Perfectly plush, but like a lot of business hotels this place suffers from a certain lack of character. I woke up forgetting I was on holiday as it felt like I was at work, as the room had that bland could-be-anywhere quality. It's also located a long way from anything interesting. Waking up to the sound of lions roaring was novel though - the hotel overlooks the (rather rundown) zoo. Having said all this, the staff could not be faulted, which makes up for a lot.

My husband and I began a whirlwind two week tour of Egypt at the Four Seasons First Residence and it was a perfect stay from beginning to end. We arranged the airport meet and greet which was completely worth the money after a long flight, as we were seamlessly whisked from airport to BMW to hotel room without a hitch. The service in this hotel is impeccable, everyone you pass smiles and says hello, and the Nile-View room was spacious, gorgeous, and comfortable. The dining was very nice, as well, from room service to restaurants. We also arranged a private guide for our one full day in Cairo and the hotel chose a very knowledgeable and friendly guide who we used again when we returned on the back-end of our trip.

I also want to add that we stayed for one night at the Four Seasons Nile Plaza for a brief return to Cairo after a couple weeks traveling through Egypt. The Nile Plaza also has impeccable service and beautiful (perhaps even bigger?) hotel rooms. It feels more metropolitan, with a busy lobby and more dining options. I really couldn't choose between the two hotels in terms of which is superior - I would say choose the First Residence if you prefer smaller, quieter hotels, and Nile Plaza if you like a more lively atmosphere, otherwise the other elements of the hotels are fairly equal. Also, you may not realize that the hotels are very near one another, even though the First Residence is in Giza they are really just right across the Nile from one another, so don't worry too much about the location unless you really need to walk to the Museum (in that case choose Nile Plaza!)

We stayed here twice in January 2004 and it is still one of the best hotels I have ever stayed in. I have stayed at numerous Four Seasons and other high end hotels and this is one of my favorites. The rooms are as plush as anything you will find in NYC and ever amenity is available at your fingertips. Our first room overlooked the zoo and was HUGE (we had a free upgrade)! The second was smaller but just as nice The staff is outstanding in every way. The spa is definetly not to be missed nor the restaurant which served exceptional food. Let the hotel arrange your daytrips as the companies they use take very good care of you and help protect you from being hasseled to much at the sites. In addition, I highly recommend the "Meet and Greet" service. A hotel representative meets you as you leave the plane, before customs, and takes care of everything for you while you sit back and relax - the lines get very long and we got in at 10:00 p.m. and were very tired so this escape from the usual passport chaos was welcome. We were then swept past the line into a limo that took us to the hotel.

Cairo is a fantastic city but staying at this hotel made me love it even more. I would actually return to Cairo just to stay here again. I highly recommend this hotel.