Hotel Recommendations near Giza Pyramids

[CruisinEurope]

Hello!

 

Was wondering if anyone can provide recommendations for hotels near the Pyramids in Giza.

 

We're a family of 4 - and would prefer one room ... so if anyone has experience in that area - we'd be very appreciative!

 

Thanks!

[smeyer418]

I personally prefer the Mena house...great older hotel with a nice pool.....

[cruisemom42]

I'd recommend the Mena House Oberoi

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294202-d302723-Reviews-Mena_House_Oberoi-Giza.html

 

over the Le Meridien Pyramids:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g294202-d496737-Reviews-Le_Meridien_Pyramids_Hotel-Giza.html

 

As far as I know, these are the top 2 choices at Giza. Don't be scared by the prices at the Oberoi, your guide should be able to get a good rate. The Oberoi has an older section (it was once a royal lodge) and a newer section. If history is important to you, specify that you want a room in the older section. However, I suspect the rooms in the newer section may be bigger -- and that could be more important with 2 little ones...

[CruisinEurope]

Great!

 

I will be checking both of those out.

 

Quesiton - are the pools safe to swim in at the hotels? I've read so much about the water/etc. - - and have no idea if we can:

 

- swim in the pools

 

- brush our teeth/shower

 

etc.

 

Thanks!!

[cruisemom42]

The pools are safe to swim in, but I'd avoid getting water in your mouth (may be hard with kids). I'm not a pool person, but I know numerous people who've stayed in hotels in Cairo and Luxor and used the pools without any problem.

 

As to water, do not trust the water anywhere unless it is from a sealed bottle! Not even in a top hotel. Brush your teeth with bottled water and when you shower, do not get the water in your mouth. And of course, avoid ice.

 

I did a 2-week land tour in Egypt this year (after a cruise stop like yours in 2006), and I never had any GI trouble -- our guide was very clear in telling us what we could eat/drink safely.

 

Here's a nice review from tripadvisor from a family with kids that might help set your mind at ease on a few points (although I don't completely agree with their assessment of various sites!):

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294201-i9404-k2219607-Top_Tour_Guide_and_Egypt_Advice_Aug_2008-Cairo.html

[CruisinEurope]

Cynthia -

 

you've been exceedingly helpful to me and my family during our planning of this overnight!!!

 

THANK YOU!!!

 

:D

[cruisemom42]

You're welcome. I love Egypt -- as you can probably tell -- and am already plotting how to get back there again!

[MercedMike]

We loved the Mena house. We arrived fairly late, after dark. We got to our room and the bellman opened the curtains, pointed and said "Pyramid!" Sure enough, right off our balcony there was the Great Pyramid lighted for the light show! What a stunning welcome to Egypt. I could not resist getting up very early in the morning, and sitting there watching the pyramid looming up out of the dawning light. Later we sat on the porch of the dining room literally under the pyramid for breakfast. It is an amazing experience.

 

OTOH, our next stay in Egypt was at the Nile Hilton, downtown Cairo. This was also wonderful, watching the Nile flow by from our room, and being awakened by the muzzein's call to prayer from a nearby mosque. After breakfast we crossed the street and got in a felucca for a cruise the Nile, returning just in time to walk across the hotel courtyard to the Egyptian Museum at opening time, where we were the very first people to the Mummy Room and had it almost to ourselves, way ahead of the crowds.

 

So both our hotel experiences in Cairo were wonderful. I really don't know which I would recommend. I guess it depends on the schedule of your trip.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/egypt2.html

and

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/holyland2.htmol

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[smeyer418]

one more point. The hotels in Giza are really far from downtown Cairo. if you want to use the hotel as a place to go other places in Cairo other than the Pyramids, I suggest you use a down town hotel.

 

PS I always used bottled water.....but the pool in the Mena house was chlorinated and up to US standards as was the small pool on the river Nile ship we were on.

[CruisinEurope]

one more point. The hotels in Giza are really far from downtown Cairo. if you want to use the hotel as a place to go other places in Cairo other than the Pyramids, I suggest you use a down town hotel.

 

PS I always used bottled water.....but the pool in the Mena house was chlorinated and up to US standards as was the small pool on the river Nile ship we were on.

 

 

Thanks! Yes, we are actually looking to be in Giza .. close to the Pyramids for the way that our trip is planning out.

 

Right now - we're looking at:

 

Arrive Alexandria

Drive to Cairo

Pharonic Villiage

Egyptian Museum

 

(possible stop at Bazaar - have to find out about timing)

 

Travel to Giza - check in to Hotel

 

(possibly in time for Sound & light show)

 

 

Day 2

 

Pyramids

Sphinx

Solar Boat

 

drive back to alexandria

 

a bit of a tour around alexandria

 

 

 

Thoughts????

[WeBeGone]

As I wrote in another post, we stayed at the Le Meridan, right across the street feom the pyramids, which allows you to go to the evening Sound and Light Show.

[CruisinEurope]

Thanks! We booked a night at Le Meridian ... Mena House was just too outside our budget for this trip. Maybe next time :D

 

I'm really looking forward to this trip & appreciate ALL the help that I've gotten on these boards!

 

THANK YOU!

[Nebr.cruiser]

We loved the Mena House too--the pyramids are almost literally across the street. We were in the new section and the rooms were very large. The old section is beautiful, and you are more likely to have a pyramid view from there. If (When!) we go back we'll try to stay there again because of the location.

 

We didn't swim there--it was March, temps. in the 60's, but the pool and grounds were lovely. We were very, very careful of eating and drinking in Egypt, didn't even use the water to brush our teeth and spit it out, and had no problems. We did eat salads and such at the hotels and on our river cruise, so maybe we got lucky there.

[SteveS]

Last summer we toured with Nile Blue. We stayed at the Movenpic hotel it's also very close to the pyramids. The hotel was lovely with a great pool, which we didn't have time to use, and a nice included breakfast. after we checked in and took 5 we went to the light show at the pyramids then took a dinner cruise on the Nile. Don't miss the cruise it was very entertaining.