Sheraton Alexandria, Egypt [Master Thread]
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Bahamas
Programs: Hertz Gold Member ,Avis Preferred, DL SKYCLUB
Posts: 190
Sheraton Alexandria, Egypt [Master Thread]
Planning a trip to Cairo in November and want to spend three days in Alexandria, has anyone stayed at this hotel before and can share some insight will be greatly appreciated, location,food,entainment etc.
Rates start from 60.00us$ to 255.00us$,currently booked at a rate of 142.00us$. thanks in advance.
Rates start from 60.00us$ to 255.00us$,currently booked at a rate of 142.00us$. thanks in advance.
#2
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: YVR
Posts: 9,999
I stayed there in February, and quite enjoyed it. The hotel was fully booked according to the websites, but they found a room for me when I showed up unannounced. In fact they found two rooms, including a suite for my Platinum upgrade. Sadly, they only had a smoking suite available, so I took the smaller but still pleasant non-smoking regular room.
I stayed on one of the top floors, and it seemed that those floors had been recently upgraded and were reserved for "westerners." The lower floors looked a bit dingy, at least from the elevators, and seemed to be completely populated Arab people (locals, I suppose.)
Service was very good, and even though the quoted me a rate of about US$180 a night, when I produced a sheet of paper showing other hotels in the area offering much lower rates, the rate dropped to about US$105 + taxes.
Decent resteraunts, particularly the wonderful dining room. I don't recall the name, but it was just past the business centre.
Close to Montazah Castle and grounds, and across the street from the beach, though you wouldn't want to swim there. Quiet as it's on the edge of town, so you'll probably want to taxi into town.
Nothing spectacular, but comfortable and pleasant.
I stayed on one of the top floors, and it seemed that those floors had been recently upgraded and were reserved for "westerners." The lower floors looked a bit dingy, at least from the elevators, and seemed to be completely populated Arab people (locals, I suppose.)
Service was very good, and even though the quoted me a rate of about US$180 a night, when I produced a sheet of paper showing other hotels in the area offering much lower rates, the rate dropped to about US$105 + taxes.
Decent resteraunts, particularly the wonderful dining room. I don't recall the name, but it was just past the business centre.
Close to Montazah Castle and grounds, and across the street from the beach, though you wouldn't want to swim there. Quiet as it's on the edge of town, so you'll probably want to taxi into town.
Nothing spectacular, but comfortable and pleasant.
#3
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: AC E75, SPG Plat, HH peon-by-choice (ex Gold)
Posts: 8,090
Try out www.touregypt.net . You can send out a single e-mail that gets sent to a lot of tour operators.
From there, they can hook you up to the Sheraton at rates that are unbelievably low.
Most hotels in Egypt give blocks of rooms to tour operators which leaves very few rooms for the average person.
From there, they can hook you up to the Sheraton at rates that are unbelievably low.
Most hotels in Egypt give blocks of rooms to tour operators which leaves very few rooms for the average person.
#4
Company Representative - Starwood
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Austin, Texas
Programs: Marriott Employee Level
Posts: 31,593
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Braindrain:
Try out www.touregypt.net . You can send out a single e-mail that gets sent to a lot of tour operators.
From there, they can hook you up to the Sheraton at rates that are unbelievably low.
Most hotels in Egypt give blocks of rooms to tour operators which leaves very few rooms for the average person.</font>
Try out www.touregypt.net . You can send out a single e-mail that gets sent to a lot of tour operators.
From there, they can hook you up to the Sheraton at rates that are unbelievably low.
Most hotels in Egypt give blocks of rooms to tour operators which leaves very few rooms for the average person.</font>
Sincerely,
William R. Sanders
Customer Service Coordinator
Starwood Preferred Services
[email protected]
#7
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Toronto
Programs: AC SE MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,101
My wife stayed there once and thought it was pretty good by Alexandria standards (when I visited we had to stay at the Hilton in a mall because of a conference). They usually confirm Plat upgrades to a suite very fast and I believe they have an area on the beach with security.
#8
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,520
Not a lot of notes on this property but decided to overnight here as I needed the credits.
This is one of those properties that is trapped in a time warp. It's clean but very dated. Staff are wonderful and friendly. Upgrade to a sea view junior suite. I only had breakfast in the club lounge - it was OK - nothing special but sufficient. Basic western items and of course Ful Medames. It's a 30 minute trip outside the center of town.
My only complaint is the Internet. It's horrible and almost unusable.
