in your tour, you may want to go back on your own); the Khan el Khalili bazaar, the tentmakers' bazaar, the area known as Coptic Cairo (the oldest part of Cairo, where you get the feel of the medieval town), the Gayer-Anderson museum, Ibn-Tulun mosque, the Citadel.......

 

Now for the balloon: you should be able to arrange something for $60 to $75 per person. Here is a link to a discussion on tripadvisor about some of the possible places to arrange this:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294205-i9426-k1964964-Hot_Air_Balloon_Cost-Luxor_Nile_River_Valley.html

[travelbugs]

We stayed at Le Meridien Pyramids last November. We had a blast! We were there for 2 nights. Our rooms were clean ( we had 3 rooms), we had breakfast at the hotel in the mornings, lunch was on the road, dinner at a Cantina, that was connected to the hotel, one night. The next night we celebrated a birthday at a restaurant called Barry's. The buffet at the hotel was fine. The kids and I didn't eat anything we didn't recognize, and no meat ( we're not vegetarians). They do have pomegranate that was out of this world! All of our rooms were pyramid views, it's really smoggy though, so there were times we couldn't tell we had a view. It was fun to watch the traffic. There's a roundabout just outside the hotel, buses don't stop to let passengers off or on, they simply slow down. Or watching to see how many oxen or sheep can fit into a small toyota type truck! We were able to see a beautiful Egyptian wedding in the lobby. The reception was there as well, we didn't participate but a friend traveling with us did, he was welcomed with open arms and danced the night away with his new Egyptian family ( he was worthless to us the next day however)!! The hotel staff was pleasant. The hotel has a "Sheesha" bar that is worth checking out. It has a decent gym and the pool looked inviting. Yes there were people at the elevators doing the "Baksheesh" thing, but they are everywhere. By the end of the trip, we were beating them to the punch! The Mexican Cantina next to the hotel was fine. Typical Mexican cuisine. Barry's restaurant was over the top. I posted about them before ( I promise not to have any affiliation with them). It is a wonderful place with the best food I experienced the entire trip ( I did sample several meats here)! It overlooks the pyramids (if you go there, check the day, it may be the same day as a light show at the pyramids), 2 birds with one stone! We had a table on the top floor. Just below was a very lively nightclub.

No, we didn't go walking around at night. We had private drivers and an Egyptologist with us the entire trip. We booked through Y'alla Tours(They also were over the top). 12 day tour starting in Cairo, going as far North to Abu Simbel ( 4 days on the Nile). Our hotels consisted of: Le Meredien, Steigenberger Palace in Luxor (rooms overlooking the Nile), Nile Festival and the Intercontinental Heliopolis ( got an apartment here). Our family would have no problems staying at any of these places again! Have a wonderful trip, we can't wait to go back!!!

[Animated-one]

Thank everyone for all of the valuable information. You have made us feel much more comfortable about the Le Meridian and dining options. Also, your feedback on tours and must see attractions is very helpful. By the way Travelbug, where is Barry's restaurant located?

 

Best regards,

Trish

[travelbugs]

Their website is http://www.barry1.com

Address & Menu with pictures.

~bugs

[WeBeGone]

We stayed at Le Meridian last Nov and thought it was just fine. No problems at all. We've also stayed at the Marriott and yes, I think it's a true 5 star while Le Meridian is a 4 star, but besides your disappointment you'll be fine. We enjoyed the food and even being beside a busy highway, our room was quiet, clean and spacious.

 

I agree with others that sakkara is worth the trip and ditto to all the suggestions from cruisemom42. We went into the bazaar for dinner at Khan el Khalili . It was wonderful.

 

The only other suggestion I have is to make sure to try sheesa somewhere.....but don't inhale!

[COLMRS]

We were just on the GCT trip to Egypt, Aug 16. We stayed at the Le Meridien Pyramids and were disappointed only in the fact that everything

GCT tells in their brocures is Marriott. We couldn't find anything on Le Meridien until I went to TripAdvisor. The Le Meridien was fine - food good, staff helpful. Hotel did have a few Egyptian weddings while we

were there and that was an extra "Discovery" as GCT likes to call them.

We enjoyed Alexandria and bus ride back was nearly 3 hrs but ok. Sakkara

was worth the trip. We didn't go on the balloon ride but several in our group did and thought it was great. I've seen some of the pictures taken

of Luxor from the air and they are wonderful. A couple tips. Our GCT buses sold water 2 for $1 and you go through at least 6 a day. Hotel is

expensive however, there are a couple stands around the corner that

sell water reasonablely. Pharmacy around the corner that sells Antinal

for $1 good for what ails in Egypt if you know what I mean. Also recommend buying a roll of 1 Egyptian Pound coins from the Le Meridian

banker - you will need them for bathroom tips and they also are a good souvenir. Enjoy Egypt- GCT took good care of us - We were a little

disappointed in the Jordan add-on, only in the PD who was far from the

quality of our Egyptian guides but from what the fellow travelers were

saying the were going to say in their surveys, I doubt he is still working for GCT.

[Animated-one]

A couple more questions about GCT tours. We have only one afternoon to see the Egyptian's Museum is that enough time to see everything???? I also understand that the museum charges extra fees to see King Tuts room & the Royal Mummy room, how much extra were they and were they worth seeing???

