Goway travelers enjoy a regal experience at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, which boasts multiple restaurants and an upscale shopping mall
From floor-to-ceiling windows in my 14th-floor room, I had a bird’s-eye view of boat traffic on the Nile River and could hear the constant horn-honking that is so much the soundtrack of car-clogged Cairo, one of the most chaotic, congested cities in the world.
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Yet the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, an oasis of calm and classical grandeur, insulated me and my fellow Goway Travel tour members from the frenzy of Egypt’s gritty capital city of 22 million. The hotel is part of a retail/entertainment/residential complex called the First Residence.
Some rooms at the Four Seasons have a balcony affording views of the Pyramids of Giza.
A 20-story luxury hotel on the western bank of the Nile, the Four Seasons lies across the street from the Giza Zoo and its botanical gardens, one of the few leafy expanses in this burgeoning metropolis. (Actually, the hotel is in the Cairo suburb of Giza. The Pyramids, a half hour away, can be seen from some guest rooms.)
Unveiled in 2000, this was the first Four Seasons hotel in the Middle East. The Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza is in downtown Cairo.
Sumptuously Appointed Guest Rooms at This Cairo Luxury Hotel
The hotel’s architecture and decor are classic French Empire, reflecting the Napoleonic period in Egyptian history. Gilt finishes, highly polished woods, and lavish use of marble, along with Egyptian motifs, lend touches of elegance the pharaohs would have enjoyed.
The senior sales manager told us that members of the Saudi and other royal families, plus Egyptian celebrities, stay at the Four Seasons or in apartments in the neighboring First Residence high-rise. Fifty of the hotel’s 262 guest rooms are suites.
My Premier Nile View room had a chandelier in both the entranceway and bedroom. Thanks to a super-comfortable bed and the best pillow ever, I never slept better. Others in my Goway group raved about the shower pressure.
In-room amenities included:
- Slippers and plush robes
- Refrigerated mini bar
- Coffee/tea station
- Formal desk with lighting from a gold floor lamp
- Spacious marble-and-granite bath with tub, shower, scale, telephone and gold-framed mirror
International Cuisine at the Four Seasons Hotel
From my room I could see the permanently docked First Nile Boat, home to most of the hotel’s restaurants. Nairu’s pan-Asian menu features Cantonese, Japanese, Indian and Thai dishes, while Zoe offers Greek-inspired fare and Xodo is a Brazilian steakhouse. Riva is the place for brick-oven pizzas and antipasto.
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Zoe, a Greek taverna, is one of several restaurants occupying the First Nile Boat.
The boat’s Le Petit Chef presents a novel 3D dining experience. In a digital animation show that magically turns your tabletop into a swirl of colors, a spunky little cartoon character appears at each guest’s plate and prepares each course before the actual dish is served.
For tastes of the Middle East, Aura delights guests with hot and cold mezzes and a selection of Syrian and Lebanese grilled entrees. It overlooks the fourth-floor swimming pool.
Boutique Shopping at its Best
Attached to the Four Seasons is Giza First Mall, a collection of high-end boutiques. On the ground floor of the three-level indoor shopping center, the hotel’s French brasserie, La Gourmandise, serves up bouillabaisse, French onion soup, steak frites, quiche and irresistible French pastries, not to mention sandwiches, salads, pizza, and pasta and risotto dishes.
Jewelry shops in the glittering mall include Rolex, Tiffany and Bulgari. Horus Relics sells reproductions of ancient Egyptian artifacts such as busts of Queen Nefertiti and the golden death mask of King Tutankhamun. One merchant purveys Egyptian cotton sheets and towels.
The Four Seasons’ Les Gourmandise, a French brasserie, offers seating in the atrium of Giza First Mall.
One area on the mall’s ground floor replicates a soccer field, complete with balls for decoration, and the giant-screen TV often broadcasts matches.
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Bountiful Buffet: What a Way to Start the Day
At breakfast time, before heading out to explore the wonders of Cairo, our Goway gang feasted at the Four Seasons’ sumptuous third-floor Tea Lounge, where the buffet offered everything imaginable, from vegetable curry and moussaka, to cold cuts, smoked salmon and made-to-order omelettes. The cheese selection was phenomenal—Edam, Emmental, cheddar, goat, feta and more. We all enjoyed the thick, flavor-packed mango and strawberry juices.
One day I loaded a plate with feteer, a flaky layered Egyptian pastry filled with cheese, ladling on tahini sauce and molasses. The same station had couscous with apricots and prunes, to which I added spoonfuls of powdered sugar and golden raisins.
The breakfast buffet was a good place to try other Middle Eastern specialties, including:
- Falafel, or fried chickpea balls
- Sambousek, or fried meat pies
- Ful, a creamy stew of dried fava beans, an everyday dish in Egypt
- Shakshuka, a medley of gently poached eggs in a simmering mixture of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic
The French Empire furnishings in this Premier Nile View room are typical of what guests can expect in terms of decor.
Goway Travel Captures the Best of Egypt
A first-class trip all the way, our Goway tour also included an overnight at the Four Seasons in Alexandria and three nights on the five-star Sonesta St. George cruise ship in southern Egypt. Returning to Cairo for a final night before the flight home, we again wrapped ourselves in luxury, this time at the Fairmont Nile City, another upscale property on the banks of the Nile.
Goway specializes in custom-designed trips for groups and individuals. It recently introduced Odysseys by Goway, a new line of small-group journeys (16 guests maximum) with guaranteed departure dates. One of those is the nine-day “Egypt Odyssey.”
The Toronto-based company takes globetrotters to 115 countries, and its website lists more than 1,500 suggested itineraries, 14 of them in Egypt. Egypt is often combined with countries like Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Qatar.
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By Randy Mink, Senior Editor
Lead Photo – The Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence, located behind a riverside residential building, is part of the First Residence mixed-use development on the Nile. The complex also includes an upscale shopping mall, Giza First Mall, and a permanently docked river boat containing specialty restaurants.
All photos courtesy of the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at the First Residence
