Arrival/Check-In: After a long day involving a flight from Luxor and hours of exploring the vibrant Khan El-Khalili bazaar, I was eager to quickly check in at Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis, Cairo and shower before a dinner meeting in the hotel. However, my plans were unfortunately dashed when it took about 20 minutes to receive my room key. I was told my luggage would arrive quickly to my room following a security check, but my belongings never arrived; and I had to revisit the front desk before dinner, point out my luggage to attendants and relay my room number to ensure delivery while I was dining.

While waiting to receive a room key, I toured the expansive lobby and was amazed by the size of the hotel, housing 840 guestrooms and suites and an array of dining and recreational facilities. The property completed a $15 million restoration program in 2011 that updated the guestrooms in the hotel’s Heliopolis wing. Incredible artwork and beautiful flowers dot the inviting lobby, and while waiting I was glad to be distracted by the hotel’s replicas of ancient Egyptian relics, including a model of King Tut’s ornate mask and small Egyptian solar boat.

Guest Quarters: An adequately sized closet stocked with an ironing board, iron and several hangers was set to the right of the main doorway next to a large, brightly lit bathroom providing plenty of space. After my luggage arrived while I was at dinner, I enjoyed a hot shower in the expansive, clean shower that left me feeling refreshed and relaxed, thanks to great water pressure and nice-smelling toiletries.

The rest of the room opened into a large space with warm wooden floors and a king-sized bed facing a flat-screen TV above a spacious vanity. A sizeable desk with a convenient overhead lamp and several outlets sat in the corner by the large windows, next to a small coffee table and comfortable armchair in the other corner. While the windows, featuring blackout curtains, provided a decent view of the pool and grounds, noise from guests outside permeated my room, making me fear I wouldn’t get a decent night of sleep before my long flight to New York the next day. Chatter and music eventually subsided, but I recommend asking for a room away from the pool if you prefer total peace and quiet.

Services/Amenities: After checking in and settling my luggage issues, I walked to the hotel’s Aqua e Luce venue for dinner, where my dining companions and I enjoyed a range of Egyptian and European-inspired dishes. Guests and visitors can normally choose from 17 contemporary dining venues ranging from traditional Egyptian fare to Thai, Japanese and Asian cuisine and more, but several restaurants were closed for Ramadan during my visit. After a delicious meal, we ventured outside to relish the nice evening temperature and lively atmosphere at Oriental Café, where visitors were enjoying an array of shisha flavors by the pool.

In addition to a diverse range of culinary experiences, the property caters to business travelers with a 24-hour business center conveniently located at the lobby level and ample meeting and event space, including modern meeting rooms and tastefully decorated ballrooms. Recreational activities are endless, including three swimming pools, three tennis courts, two air-conditioned squash courts, a sand volleyball court, a kids club and a fully equipped fitness center with a Jacuzzi, sauna, spa treatments and a decent selection of machine options and weights.

The Experience: Set mere minutes from Cairo International Airport on the main artery road leading to central Cairo, the hotel provides an ideal location for business travelers, close to the airport while also near the city center, in the heart of its diplomatic and presidential neighborhood. My arrival coincided with the anniversary of 2013 protests demanding the removal of Mohamed Morsi and the funeral of the prosecutor general who was killed in a bombing days before; while street demonstrations took place nearby in downtown Cairo, I felt safe throughout my visit at Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers Cairo, completely removed from the outside buzz. My only warning is for travelers hoping to visit Giza: The hotel is a lengthy distance from the great Pyramids of Giza, with heavy Cairo traffic making the journey even longer during the workweek, so plan ahead.

GT CHECKLIST

[checklist]
[item check=yes]Doorman/valet[/item]
[item]Less than 10 minutes for check-in[/item]
[item]Separate tub and shower[/item]
[item check=yes]Large vanity[/item]
[item check=yes]High-quality towels[/item]
[item check=yes]Powerful, unattached hair dryer[/item]
[item check=yes]High-quality bed linens[/item]
[item check=yes]Large, flat-screen television[/item]
[item check=yes]Large desk with convenient outlets[/item]
[item check=yes]Large, complimentary laptop safe[/item]
[item]Complimentary in-room WiFi[/item]
[item check=yes]Complimentary bottled water[/item]
[item check=yes]Stocked minibar[/item]
[item check=yes]Ample lighting[/item]
[item check=yes]In-room coffeemaker[/item]
[item check=yes]Iron and ironing board[/item]
[item check=yes]On-site restaurant[/item]
[item check=yes]24-hour room service[/item]
[item]24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center[/item]
[item]Turn-down service[/item]
[/checklist]

Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis, Cairo

Uruba Street, Heliopolis
Cairo, Egypt
tel 20 2 22677730
fairmont.com