Priceless Pyramid Views At The Marriott Mena Home, Cairo

I grew up listening to about The Mena Home on the foot of the traditional Pyramids of Giza, one of the well-known lodges on this planet. My mom, who traveled to Cairo within the Seventies on a style shoot for Vogue Journal, shared tales of its magnificence and unique ambiance together with her household.

A few years later, our household fulfilled a Bucket Record dream journey to Egypt. We recovered from a whirlwind Trafalgar Tour of antiquities with three days of leisure on the Marriott Mena Home, Cairo. The lodge’s authentic Palace Wing — the one Mother adored — is beneath restoration.

But, this comfy resort’s distinctive location, Pyramid views, genuine welcome, luxurious facilities, and fantastic eating proceed to make sure its world-class popularity.

Why Households Love The Mena Home

The Marriott Mena Home, Cairo is an opulent, welcoming compound with 331 guestrooms. Thought-about Egypt’s high lodge, it boasts stunning gardens, tiled fountains and views of the Pyramids. Classic photographs of outdated Egypt, antiques and authentic artwork enhance guestrooms and public areas. Lounges showcase pictures of the numerous politicians, celebrities and dignitaries who gathered right here.

A really various vary of visitors all love the grand services. Really fantastic eating places vary from Italian to Indian to a lavish 24-hour buffet that includes Egyptian and continental favorites. A Roy Wilson-designed, nine-hole golf course is beneath renovation.

Excessive Tech, Excessive Contact on the Marriott Mena Home in Cairo

Whereas an immaculately restored historic lodge, Mena Home makes use of know-how for visitor consolation and effectivity. The At Your Service button on in-room telephones and the Marriott Bonvoy Chat app permit visitors to speak immediately with lodge employees for reservations, laundry service, housekeeping and extra. Scan barcodes for menus; use keycards to entry exterior doorways. Vitality saving air-conditioning shuts off when balcony doorways open. Benefit from safe WiFi, enterprise providers and convention rooms if you’ll want to work.

Excellent service, nevertheless, is the lodge’s best amenity. Lengthy-time employees — many there for greater than 30 years — clearly love the place and its storied previous. They take to coronary heart their position in shaping your visitor expertise… and you’re feeling it.

The Mena Home Resort’s Colourful Historical past

It started in 1869, when the Egyptian Khedive Isma’il Pasha constructed a mud brick hut to deal with his searching events about 20 miles south of Cairo. Lord Isma’il offered his rustic Giza lodge to a British couple who expanded it right into a regal personal residence. One other couple looking for the healthful local weather on the Pyramids purchased their palace. They expanded it into an 80-room “household” lodge in 1887, named for King Menes, founding father of the primary Egyptian Dynasty. In 1890, set up of the nation’s first swimming pool enabled the favored resort to remain open year-round for modern Europeans.

Throughout World Struggle I, Australian troops used The Mena Home for housing and, later, as a hospital. Worldwide fame got here in 1943. That’s when the Cairo Convention introduced Sir Winston Churchill, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Basic Chiang Kai-Shek from China collectively to announce the independence of the Korean peninsula.

The Indian luxurious model, Oberoi Group, guided The Mena Home restoration within the early 70s, when a 300-room wing and 33.3-meter lap pool had been added. Historical past was made once more as Egyptian and Israeli officers negotiated the peace settlement resulting in the 1978 Camp David Accord. My mom joined notables President Jimmy Carter, Gianni Versace, John Travolta, Lionel Messi, Will Smith, Luis Fonsi and plenty of, many others who’ve saved The Mena Home popularity alive.

Households and Enterprise Vacationers Get pleasure from Luxurious Companies and Facilities in Cairo

At the moment, Marriott Worldwide manages the resort. In 2019, they started renovation of the unique palace on the foot of the Nice Pyramid.

Mena Home services are nonetheless intensive but low-key, catering to households, worldwide enterprise vacationers, and celebrities.

Everybody enjoys enjoyable within the gardens by the massive, heated pool and kids’s pool. Whether or not you’re in a bikini or a burkini, you are feeling welcomed. The attentive employees serve meals and cocktails. Youngsters love the scrumptious non-alcoholic drinks as a lot as different visitors. A lifeguard watches over swimmers as pool boys silently rotate umbrellas to catch the shade.

Anticipate a lodge limo service, vacationer company for native excursions and guides, ATM within the foyer, reward store and a 24-hour, effectively stocked health middle. The trendy Foyer Bar, air-conditioned and intimate, serves pastries, coffees and drinks afterward. M Membership members (out there with sure upgraded rooms) have entry to a separate, tranquil lounge open 24 hours. Meet up there for complimentary drinks, snacks and a cheerful hour.

Pamper Yourselves at this Marriott Worldwide’s Saray Spa

Soothe these sore pyramid-climbing legs on the small, elegant Saray Spa. We’re normally cautious of lodge spas the place over-priced massages aren’t the standard we get pleasure from at dwelling. Not on the Marriott Mena Home Resort. Saray Spa has each female and male, expertly skilled therapists like Aya and Hesham. They use magical fingers and medicinal Egyptian oils for therapeutic massage remedy, hydration and rejuvenation. Loosen up afterwards with tea and dried fruits, whereas lounging round a carved granite basin stuffed with rose petals.

All visitors are free to make use of the boys’s and girls’s locker rooms. Saray Spa requires appointments for the sauna, steam room and combined gender jacuzzi, to keep away from crowding.