 

When you arrived at the Le Meridien Hotel were you able to request a room on a higher floor, or a room that over looks the Pyramids???

 

Last, but not least! Did you feel safe in Egypt? The reason I'm asking this question is because I notice another thread talking about 11 tourist being held hostage in Egypt by the Sudan border. Thankgoodness they were not harm, and all were set free!..... But it does make me a little nervous about our safety!

 

Any input would be deeply appreciated!

Trish

[cruisemom42]

A couple more questions about GCT tours. We have only one afternoon to see the Egyptian's Museum is that enough time to see everything???? I also understand that the museum charges extra fees to see King Tuts room & the Royal Mummy room, how much extra were they and were they worth seeing???

 

When you arrived at the Le Meridien Hotel were you able to request a room on a higher floor, or a room that over looks the Pyramids???

 

Last, but not least! Did you feel safe in Egypt? The reason I'm asking this question is because I notice another thread talking about 11 tourist being held hostage in Egypt by the Sudan border. Thankgoodness they were not harm, and all were set free!..... But it does make me a little nervous about our safety!

 

 

 

Any input would be deeply appreciated!

Trish

 

Egyptian museum: If you will be spending the majority of the afternoon there, it will be a good enough introduction. (Some of us can never get enough time there, but that's another story.....)

 

There is not an extra charge to see the rooms with Tutankhamun's treasures. There is, however, an extra charge for the mummy rooms (there are two of them). I can't remember for sure but I believe the cost is 100 Egyptian pounds -- and they do NOT take dollars or euros or credit cards. I was unpleasantly surprised on my last visit as my guidebook said 80 pounds and as it was my last day, I'd put aside just that much. I had to exit the museum, find an ATM and get more Egyptian funds before coming back to buy my ticket. Oh well.....used up the excess at the museum gift shop and the stores at the Hilton next door.

 

Safety: While no one can guarantee safety in these times, do keep in mind that those tourists who were kidnapped were in a very isolated area deep in the desert and far off the beaten track where most tourists (and your GCT tour) will be going. Egypt takes security of visitors very seriously and you will see most tourist areas have a heavy police presence. I wouldn't put any energy into worrying about it.

[COLMRS]

King Tut stuff was open to all. Gct took care of Mummy room cost for

tour. I believe it is and was quite safe in Egypt. We had guards on our

bus, at the hotel, excorted by a police vehicle as buses usually went all

three at a time. On our trip to catch the Cairo train to Alexandria the

Egyptian Tourist police had an seperate area for our buses when we arrived and had blocked off part of the train station so we board our

train car. I must admit that their airport x-rays and procedures are quite

not up to standards of other countries - but that's a problem for all

passengers not just GCT. For Example, we but our bags through the X-rays at several airports with water and open, i.e. half full water and they were never checked sometimes they asked for your quart bag of

3 oz stuff and sometimes - often not.

On the Nile cruise there was security around.

Security was what I did in the Air Force and I and my wife felt very

confortable with what we had in country. Our baggage was usually

gang checked in- not individually weighed which was good for most of us.

Also the handcarried bags were not weighed or anyone restricted just to

one carryon bag.

[Animated-one]

I just got off the phone with GCT, they called to let me know that we will not be cruising on the Ms Stephanie as planned, but on a MUCH OLDER boat!:mad: Needless to say, I'm not just mad, I'm angry!!!!:mad: :mad: :mad: I booked this trip with GCT because I had read that Ms. Stephanie was one of the newer Nile River boats! I went out of my way to find a date that we would be on the Ms Stephanie instead of the Ms Ankut that GCT normally uses!!! Now I would be thrilled if we could be on the Ms. Ankut instead!!!!! Sooooooo, has anybody ever been on the Ms Liberty????

 

ps We booked this trip for our 30th Anniversary, so far it's not going well!!

 

Signed

VERY UNHAPPY!:(

[HappyMe_]

Hello, I am very sorry to hear of the changes you are experiencing.

 

We are leaving in less than 3 weeks for our Nile Cruise and I sure would not be happy to see changes, after the research that we all do and with some expectations. We are travelling with Uniworld, MS Miriam. About ten years old.

 

I did a little look for you, and did notice that the Liberty does have balconies, that would be a plus, if your previous river ship did not. The pictures look rather nice. I found a whole lot more info on your ship, than I have on the Miriam. Everyone must have forgot their cameras! :)

 

Here are some webshots to give you a better look inside. http://travel.webshots.com/album/558580236mOLFXz?start=24

 

Btw, when do you leave? It might also be helpful to post over on the River Cruising page to see if anyone has been on the Liberty.

 

Best of Luck.

[micked10@earthlink.net]

HappyMe,

I will be interested in your trip report when you return from Egypt. We are still in the planning stages but looking into Uniworld. Since we can not go until 2009 we would do their newest ship the River Tosca, but I believe the itinerary would be the same as yours. We travelled with Uniworld this past Spring on their Tulips and Windmills cruise and had a wonderful time.

Would love to hear from you when you return.

have a wonderful time.

micked10

[HappyMe_]

I will do my best. This trip I plan on taking a journal..............well I have taken it on 2 other trips....but this time, I may actually WRITE something lol.

 

If I organize my thoughts on a daily basis, I may actually come up with a review. At any rate, I will certainly have something for you to read about on our return.

 

18 days to go :).