Marriott Mena House

With the pyramids looming over the property, this iconic hotel offers the best location for visiting the monuments as well as comfortable rooms, an outdoor pool and spa.

• The rooms that boast views of the pyramids
• Breakfast at 132 Pavilion while looking directly at the Great Pyramid
• The large outdoor swimming pool
• The rich history of the hotel
• The incredible staff that is supremely gracious and helpful

Located right at the foot of the pyramids at Giza, the Mena House, which opened in 1869, is one of those legendary hotels—like the Mount Nelson in Cape Town, and La Mamounia in Marrakech—whose walls you wish could speak. The intrigues involving celebrities and spies that have played out in its gardens and on its balconies boggle the mind. Kings, queens and movie stars have all stayed here. In fact, many scenes in the classic film Valley of the Kings were shot on the premises.

Marriott took over Mena House from Oberoi in 2015, but much of the management remains, and the staff could not be more gracious and helpful. The original Palace on property (the Palace/Historic wing of the hotel) is currently closed for renovation with plans to open as another brand under Marriott, likely by the end of 2022.

In the newer Garden Wing of the hotel there are three standard room categories, all varying from 35 to 37 square meters with a terrace—there are no suite options. The only difference in the rooms is the view type: Premium (full pyramid view, meaning you can see the pyramids from your bed), Executive (partial pyramid view with executive lounge access) and Partial Pyramid View (with no executive lounge access). There are also standard rooms available with garden or pool view, which come at a lower price point. The rooms are all simple and plain with little sense of place apart from the extraordinary pyramids outside your window if you manage to secure a room with the view.

The highest quality rooms are the Grand Deluxe at 64 sqm in the Historic Wing of the hotel. These rooms, however, will become part of the new Palace hotel once the renovation is complete, though you can still currently book them as part of Marriott Mena House*.* While these rooms have garden views, they are spacious and have a strong sense of place evoked by the wooden antiques, Egyptian textiles and vintage photographs of the pyramids. If you care more about room product than a pyramid view, these are the rooms to book when staying at Mena House.

On property, there is a lobby and poolside bar, an all-day restaurant 139 Pavilion, which serves international cuisine with pyramid views, the Italian Alfredo Restaurant and an indoor-only Indian restaurant, Moghul Room. There is a large outdoor pool, as well as a spa and gym.Who Should Stay

This is the best option for travelers who want to stay right at the base of the pyramids, in Giza. If you have 1-2 days of touring in Cairo and are primarily visiting to see the pyramids, you will want to stay in Giza as the traffic between Giza and downtown Cairo can take 45 minutes to 1 hour.