Sofitel Cairo Nile El Gezirah

Sofitel has a way of making their high-gloss Parisian style look and feel at home nearly anywhere, and certainly this applies to Cairo. That’s not to say that it’s lacking a sense of place; there’s a strong local influence in the design as well, and the virtually omnipresent views of the Nile make it impossible to forget where you are. It’s just that it feels polished in a way that’s distinct to a Sofitel, and as cosmopolitan as a sparkling luxury tower in modern-day Cairo should be.

All those Nile views are a result of the hotel’s position on the southern tip of El Gezirah island, a stone’s throw from the Cairo Opera House and a quick trip from the city center or Zamalek, Cairo’s main business and commercial district.

Still, the hotel feels like a world unto itself. There are some ten restaurants and bars, ranging from a quiet library-style tea lounge to the over-the-top party atmosphere of the Buddha Bar, with quite a lot in between. And the drinking and dining options are only the beginning — the spa is like an oasis within an oasis, the business and event facilities have something for parties of nearly any size and purpose, and the heated outdoor pool along the river is resort-like in both scale and ambience.

The guest rooms are up to the usual Sofitel standard, which is to say they’re modern without overdoing it on the design statements, and luxurious without feeling ostentatious. Combined with the quiet, as well as the relatively toned-down visual style, the riverside setting makes the rooms feel quite serene, creating a pleasant psychological distance (if not a tremendous geographical one) from the noise of the city. Book a suite and you’ll have a breezy riverside terrace thrown into the mix as well, but at every level the Sofitel offers an excellent vantage point on contemporary Cairo.