This hotel was terrible! We booked a Sheraton hotel because we thought there would be a certain standard of cleanliness and service. We were so wrong! We checked in late at night (after 8pm) but still had to wait 30 minutes for our rooms to be "cleaned." What a joke! The rooms were filthy and totally worn out: hair on the bath floor, thick globs of hair on the carpet, mirror splatters, cracks in the paint, smudges and smears on the walls, blown light bulbs, visible dirt and worn patches on couch, pictures hung crooked, broken mini-refrigerator.

Also, the staff was almost combative. When we complained about the dirty room, the manager wasn't at all apologetic. In fact, he argued with my husband and me. We also saw another guest trying to complain to the staff. The staff member at the desk argued with him, too. All the staff members we interacted with were defensive, rude, apathetic, or uninformed about the property. One night we tried to find a cafe in the hotel. None of the staff knew where it was!! After watching one staff member consult another, consult another, consult yet another, we finally learned that the cafe was closed for renovation or something along those lines.

Also, good luck to you if you are not a "Tower" guest. I guess this is a special status assigned to some guests. Maybe frequent Sheraton guests?? The hotel has two towers: Nefertiti and Cleopatra. Your tower assignment indicates your status. Since everyone is in a tower (regardless of status) we assumed we were all "tower" guests. The hotel information book, the one in the room, stated that all "tower" guests receive complimentary breakfast. Well, we were in a tower. The name of the hotel is Sheraton Towers. Didn't this mean us? Nope. The complimentary breakfast is for the special "tower" guest. Excuse me, why put all guests in towers, name the hotel Sheraton Towers, and then distinguish one tower guest from the other by using the word "tower?" They should use another word/adjective to identify their special status guests.

If you are a non-smoker this hotel is not for you. We requested a non-smoking room but it made no difference in the quality of the air in our room. I don't know if the hotel mixes non-smoking/smoking rooms on the same floor or if the ventilation system between non-smoking/smoking is shared, but our room smelled of strong smoke. The first morning the smoke was so strong I thought someone was smoking outside our door. I finally realized the problem was the ventilation system. Also, be aware that smoking is permissable in all public areas including hotel restaurants.

The hotel casino only accepts American dollars. Kind of inconvenient if you have already converted your currency or if you're not American. You can't even get the US dollars in the casino. You have to go to the hotel bank, or elsewhere, ahead of time. My understanding is that Egyptians are not permitted to gamble so no Egyptians are allowed in casino. Regardless, the casino should accept its own national currency. Also, you need to present your passport to gain entry to the casino.

We were on the 12th floor but the traffic/city noise was still a distraction. No matter what hotel you choose I would suggest booking the highest floor possible. This is not a reflection on the Sheraton, just a fact if you are staying in Cairo.

Bottom Line: The hotel is dirty, the staff is unfriendly, and the restaurant prices are exorbitant (more than $20 USD per person for a mediocre buffet breakfast , $7 USD for an eclair).