This is one of those properties that is trapped in a time warp. It's clean but very dated. Staff are wonderful and friendly. Upgrade to a sea view junior suite. I only had breakfast in the club lounge - it was OK - nothing special but sufficient. Basic western items and of course Ful Medames. It's a 30 minute trip outside the center of town.
My only complaint is the Internet. It's horrible and almost unusable.
#9
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: South Korea
Posts: 1,167
Not a lot of notes on this property but decided to overnight here as I needed the credits.
This is one of those properties that is trapped in a time warp. It's clean but very dated. Staff are wonderful and friendly. Upgrade to a sea view junior suite. I only had breakfast in the club lounge - it was OK - nothing special but sufficient. Basic western items and of course Ful Medames. It's a 30 minute trip outside the center of town.
My only complaint is the Internet. It's horrible and almost unusable.
This is one of those properties that is trapped in a time warp. It's clean but very dated. Staff are wonderful and friendly. Upgrade to a sea view junior suite. I only had breakfast in the club lounge - it was OK - nothing special but sufficient. Basic western items and of course Ful Medames. It's a 30 minute trip outside the center of town.
My only complaint is the Internet. It's horrible and almost unusable.
#10
Join Date: Jul 1999
Programs: QF WP, AA EXP
Posts: 3,520
I flew into HBE, which is fairly far away from the city center. I took Uber (200EGP) and it was a bit over an hour. I left Alex via the train for Cairo. That was about a 20 minute drive to the train station, again via Uber.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Toronto
Programs: UA 1K, AC MM E75, Marriott LT Ti, IHG Dia Amb, Hyatt Glob
Posts: 15,510
I stayed at this hotel last week and will not be in a hurry to go back. I agree with previous poster's comment that hotel is stuck in a time warp, but the staff was very friendly and helpful.
I took a cab from the airport (long hour with a cab driver who smoked and listened to the call to prayer the entire way). I got uneasy as it seems like most of the buildings in Alexandria were crumbling and should probably be condemned. Sheraton was a little better but that's not saying much.
At check-in, the FDA was very welcoming and said "we don't often get Platinum guests here". I was upgraded to a jr seaview suite with a view of the beach and the Montaza Castle. When I entered the room I noticed my balcony door was open several inches and my room was full of flies, so I spent the first 10 mins killing them.
I did an early check-in and was told I could have breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant. Had a nap then went to lounge at 09:30 for a light breakfast. There was only one staff member in the lounge (no guests) and none of the food had been touched yet! By the time I left, 3 other guests arrived.
The hotel delivered a welcome platter of store bought cookies and some fruit (one apple, pear, banana and grapes). I love trying exotic fruits/vegetables when I travel but there were none here.
The Sheraton has a private beach, but it's across a very busy road. There is someone wearing a reflective vest and armed with a baton and a whistle to help you cross. They do have little cabanas that you can use for free on the beach.
I decided to lounge by the pool so I could have access to wifi. (I also broke a toe in Paris two days before so was trying to limit my walking.) Even though the pool area was quite busy, I was the only female in NA swimwear.
I booked a massage at the hotel spa which was a great deal (271 EGP = US$15 for 1 hr Swedish massage), but sadly, my therapist must have thought I was a wimp as I could not convince her to put some muscle into it. Spa is in the basement right next to the garage.
The evening service in the lounge includes 1 free glass of wine or 1 can of beer per guest (or so I was told at check-in). The food was awful. There was one hot dish of meatballs (I'm a vegetarian) and the only other food was white bread rolls and a pickled cauliflower/carrot/peppers combo. No cheese, no raw veggies, nothing else. I tried to tell the lounge attendant I was a vegetarian and could I get something else, but the language barrier was too great. I was offered a second glass of wine, but after 15 mins of waiting, I just gave up and went to eat snacks I had in my room. A few minutes later, one of the lounge attendants delivered the glass of wine to my room. ^
One of the concierges, Ayman, was outstanding. I wanted to buy a postcard/stamp and charge it to my room, but he said I couldn't do that so he took me to the gift shop and just spoke the lady in Arabic and I wasn't charged at all. I chose one which was ratty with curled edges which they could have never sold anyhow. LOL
The following morning, I had breakfast in the restaurant which was extremely crowded. Lots of children in Egypt BTW. I saw people reaching into the food bowls with their hands, so I opted for a made to order omelette.
At check out, I was asked how I liked my stay. I mentioned the flies in my room and my disappointment in the lounge. FDA said I should have called about the flies, and should have asked for something else in the lounge. Next time.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the wifi was terrible. There were many websites that I could not load.
