Jen and I originally planned to have a short layover in Cairo before heading getting to Doha. A few weeks before our scheduled trip, I recieved an email from United Airlines that notified me of a flight change. Instead of departing around midnight to Doha, my flight would leave around 11am the following morning. With the extra time, I decided to book a night at the Le Méridien Cairo Airport rather than sleeping in the terminal. Here’s how the hotel went.
Booking
Room rates are really affordable at the Le Méridien Cairo Airport. My rate included the breakfast buffet and I was also eligible for a room upgrade thanks to my Marriot Status which comes with the American Express Platinum Card. I prepaid for the room for an even bigger discount.
Location
The property is located at Cairo Airport and is accessible via a skybridge. You don’t need to actually exit the airport. The hotel is connected in Cairo Airport in Terminal 3. Finding the skybridge can be a bit tough as it is tucked away on the second floor of the airport which involves a series of stairs and escalators to locate. There are a few signs in the airport and we had no trouble in getting to the hotel lobby.
Room
Our room was a high floor king that overlooked the swimming pool area. When we arrived it was already pitched black so we didn’t get a great view of the surrounding area. Our room was equipped with a coffee machine, water kettle, and usb charging ports. This is one of my favorite additions by international hotels.
Our room had a modern shower and the standard bathroom amenities. I enjoyed the nice design and the color palette used. WIFI was easily accessible and was not particularly fast, but manageable as I had to get some work done.
One nice touch was a small welcome amenity of local sweets. This was cute and an excellent welcome gift.
Food
As I mentioned earlier, the room rate also included the full breakfast buffet. Unlike most hotels, the Le Méridien Cairo Airport has extended breakfast hours. The breakfast buffet is served in the lower level(one below the lobby) at EVOO. Breakfast begins at 4am thru 10:30am. Yes you read that right, the property realizes that many visitors may have early morning flights and extended the breakfast window to begin 3 hours before what is considered standard.
Food was really good and a gateway to the excellent use of spices found in the Middle East and Mediterranean. There’s a cold bar which includes wide variety of dips and spreads along with a hot area filled with Mediterranean and Middle Easter foods. Additionally, there is also a small western station and a pastry station. There was so much food and everything I tried was utterly delicious.
The pastries were plentiful and looked mouth watering.
The cold area had a variety of charcuterie and dips.
Final Thoughts
I was blown away by the property. I’ve seldom stayed with Marriot, but this property was excellent especially for the breakfast and service. I felt welcomed and really enjoy the modern feel of the hotel. This property is an excellent choice for those with a longish layover in Cairo and don’t want to venture out into the city. I would 100% suggest this hotel as an option!
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