Grand Agor Hotel

"If you want a hotel with an authentic Egyptian feel instead of a predictable chain this is a great place to stay Just 7 mins to metro or short walk to Tahir Square. Thank you to Walid and to Rania. We were delighted to stay in a suite at this hotel. The room was huge. We each had a queen sized bed. Alll was clean and very comfortable. The bathroom was large and the shower great with plentiful hot water. Loads of space. There was a T.V, fridge, water cooler/ heater, kettle and tea. The room also had a small balcony. We saw some other rooms which were also beautiful and luxurious. Our room was on the 3rd floor. Loved the lift which was all part of the experience staying in an old house in downtown Cairo. Rania made us delicious breakfasts. One day we had an early trip so she made us a nice packed breakfast to take with us. Another day she cooked omelette, we also had yoghurt, fresh rolls, cheese spread and jam. Plus tea/ coffee. Served in pleasant dining area on 2nd floor Walid and his sister Rania were so kind and helpful. They were flexible with check in, and allowed us to leave our cases and pop back to use facilities as our flight was a late one. If you stay here we would recommend using Google translate for Ranis and staff. Also traffic in downtown Cairo is loud, with lots of blasting horns, so you might benefit from earplugs for a good night's sleep. Also note that a key fob is needed to operate the lift, so the doorman can do this for you before check in. We would love to stay here again."

"If you live old world charm, this is the place. The bones are beautiful - a cage elevator, grand front doors, worn marble steps, balconies, floor to ceiling windows. Lively,and very nicely decorated. Beds are good, great wifi and air con, and conveniently above shops that sell snack and cheap water. Also a great, walkable location (and easy to grab an Uber). The glassed in bathrooms are a creative solution and quite lovely. But they are really only ideal for people who are okay seeing each other on the toilet. Maybe not for besties, or work colleagues, or your dad. The arranged driver was lovely and waited when we were delayed at airport. And staff Wafaa deserves to be rewarded for her courtesy, attentiveness, and competence. The only real downside, and the reason we only enjoyed 1 included breakfast, was being cornered for the hard-sell by owner Mustafa. He wanted to change our current plans and pressed us to go to his other property so he could redesign our whole trip. PUSHY. This was so annoying and rude that we have cancelled our plans to return to this hotel at the end of our trip. Just to avoid this dude. Really too bad."

"The hotel is located very close to Tahrir Square, the Egyptian Museum, and a few other old downtown highlights. While the outside of the building looks slightly dilapidated--clearly beyond the control of the hotel--the entrance to the hotel and the interior is nicely done and inviting. Staff are very kind, helpful, and welcoming. The rooms are spacious and have the essentials. In the dining area, complementary tea and water are on offer throughout the day. A few drawbacks: the street noise is very clearly heard from within the rooms (windows are not double paned), and Cairenes LOVE to honk for any and all reasons so you'll still feel very in touch with street life even within the hotel. Breakfast is rather mediocre: expect toast, hard boiled eggs, some jam, and a small cup of yoghurt, accompanied by tea or nescafe. The bedsheets are in serious need of updating (they are extremely rough and scratchy, making sleeping difficult). The bathrooms are an afterthought - just a corner in the room cordoned off by half-frosted glass, so it is recommended that you are very comfortable sharing all bodily functions with whomever you share the room. Despite a clear 'no smoking' sign at the front desk, staff still smoke in common areas (entry, dining area). We stayed in the room at the far end of the hallway (there are only six rooms) and could smell the smoke very clearly from inside our room with the door shut. When I went to pay for our room at checkout, one staff member sat directly in front of me smoking. I called him out on it, pointing at the 'no smoking' sign right in front of us, and he apologised profusely and moved away with his cigarette. I am 100% confident he resumed smoking inside as soon as we left. Some of the basics aren't looked after: the room we were given had no pillowcases on three of our four pillows, and only one towel. The rest of the linens were out at the cleaners, and since there was only one person on staff, we had to stand in for the staff at the front desk so they could run out and pick up the clean linen. Rooms don't come with soap, but we were given a bottle of liquid soap when we asked. Early checkin is USD 25 on top of the regular room charge. The staff offered to arrange a car back to the airport on our departure, quoting a price double of what we paid to get from the airport to the hotel in the first place. It is recommended to just take an Uber instead (EGP 100-125, depending on traffic and time of day). Overall, it's not a bad hotel, and the staff's kindness goes a long way to compensate for the weaknesses noted above."