Cairo & Ain Sohkna - December

[ramamamadingdong]

So, I rather rashly booked flights for Dec 26-30 to Cairo ... and am now struggling to find hotels that fit the bill so am hoping the hive mind can help.

I was thinking two nights near the pyramids, then two in Ain Sohkna for a contrast but am open to other suggestions as to where the second stop should be, without too much of a drive as it's only a short holiday.

We're a family of 5 - two parents, two adult kids in their early 20s, and a 5yr old.

I've read hotel reviews til my eyes hurt and am struggling - even the ones that look good or are expensive also have some pretty damning reviews (very noisy, bad food, poor service, very smoky, tired rooms, cold pools) so I'm a bit lost.

Three of us are vegetarian so that's a factor. We don't need any kids' club/entertainment. If there's a pool then it'd have to be heated to be of any use in Dec. Big boys would like a gym but it's not essential. Pyramid view at the first stop is a must.

Anyone been at this time of year and have any suggestions? We're flexible on budget. Thank you!

We stayed at the Mena House hotel, probably 6-7 years ago.
Overlooks the Pyramids from the grounds - but only from a few rooms & the restaurant.
Location, grounds & room were OK.

There were a lot of things wrong, mostly down to exceptional staff incompetence. I notice that it now has "Marriott" in its title, so things might have improved. Check it out on TA, & I'd suggest you ignore old postings.

I just re-read your message " without too much of a drive " !!!

I do hope you're not thinking of hiring a car.

Thanks so much, that's really helpful. This is what I'm finding - the higher prices don't seem to correlate with quality. I'll have a look again at recent reviews for Mena. They're certainly charging Marriott prices! No intention of hiring a car - thought we'd get a driver to take us, as it seems like about 90 mins away to Ain Sohkna. Thanks again.