Barceló Cairo Pyramids

This hotel is a welcome oasis in the dry heat of summer and a calm from the noisy chaotic traffic just outside. You will find everything you need here at the Barcelo Hotel. We stayed on the 11th floor, despite the noise of the traffic and the building work on the new metro stop outside, I avoided much of the noise staying on a high floor and using earplugs. The hotel has a pool, sunbeds and private beds with curtains and as many towels as you need with no deposit. The food was amazing, particularly the desserts, there was so much care taken with everything. Fresh breads, pastries, two soups at dinner and lots of salads which were changed up at every meal sitting. Light flaky baklava, not sickly, fresh fruit salad and fruits, salad like beetroot and orange, original food. At every dinner there was chicken, fish, another meat, a local dish, rice, potatoes, lots of vegetables, and a pasta station with a choice of two pastas, two sauces and lots of toppings. At breakfast you had waffles, pancakes, two types of sausages, an egg station with every type of egg meal including Spanish omelette and scrambled eggs again with lots of toppings. Really nice room at all for complaints here. There is a jewellery shop and a souvenir shop on site. A beauty parlour and a tourist office for booking trips. I had reflexology and a head massage. I do realise that things are different outside the UK .You are expected to wear a disposable pair of shorts from a packet before each treatment and wear nothing on top. I explained there would be no need for this and kept my swimming suit on. The treatment was quite strange and I had to stop the lady. She was rubbing my legs and feet very vigorously, instead of touching just my feet gently as you would do in reflexology, obviously this is not what the treatment should have been and if reflexology is not offered this should be taken off the menu if the masseuse does not know what this is. Also my head massage was again not gentle, it was 15 minutes of again very vigorous rubbing, when I went back to my room my head was very sore and it triggered skin flaking for days afterwards, again if this treatment is not known it should not be offered, customers are not stupid, rubbing does not cover these treatments, it is wrong to do this to them. One other thing that really should be rectified is that staff really should know basic English. There was one receptionist who knew some but still couldn't follow a conversation, two waiters who knew some English, including a young boy Youssef, who really was exceptional, a shining star in the staff, he spoke excellent English and was always friendly and super helpful. The lady in the souvenir shop and in the jewellery shop spoke no English, nor did some of the receptionists, who really should have. Our room attendant was just perfect, fresh towels everyday,beds made up every day, cups cleaned, bath scrubbed, not a problem for him at all, he did a fantastic job. I booked two trips with Viator, a private road trip with a guide and driver to the red, bent pyramids and step pyramids, Memphis museum and a restaurant. And also a boat trip, static mostly, with a buffet dinner, a belly dancer who came on twice and a man who spun around for at least fifteen minutes with a glittery skirt and was awesome. We bought two souvenir pictures with these two entertainers. I would highly recommend that you book Uber comfort drivers and get a lift round the corner of the hotel but further down the road, because local residents will pester you to take you in their cars/taxis, but please only book Uber comfort cars wherever you go, you will pay the price stated and won't be touted to pay more at the end of your journeym Whatever you do do NOT let baggage handlers pick up your cases at the airport as you will be asked for tips aggressively constantly, it totally ruined the end of our trip. I pointed out one of the thieves at the gate but staff said they trusted him! Back to the review in question. The Barcelo Cairo is a great hotel, you will need to walk to find shops, when the metro stop is built, you'll be able to travel straight to the pyramids, which is at the end of the road, and not in the middle of a desert! But It is very very cheap to travel around, less than £2/$3€2.50 for a trip. The hotel is in Giza, Cairo is over the Nile about 30 minutes away. That is where the souk market is and also the original Egyptian museum. One more thing that the hotel really should have, as they are advertised on the menu, but not available, are alcoholic cocktails. Really though few British people come to this hotel, more so other nationalities, so it is not really geared towards the Brits. It is calm, professional and they make you feel very valued.