the mena house is indeed a historical place to stay. despite some difficulties in making a reservation via e-mail and telephone (maybe caused in technical changes in the reservation area) everything was perfectly organized, when we arrived. the reception staff was very friendly and told us, that we were upgraded from the booked suite to a deluxe suite, which contained three huge rooms, a nice atmospheric bathroom and a guest toilet. the view from the four balconies was phenomenal. the pyramids were as close as you can get from any room in the hotel. all the staff was very attentive and dinner in the moghul room (indian restaurant) was very nice. as a dessert we enjoyed a tasty big chocolatetart in our room. it was the perfect choice to spend a special day in this unique place.

One of the best travel tip we’ve received was to stay at the Mena House while in Egypt and get a room with the view of the pyramids (when you reserved a room with the view, don’t settle for a balcony with a view, which was what they tried to put us in at first). Looking right at the pyramids from our bed was quite an experience. Our room was simple and tastefully decorated however our focus never left the balcony, where the day view of the pyramids turned into glowing structures in the dark.

The two most memorable features of the hotel for us were the long and beautifully decorated corridor and the impressive grounds. The hotel takes you back to the glory days of British Colonial days. You can almost hear the chatters coming from Winston Churchill’s entourage. The rifles used for hunting by likes of President Roosevelt are still hanging on wall in The Sultan Bar, where the beautiful antique looking Egyptian gilded wood carving shows off its bar, arches and ceiling. We also had the best Indian meal in For a Taste of India, watch out for the vindaloo dishes, it’s not made for the faint hearted. It was unfortunate that the chilly weather kept all the outdoor dinning areas from opening but we walked all over the well kept grounds.

I had known for several years that i wanted to stay at Mena House when i visited Cairo.
Perhaps I expected to much, we did enjoy ourselves - it was a great holiday but......
We e mailed the hotel in advance, to arrange a transfer and book the Moghul Room Indian Restaurant for my husbands birthday.
After no reply, i e mailed again, after some confusion by them and several more e mails both were arranged eventually.
The service at the airport was first class, not something we would usually arrange, but the young man whisked us through and sorted out our visas.
We paid for a double palace room (as we wanted the nostalgic experience) with a garden view, on arrival we were shown to a windowless room in the middle of the hotel. It was awful (and with twin beds).
We were staying 3 nights and not happy to accept the room, we politely explained this. It took about 20 mins of discussion for the girl who showed us to our vile room to arrange the move. Initially they were looking for an extra $40 per night - we said no.
We were taken to another room on our tariff, which was totally different, not lovely but ok (another twin, but thats fine!).
No real gardens at Mena House. The oudoor area not that nice
Amazing view of course from a cold swimming pool.
Breakfast buffet ok, but on 2 0r 4 occasions items contained strands of dark hair.
Moghul room came highly recommended, it was nice, not to expensive, but i found the dishes a bit creamy and sickly, no acknowledgement of my husbands birthday.
Bar drinks highly expensive in the hotel,not a great atmosphere, staff not over welcoming.
But public areas of palace are stunning.
We are pleased we stayed at Mena House, but would not return.
Would go to Four Seasons next time or stay in a more central location to enjoy Cairo.
I had read so many wonderful reports about Mena House, it is with a touch of regret i should feel this way. But i want to post my honest opinion. Old Winter Palace in Luxor was a far more enjoyable experience. The Oberoi Philae cruise was also enjoyable, friendly staff - and a lot nicer than most of the other boats we saw, with the exception of a few.

This Hotel is amazing, I have stayed here 4 times now and it will be my 5th time in June 08
Everything from the rooms to the food is excellent
the staff cannot do more for you.

the views are amazing especially at night if you sit outside at the resturant you can see a great view of the pyramids

You can also arrange for a car and a guide to take you to the Pyramids and the Sphinx and a reasonable cost.
Please do this as you do get hassled from the locals if you are not with a guide they tend to leave you alone if you are with one.

We also visited the Tutankhamun Museum which was amazing

we will always stay at the Mena Palace when we go to Cairo,
The indian resturant is also fantastic, make sure you eat there it is within the hotel