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The Grand Hyatt Cairo Is No Longer A Hyatt

Where: Cairo, Egypt

Just as things seemed to be getting back to normal in Egypt comes a mini hotel news blow: Hyatt is dumping the Grand Hyatt Cairo.

A tipster pointed us in the direction of this “breaking news” story on Hyatt’s website claiming “unresolved contractual disputes with the hotel’s owner” for ducking out.

For several weeks Hyatt has been attempting resolution through a series of urgent communications with the hotel owner, Saudi Egyptian Touristic Development Company. Regrettably, resolution of the disputes has not been possible.

Could it maybe be over the issue of booze?

However, Egyptophiles, don’t lose heart just yet. The story also notes:

It is unfortunate that the contractual disputes have not been resolved, forcing us to exit this property, but this does not diminish how important Egypt is and will remain to the Hyatt brand. We will continue to operate two Hyatt hotels in Egypt, and are interested in pursuing new development opportunities there.

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Hotel Emergencies / Hotel News / Cairo Hotels / Egypt Hotels / Sharm El Sheikh Hotels / → All Tags

Egyptian Hotels Tighten Security As Tension Spreads to Tourist Areas

Not a sight you want to see from your hotel room

So we’re guessing that Egypt isn’t top of your must do travel list for the near future, because although things are looking a lot better for the remaining tourists than the locals, the situation sounds nothing if not grim.

Although we haven’t seen any specific hotels named since the Sheraton was caught in the middle of the fray last week, in Cairo, there are tales of hotels locking their doors, shutting down elevators, telling tourists to take shelter on the roof and posting guards armed with water cannons in case flares are shot at the buildings, while the tourists gather to watch the protests and sip on free drinks laid on by the hotel.

It’s not just Cairo, either. According to CNN, “tension is beginning to build” in tourist hotspot Luxor, too. And last night, it appeared that security was being stepped up in holiday central Sharm El Sheikh, with a BBC correspondent reporting that by the time he came back from dinner, his hotel had been "barricaded".

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Cairo Hotels Under Curfew as Protests Escalate

Where: Galae Square, PO Box 11, Cairo, Egypt

Frightening riots and protests are taking place in Cairo today as Egyptians continue to demand for the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

The city's downtown Tahrir Square saw a particularly scary stand-off between protesters and government security forces today who used tear gas, water cannons and sound grenades.

The Sheraton Cairo on Giza Avenue was at one point caught in the middle of the fray as government troops blocked entry to the El Gala Bridge over a section of the Nile River. The Globe and Mail reports:

Wave after wave of people charged at the troops, throwing no rocks and using no violence, only shouting at the forces. They then were beaten back by a particularly strong tear gas.

The crowd was remarkably determined to advance despite the painful experience. By about the eighth charge, the police parted and let the crowd cross on the bridge.

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Get Salty At Taba Heights' New Dead Sea Salt Cave

Where: Taba Heights, Egypt

There’s nothing like a bizarre spa treatment to get us going here at HotelChatter and today’s comes courtesy of the Taba Heights resort in Sinai, Egypt, which has announced the opening of a new salt cave that will be open to guests of all the hotels at the resort.

We have to admit we hadn’t heard of a salt cave before this (that probably makes us spa ingenues), but turns out it’s a health thing that goes way back, helping ailments such as:

Dermatological diseases, nervous system disorders, metabolic disturbances, digestive tract problems, underproduction of hyperthyroidism, heart disease and illnesses of the respiratory tract.

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The World's Largest Resort in Egypt Will Have a University

Down on the Red Sea in Egypt, something huge is going on. We may not hear anything else about the project for years, but when we do, rest assured that what is being billed as the World's Largest Resort Development will impress.

It's called the Sahl Hasheesh International Resort Community, and all hashish jokes aside, the 10,000-acre resort looks more like a city than a resort complex. After all, the plan calls for it to have businesses, civic centers, schools, regular apartments and even a university.

But of course there will be hotels, too. The whole Sahi Hasheesh development will focus on relaxation and well-being, like some sort of rebirth in this fertile area, if you listen to how they describe it:

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Sleeping By The (Red) Sea in Bir Suwair's Bamboo Shacks

We learned several things from our visit to Egypt last week. First, five star there does not necessarily mean the five star that you would be accustomed to. We stayed in three five star properties in the Sinai peninsula – the Four Seasons and the Concorde in Sharm El Sheikh, and the Intercontinental in Taba Heights, and, unless you count all inclusive buffets and slightly tired decor as desirable five star attributes, only the Four Seasons was up to scratch.

Second, do not trust the buffets. They will make most likely you ill.

Third, you may tire of the resorts after a week of the buffets and the activities and the enforced gaiety and being surrounded by what seems like half the inhabitants of Britain and Russia, comparing sun burn and complaining that the guy at breakfast overfilled the coffee cup.

This is when you need to escape. And this is where you should escape to: Bir Suwair, in northern Sinai, between Nuweiba and Taba. It’s a settlement on a lovely sandy beach (this is important because not all the beaches in Sinai are lovely and sandy; most are rocky and have to import sand that’s a bit chunky and scratchy, although they have awesome coral reefs to make up for this). And by “settlement”, we mean a group of about 30 campsites made up of bamboo and wooden shacks. Robinson Crusoe eat your heart out.