Eat Something You Crave on the Marriott Mena Home’s 139 Pavilion

In fact, with indoor and out of doors seating dealing with the Pyramids, you’ll wish to attempt a meal at considered one of The Mena Home’s three eating places. The primary, named 139 Pavilion, is essentially the most informal and different. It’s open 24 hours and serves Egyptian and African specialties plus worldwide dishes. Breakfast buffets are legendary. Worldwide treats embrace the Egyptian belila porridge, fantastic French pastries, granola, Chinese language noodles and flavorful, made-to-order omelets.

Select amongst very tasty Egyptian mazzah (cold and warm appetizers and dips) or a Salade Nicoise with recent grilled tuna, beef burgers and a number of other vegetarian choices at lunch. Excessive Tea is a basic providing that households love. Cooks at out of doors grills cook dinner beef kibbeh and kebabs through the night. The countless carving stations, salads, cheese, breads and desserts are irresistible.

A meal on the 139 Pavilion, nevertheless, doesn’t substitute the Pyramids Sound & Gentle Present. Whereas the present is hokey, sitting by The Sphinx to look at gentle projections on the Pyramids is memorable.

Legendary Indian Delicacies on the Legendary Moghul Room

The well-known Moghul Room is now situated inside an ornate Arabian-style dome with Pyramid views. Portraits of Indian sultans and vintage bronze sculpture enhance the elegant and intimate area.

Feast, as we did, on a combined Tandoori platter with shrimp, lamb chops, beef kibbeh and tender rooster marinated in yoghurt and spices. Outdated World butter rooster, curries and Kashmiri pulau (saffron rice with almonds and currants) are different visitor favorites.

Italian Flavors, Prosecco and Aptitude at Alfredo’s

Alfredo’s is a special, extra up to date eating expertise. Ebook out of doors or indoor seating for recent pastas, pizzas, scrumptious salads and Italian staples. As on the different Mena Home eating places, each the restaurant supervisor Mr. Kamel and hostess, Madonna, greeted us warmly and made options from the menu.

Youngsters round us performed by the fountains whereas mother and father sampled the intensive wine checklist, which incorporates an array of Egyptian wines like the favored Jardin de Nil white wine, Beausoleil rose and Omar Khayyam purple wines.

Cairo’s Luxurious Lodging on the Distinctive Marriott Mena Home

Friends at this time select amongst two, four-story wings framing the 40-acre grounds. All The Mena Home’s grand entrances open out to each wings, a complicated structure that made us really feel like tomb raiders looking for our visitor room.

Many households go for a up to date Pyramid view room and benefit from the priceless view. Historical past buffs, alternatively, typically favor the 30 junior suites within the extra conventional, traditionally impressed wing overlooking the grounds.

Spacious rooms are furnished with a small loveseat and occasional desk, balcony, eating desk and chairs for 2, massive armoire, closet with secure and ironing board. Plush bathrobes and slippers, fantastic Egyptian cotton linens, minibar, Nespresso and tea kettle, bottled water spherical out the facilities. Fashionable loos have a tub, bathe, high quality bulk toiletries and counters created from the identical marble as among the pharaohs’ tombs.

Just lately renovated, the beautiful conventional suites boast extra element in décor together with ornate, carved wooden headboards, lighting fixtures and chandeliers. Balconies face the swaying King palms, Royal Poinciana bushes, lush lawns and gurgling fountains. The one rooms which might be really “historic” and have Pyramid views will open with the restored Palace Wing.

Reserving a Pyramid View Room on the 5 Star Marriott Mena Home, Cairo

Rooms within the newer resort wing face the Pyramids. Full Pyramid View rooms look on to the Nice Pyramid – the tallest one devoted to King Khufu — and its smaller sibling, the Pyramid of Khafre. Partial Pyramid View rooms have the identical facilities and structure however price much less. In ours, Room 362, we needed to exit on the balcony to benefit from the Pyramids – not a hardship in the event you ask me.

All rooms accommodate as much as two adults and two kids beneath 12, with rollaway beds and cribs out there. Households in search of extra space can e book connecting rooms with a king room connecting to 1 with two single beds, offering two loos, privateness and loads of area.

The High Points of interest and Actions at The Marriott Mena Home Resort

Benefit from your Giza base to chill out, sightsee, store or simply pamper your self. The lodge’s various and colourful worldwide crowd make people-watching one other nice choice. Being away from Cairo’s loopy visitors and relentless buzz is yet one more perk.

Tour different Egyptian antiquities and archeological websites with ease. The lodge could be very near the brand new and spectacular Grand Egyptian Museum, open for preview excursions at our go to. The lodge’s journey company books camel and horseback rides to the Pyramids of Giza. Automobiles with drivers and guides whisk you to the fascinating historic websites at Memphis and Saqqara.

Decide up souvenirs on the lodge’s retailers. Egyptian specialties embrace teak bins inlaid with mom of pearl, carved tin and copper lamps, alabaster sculpture and vases. Carry dwelling bargains in fantastic cotton clothes and scarves, gold jewellery and objects made with the nation’s well-known lapis lazuli and turquoise gems. Since The Mena Home retailers weren’t open at our go to, we walked a couple of blocks to the Turquoise Resort Reward Store. Drop in and go to with Nsrin, who helped us select amongst treasures. Outlets fortunately cut price down 25%-35% off worth tags.

Ebook Excursions of Egypt’s high websites now!

Ebook a Keep and Expertise the Marriott Mena Home, Cairo

We found so many the reason why the Marriott Mena House, Cairo is justifiably well-known and ought to be your loved ones’s base in Giza. The lodge has luxurious lodging with out being fussy. The employees cater to vacationers of any age with memorable service. World-class services for wellness, health and eating are tucked right into a mysterious, but very unique enclave.

Pyramid views, after all, high the checklist. And, what can we are saying?

That view by no means will get outdated.