Grand Nile Tower

The Grand Nile Tower certainly looks grand from the outside, towering high over its surroundings at the tip of central Cairo's Roda Island, which is surrounded by the Nile. Due to its position, the river is visible from all of the rooms and throughout much of the facilities. The lobby is grandiose, with two stories of windows looking out onto the Nile (with a seating area outside for those who want to eat overlooking the river). Aside from a rather out-of-place and cheap-looking stone fountain, the space is relatively elegant, with marble floors throughout, black pillars with golden marbling, and huge urn-like planters. Public spaces have lots of Egyptian motifs, with plenty of black and gold complementing mahogany-colored wall siding and furniture pieces, plus the odd overtly Egyptian art piece, such a s a bust of Queen Nefertiti. This huge property attracts both tourists and business travelers, and its position just a bridge away from Cairo University makes it a reasonable choice for visiting academics, too. 

The Grand Nile Tower has an excellent location, right on the Nile river on the northernmost tip of Roda island. Getting to the Egyptian Museum can take as little as 10 minutes, though it can easily take three times as long during peak traffic times. Attractions in Coptic Cairo, such as the Hanging Church, take 15 to 20 minutes to reach without traffic, while Cairo University takes arond 20 minutes to reach. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the Sphinx and Pyramids in Giza in medium traffic. Ramses Railway station is about a 20-minute drive away, while it's about 45 minutes to an hour to reach Cairo International Airport.

The Grand Nile offers 715 rooms over five categories. Standard Rooms and Club Rooms measure 34 square meters (112 square feet) and are more or less the same except that Club Rooms also include access to the Grand Club Lounge, as do the suites, which start at 80 square meters (263 square feet) and go all the way up to the enormous 203 square meter (666 square foot) Royal Suite.Decor is consistent throughout the rooms and encompasses off-white walls (usually with a muted-yellow accent wall for good measure), white bed linens, and simple mahogany-hued furnishings including small work desks and granite-topped nightstands. The overall effect is generic and a little dated. All have furnished balconies with views of the Nile as well as minibars, electric kettles, safes, bathrobes and seating areas with comfy easy chairs and matching plush ottomans. Bathrooms are clad in marble and come with shower/tub combos (suites have jetted tubs), and scales, hairdryers, make-up mirrors, and miniature toiletries are provided.Suites spruce things up a bit, with extras such as crystal chandeliers, gilt-framed mirrors, and small sofas in separate living rooms. Grand Suites add dining tables, while the opulent Royal Suite switches the decor scheme up to include gold-and-white marble floors, matching gold-and-white columns, and even more gold hues in the furniture frames and in some of the bathroom fixtures (even the bidet taps). 

The Grand Nile Tower offers an excellent range of activities and facilities suited to business and leisure guests alike. The two-story fitness center is excellent, with a huge selection of cardio and weight machines plus free weights. It has lovely views of the River Nile, and though the space is large, the cardio area feels a bit crammed full of equipment. There's also a steam room, a sauna, and a whirlpool hot tub along with a spa offering all sorts of treatments. The hotel's large heated outdoor pool with a mosaic floor is another big selling point -- it's surrounded by lounge chairs and has views right out over the river. There's also a kids' pool off to one side as well as a children's play area inside. For those who want to get out on the water, the hotel offers its own yacht -- Marquise -- with dinner cruises at the on-board restaurant (Baccarat) available for guests. The hotel even has its own shopping center -- Galleria -- with all sorts of retailers as well as a food court. Other dining options include the Revolving Restaurant, which the hotel touts as "the highest restaurant in the Middle East." As the name suggests, the restaurant rotates, taking around an hour and 15 minutes to make a full revolution. Okashi specializes in teppanyaki and other Japanese favorites, while the all-day Fontana has continental European and Middle Eastern food. La Famiglia does Italian, while Chingari has North Indian tandoori dishes. La Dorada serves seafood, but some guests might find the surrounding aquarium off-putting given whats on the menu. Coffee and pastries are available at Delices Gourmet Shop & Tea Lounge. There's also a Lobby Lounge with live acoustic music and drinks, plus a Pool Lounge for snacks and fresh juices.Business facilities include board rooms and ballrooms for up to 800 (theater style), a business center with scanning and printing facilities, and free hotel-wide Wi-Fi. The hotel also offers free self- and valet parking (for a fee), along with airport transfers and car rentals.