I took a cab from the airport (long hour with a cab driver who smoked and listened to the call to prayer the entire way). I got uneasy as it seems like most of the buildings in Alexandria were crumbling and should probably be condemned. Sheraton was a little better but that's not saying much.
At check-in, the FDA was very welcoming and said "we don't often get Platinum guests here". I was upgraded to a jr seaview suite with a view of the beach and the Montaza Castle. When I entered the room I noticed my balcony door was open several inches and my room was full of flies, so I spent the first 10 mins killing them.
I did an early check-in and was told I could have breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant. Had a nap then went to lounge at 09:30 for a light breakfast. There was only one staff member in the lounge (no guests) and none of the food had been touched yet! By the time I left, 3 other guests arrived.
The hotel delivered a welcome platter of store bought cookies and some fruit (one apple, pear, banana and grapes). I love trying exotic fruits/vegetables when I travel but there were none here.
The Sheraton has a private beach, but it's across a very busy road. There is someone wearing a reflective vest and armed with a baton and a whistle to help you cross. They do have little cabanas that you can use for free on the beach.
I decided to lounge by the pool so I could have access to wifi. (I also broke a toe in Paris two days before so was trying to limit my walking.) Even though the pool area was quite busy, I was the only female in NA swimwear.
I booked a massage at the hotel spa which was a great deal (271 EGP = US$15 for 1 hr Swedish massage), but sadly, my therapist must have thought I was a wimp as I could not convince her to put some muscle into it. Spa is in the basement right next to the garage.
The evening service in the lounge includes 1 free glass of wine or 1 can of beer per guest (or so I was told at check-in). The food was awful. There was one hot dish of meatballs (I'm a vegetarian) and the only other food was white bread rolls and a pickled cauliflower/carrot/peppers combo. No cheese, no raw veggies, nothing else. I tried to tell the lounge attendant I was a vegetarian and could I get something else, but the language barrier was too great. I was offered a second glass of wine, but after 15 mins of waiting, I just gave up and went to eat snacks I had in my room. A few minutes later, one of the lounge attendants delivered the glass of wine to my room. ^
One of the concierges, Ayman, was outstanding. I wanted to buy a postcard/stamp and charge it to my room, but he said I couldn't do that so he took me to the gift shop and just spoke the lady in Arabic and I wasn't charged at all. I chose one which was ratty with curled edges which they could have never sold anyhow. LOL
The following morning, I had breakfast in the restaurant which was extremely crowded. Lots of children in Egypt BTW. I saw people reaching into the food bowls with their hands, so I opted for a made to order omelette.
At check out, I was asked how I liked my stay. I mentioned the flies in my room and my disappointment in the lounge. FDA said I should have called about the flies, and should have asked for something else in the lounge. Next time.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the wifi was terrible. There were many websites that I could not load.
Last edited by margarita girl; Aug 16, 2017 at 3:32 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1,716
Thanks, great review. I had considered visiting Alexandria (just because I was curious), but was dissuaded by the long taxi ride from the airport and did not feel like hopping onto a train from Cairo. Now, your review puts the kibosh on any Alexabdria dreams.
#13
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: EZE
Programs: UA Gold,Delta Gold Bonvoy Titanium Elite, HH Diamond , AA Platinum, EENational, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 1,547
I stayed at this hotel last week and will not be in a hurry to go back. I agree with previous poster's comment that hotel is stuck in a time warp, but the staff was very friendly and helpful.
I took a cab from the airport (long hour with a cab driver who smoked and listened to the call to prayer the entire way). I got uneasy as it seems like most of the buildings in Alexandria were crumbling and should probably be condemned. Sheraton was a little better but that's not saying much.
At check-in, the FDA was very welcoming and said "we don't often get Platinum guests here". I was upgraded to a jr seaview suite with a view of the beach and the Montaza Castle. When I entered the room I noticed my balcony door was open several inches and my room was full of flies, so I spent the first 10 mins killing them.
I did an early check-in and was told I could have breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant. Had a nap then went to lounge at 09:30 for a light breakfast. There was only one staff member in the lounge (no guests) and none of the food had been touched yet! By the time I left, 3 other guests arrived.
The hotel delivered a welcome platter of store bought cookies and some fruit (one apple, pear, banana and grapes). I love trying exotic fruits/vegetables when I travel but there were none here.
The Sheraton has a private beach, but it's across a very busy road. There is someone wearing a reflective vest and armed with a baton and a whistle to help you cross. They do have little cabanas that you can use for free on the beach.
