Waldorf Astoria Cairo Heliopolis

We recommend the Waldorf Astoria to business travellers who chain meetings in the new city and want to return to a predictable cocoon. Couples on long layovers between two flights find the calm necessary before diving into the chaos of the centre. Families appreciate the spacious rooms and the pool, but the address remains above all designed for an adult clientele on business travel.

The building is a contemporary tower of glass and light stone, without particular architectural pretension. The interiors play the international palace card: beige marbles, dark woodwork, crystal chandeliers in the common areas. The rooms display a classic American style, neutral tones, lacquered wood furniture, upholstered headboards. The whole is neat, comfortable, without decorative boldness.

The Waldorf Astoria counts three tables: an international restaurant for the buffet breakfast, a signature Italian table and a lounge bar with terrace. The cuisine is correct without being memorable, the service attentive. The breakfast offers a wide choice of Egyptian and Western specialities. We come here for regularity more than for the gastronomic experience.

Heliopolis lies to the north-east of Cairo, ten minutes from the international airport, thirty minutes from the historic centre depending on traffic. The district was built in the 1920s by a Belgian baron, with its wide avenues, its Art Deco buildings, its churches and its cafés. The atmosphere is residential, airy, far from the density of old Cairo. A few restaurants and shops within immediate reach, but a taxi is needed to reach the major tourist sites.