Overall, a wonderful feeling of a home away from home. The staff was wonderful and the food was outstanding. I prefer business hotels, because they rely on repeat customers. The Kaval is that, but also a very good place from which to see Cairo and the surrounding areas.

The manager and his wife seemed always to be around, greeting everybody personally and making everybody feel at home. The staff couldn't do enough for us. Everyone spoke excellent English and helped us with numerous stupid tourist questions. We used the hotel driver, Esam, who was prompt, efficient, and courteous. The waitstaff in the restaurants were not just helpful, but eager to assist us. One even helped me with the seasonings to acquire a taste for the Egyptian fava beans (fuul?) and the boiled whole wheat for breakfast.

My wife and I had the best Indian food we've ever had at the hotel. The Chinese food was also excellent; in fact all the food we had there was superb. A nice feature is that you can order anything from any of the restaurants in any of them, even the rooftop bar. In the US, hotels pretty much serve food because it is expected and to get the markup on the beverege business, but at the Kaval, the food is a draw in itself. And the rooftop bar is a draw for the younger set, which seemed to be mostly locals.

There was some unrest in Egypt when we were there, but we felt safe and secure in the Kaval. It was close to the museum and other places we wanted to see, but out of the way. The staff and manager advised us on all sorts of things we needed to know, like shopping, money changing, etc. Also where and when to go safely to places.

Having experienced three separate stays in the hotel, I can vouch for the care and concern of the owner and manager and the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. The three restaurants are a plus, providing traditional, Indian, and Chinese food. I'm amazed at the popularity of the rooftop terrace. Of the approximately six nights I have visited the rooftop, it was full each time, with what appeared to be both hotel guests and Cairo residents. That certainly speaks for its appeal.

I traveled to Egypt for the first time recently and stayed over 2 weeks at the Karvin, since it was centrally located to the universities and easy to access Tahrir square area, all places I needed to go to meet with folks to learn more about Egypt. What I loved about the Karvin was the incredibly warm and friendly staff who went out of their way to be friendly, generous with their time, and helped me get to know the country just a bit more. Having 3 restaurants, one on the roof (!) made getting food easy, and it was delicious. I walked the neighborhood a lot, and while crossing major streets is always a major challenge on foot in Cairo, there are quite a few little work-arounds so you can cover a lot of ground on foot and not get stuck forever waiting to cross a street! And if you need a taxi, the staff always assisted with lining up friendly drivers who made sure I got to where I wanted to go-even when I had less than perfect addresses! You can find fancier places, for sure, but few where you feel so warmly welcomed. I felt like I left friends when I departed, not a sterile hotel. Would definitely stay here again when I return, which I will!