I decided to lounge by the pool so I could have access to wifi. (I also broke a toe in Paris two days before so was trying to limit my walking.) Even though the pool area was quite busy, I was the only female in NA swimwear.
I booked a massage at the hotel spa which was a great deal (271 EGP = US$15 for 1 hr Swedish massage), but sadly, my therapist must have thought I was a wimp as I could not convince her to put some muscle into it. Spa is in the basement right next to the garage.
The evening service in the lounge includes 1 free glass of wine or 1 can of beer per guest (or so I was told at check-in). The food was awful. There was one hot dish of meatballs (I'm a vegetarian) and the only other food was white bread rolls and a pickled cauliflower/carrot/peppers combo. No cheese, no raw veggies, nothing else. I tried to tell the lounge attendant I was a vegetarian and could I get something else, but the language barrier was too great. I was offered a second glass of wine, but after 15 mins of waiting, I just gave up and went to eat snacks I had in my room. A few minutes later, one of the lounge attendants delivered the glass of wine to my room. ^
One of the concierges, Ayman, was outstanding. I wanted to buy a postcard/stamp and charge it to my room, but he said I couldn't do that so he took me to the gift shop and just spoke the lady in Arabic and I wasn't charged at all. I chose one which was ratty with curled edges which they could have never sold anyhow. LOL
The following morning, I had breakfast in the restaurant which was extremely crowded. Lots of children in Egypt BTW. I saw people reaching into the food bowls with their hands, so I opted for a made to order omelette.
At check out, I was asked how I liked my stay. I mentioned the flies in my room and my disappointment in the lounge. FDA said I should have called about the flies, and should have asked for something else in the lounge. Next time.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the wifi was terrible. There were many websites that I could not load.
I took a cab from the airport (long hour with a cab driver who smoked and listened to the call to prayer the entire way). I got uneasy as it seems like most of the buildings in Alexandria were crumbling and should probably be condemned. Sheraton was a little better but that's not saying much.
At check-in, the FDA was very welcoming and said "we don't often get Platinum guests here". I was upgraded to a jr seaview suite with a view of the beach and the Montaza Castle. When I entered the room I noticed my balcony door was open several inches and my room was full of flies, so I spent the first 10 mins killing them.
I did an early check-in and was told I could have breakfast in the lounge or the restaurant. Had a nap then went to lounge at 09:30 for a light breakfast. There was only one staff member in the lounge (no guests) and none of the food had been touched yet! By the time I left, 3 other guests arrived.
The hotel delivered a welcome platter of store bought cookies and some fruit (one apple, pear, banana and grapes). I love trying exotic fruits/vegetables when I travel but there were none here.
The Sheraton has a private beach, but it's across a very busy road. There is someone wearing a reflective vest and armed with a baton and a whistle to help you cross. They do have little cabanas that you can use for free on the beach.
I decided to lounge by the pool so I could have access to wifi. (I also broke a toe in Paris two days before so was trying to limit my walking.) Even though the pool area was quite busy, I was the only female in NA swimwear.
I booked a massage at the hotel spa which was a great deal (271 EGP = US$15 for 1 hr Swedish massage), but sadly, my therapist must have thought I was a wimp as I could not convince her to put some muscle into it. Spa is in the basement right next to the garage.
The evening service in the lounge includes 1 free glass of wine or 1 can of beer per guest (or so I was told at check-in). The food was awful. There was one hot dish of meatballs (I'm a vegetarian) and the only other food was white bread rolls and a pickled cauliflower/carrot/peppers combo. No cheese, no raw veggies, nothing else. I tried to tell the lounge attendant I was a vegetarian and could I get something else, but the language barrier was too great. I was offered a second glass of wine, but after 15 mins of waiting, I just gave up and went to eat snacks I had in my room. A few minutes later, one of the lounge attendants delivered the glass of wine to my room. ^
One of the concierges, Ayman, was outstanding. I wanted to buy a postcard/stamp and charge it to my room, but he said I couldn't do that so he took me to the gift shop and just spoke the lady in Arabic and I wasn't charged at all. I chose one which was ratty with curled edges which they could have never sold anyhow. LOL
The following morning, I had breakfast in the restaurant which was extremely crowded. Lots of children in Egypt BTW. I saw people reaching into the food bowls with their hands, so I opted for a made to order omelette.
At check out, I was asked how I liked my stay. I mentioned the flies in my room and my disappointment in the lounge. FDA said I should have called about the flies, and should have asked for something else in the lounge. Next time.
Edit: Forgot to mention that the wifi was terrible. There were many websites that I could not load.