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Hotel Hell / Hilton Hotels / Sharm El Sheikh Hotels / Egypt Hotels / → All Tags

Why We Won't Be Staying at the Hilton Fayrouz in Sharm El Sheikh

Where: Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Let us preface this post by saying that we are not hotel snobs. We can take just as much pleasure in spending the night in a bamboo shack on the beach (more of that tomorrow) as we do checking out the latest fancypants hotel (although we’ll make sure we’re wearing full-cover, Damian Barr-style PJs in the shack – just to make sure of those sheets).

However, if a hotel is trading under a brand like, oh, say, Hilton, we do expect it to be a certain standard. And that standard is a little higher than a lobby that makes us want to run straight back to the airport:

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Hotel Video Tours / Four Seasons Hotels / Sharm El Sheikh Hotels / Egypt Hotels / → All Tags

When 67 Steps Are 67 Too Many: The Funicular at Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh

Where: 1 Four Seasons Boulevard, Sharm El Sheikh, Sinai, Egypt

Note: This video is about two minutes and 20 seconds long, which is how long the funicular ride is. Enjoy!

You know the drill: you’re on holiday, you’re feeling kinda lazy, lying by the pool is great but hauling your bod back to your room is a trial.

Luckily, the folk at the Four Seasons in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, feel your pain, as we found out when we stayed there last week*. The resort is built over five levels running down the cliffside to the Red Sea below. Which is ace, because it gives buckets of space for the 200+ rooms (they’re self-enclosed little cottages), meaning that the resort feels half-empty even when it’s at full capacity as it was while we were there.

The downside, of course, is that with the pool and beach at the bottom of the resort, the reception and restaurants at the top and the rooms in between, your day could involve a lot of walking, which would hardly be conducive to a holiday state of mind.

There are 67 steps between the pool and the lobby – a lot for holiday feet. So to avoid over-stretching your calves (it’s hot, after all), they’ve had a funicular railway shipped over from Sweden to lug your sunburnt bones back to your room. It goes up and down all day, the journey takes just over two minutes and, as you can see from the video, gives you some pretty nice views of the resort.

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Two Weeks In Egypt At Two Hotels For $2,000

BudgetTravel just posted a special all-inclusive, 13-night package to Egypt - $1,999 per person - courtesy of Foreign Independent Tours. The price buys you airfare out of New York, local flights to your various destinations in Egypt, a four-night cruise, and a bunch of other perks. They're covering most meals, taking you on a bunch of tours that hit a bunch of highlights, and even hooking you up with an English speaking tour guide.

There are hotel stays on each side of the cruise, first at the Oasis Hotel in Cairo and then at the Al Nabila Grand Bay in Hurghada. Both are super-swank establishments and are quite suitable for a trip revolving around pre-planned daily excursions and nighttime spa pampering. The Oasis Hotel, just a few miles from the Pyramids of Giza, is a functional full-scale nine-acre resort in the middle of the desert. However, TripAdvisor reviews warn against staying in a room closer to the hotel's disco. Also, we're not crazy about that room decor (above.)

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Explore Egypt With The Fairmont and a Bonafide Presidential Guide

When is a tour more than just a simple follow-the-guide and snap-photos-when-you're-told kind of expedition? Well for one, when the tour includes an expert who's good enough to accompany President Obama. The Fairmont Hotel Global Explorer Series has got one event left this year and it's obviously of a Presidential caliber—but without the high-flying price.

The tour of Egypt runs November 27-30 and is a package including one night at the Fairmont Towers Heliopolis and two nights at the Fairmont Nile City. Included are tours of the pyramids, the Cairo Museum, a felucca trip on the Nile and a dinner lecture from Dr. Zahi Hawass, the Egyptologist deemed expert enough to accompany Obama to the pyramids earlier this year.

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It's Always Sunny at Fairmont Towers Heliopolis

Where: Uruba B Street, Cairo, Egypt

Near Cairo, the Fairmont Towers Heliopolis has just had a major addition. Working around the original hotel while it was still operating, some magic builders have now created a fancy new conference center and 247 new hotel rooms right next door, and judging by this pic it is something special.

The architect got into the idea of the hotel being in Heliopolis, which means "city of the sun", by incorporating lines like sunrays into the design and even including sun motifs throughout. The new restaurant and café are impressive too: there's an artificial river running through the Aqua e Luce restaurant and Café Heliopolis is right in the center of the atrium entrance. Oh, and it even serves camel milk ice cream.

Advance purchase internet rates start at $136 a night, and they also have a few packages going: we like the bed and breakfast package (starting at $200 a night for a double) because it literally includes a full breakfast in bed, and the romance deal (with wine and cheese and a lovely late 4pm checkout) starts from $210 a night.

Cairo Hotels / Hotel Openings / Boutique Hotels / → All Tags

A Boutique First For Cairo Coming Soon

Where: Maadi, Cairo, Egypt

“Cairo” and “tranquil” – not two words we’d normally associate with each other. At least, we didn’t until news of Villa Belle Epoque plopped into our inbox this morning.

It’s opening on March 21st and calls itself “Cairo’s first boutique hotel” – boutique meaning a 1920s villa with just just 13 period-style rooms, chandeliers, lots of balconies, and date palms and mango trees in the gardens. Foodwise, you can choose from Egyptian, Oriental, Italian and French; and there’ll even be a high tea served on the bank of the Nile on offer, as well as felucca boat trips at sunset.

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