Sarah Kingdom stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence, where she found real luxury and a truly genuine welcome.
It’s hard to find a quiet corner in Cairo. With nearly ten million residents, it’s a cacophony of car horns, calls to prayer, and street chatter. This is a city of extremes: exhilarating, exhausting, endlessly fascinating. A place where millennia-old antiquities sit alongside modern nightlife, and where the Nile still threads its way through the city, as it has for thousands of years.
To really enjoy Cairo, it helps to have somewhere quiet to return to. The Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence is precisely that, a tranquil retreat on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, overlooking the Botanical Gardens, the Giza Zoo, and beyond them, to the pyramids.
A Breakfast Worth Waking Up For
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, well, the traditional Egyptian breakfast at the Four Seasons First Residence is definitely one worth waking up for. Our waiter was keen for us to give it a try, so, despite all the other tasty things on offer, we decided to give it a go. Ful mudammas, was the star of the show; creamy, slow-cooked fava beans, loaded with flavour from cumin, herbs, a zippy lemon garlic sauce, and drizzled with olive oil.
Add to that herb-flecked taameya, Egypt’s wonderful take on falafel, warm flatbreads, and golden feteer meshaltet, flaky, layered pastry, still warm from the oven, served either savoury with salty cheese, or sweet with a drizzle of molasses. Add in creamy labneh, and a scattering of olives and pickled vegetables. Don’t forget some Egyptian tea (shai), served black with lots of mint. Hearty, comforting, delicious, a window into Egyptian hospitality, and an experience that somehow connects you to the city, and the country, before you’ve even stepped out of the hotel.
Rooms With Views
The 212 rooms and 50 suites at the Four Seasons First Residence are spacious. Decorated in soft creams and golds, a touch of European elegance combined with Egyptian grandeur. Marble-clad bathrooms with deep bathtubs, and floor-to-ceiling windows that frame views of Cairo.
Some suites overlook the Nile River, others the Botanical Gardens and Giza Zoo, and on clear days, you can glimpse the pyramids. Our suite overlooked the river, a ribbon of green and blue cutting through the urban sprawl, a helpful landmark when trying to understand the geography of this great metropolis. Speed boats zipped, feluccas glided, and dinner cruise boats motored. First thing in the morning, we spotted members of the local rowing club sculling up the river, and as evening fell and the Nile turned liquid gold, the call to prayer drifted in through the open window. The view from our room was one of those rare hotel moments, where we felt part of the city, not simply observing it.
Location: Between River and Relics
The Four Seasons First Residence’s location in Giza makes this a strategic base. To the east of the hotel lies downtown Cairo, with its museums, mosques, and colonial architecture, and to the west is the desert plateau and the Great Pyramids.
Unlike many city hotels that feel insulated from their surroundings, the area around the Four Seasons First Residence has a distinctly local feel to it, yet the hotel itself remains upscale and secure. In the evenings we would head out for a stroll, and just a few minutes later, be crossing one of the iconic bridges over the Nile. Here, Cairo came alive in an entirely different way: families promenaded arm in arm, young couples shared bags of salty snacks, vendors brewed tea and coffee from steaming kettles. It was simple, ordinary, and yet absolutely fabulous.
Eating Your Way Around the Hotel
Along the stretch of river just outside the hotel is the Four Seasons First Nile Boat, a floating dining destination, moored beside the hotel, with several restaurants to choose from. Here Zoé offers Mediterranean seafood and an unmissable Friday brunch, XODO is a Brazilian steakhouse, Nairu & Nairu serves contemporary Asian cuisine, and Riva is where to go for rustic Italian dishes.
If you’d rather stay in, there’s Char Bar, a casual spot for burgers and craft beer by the pool. Then there’s the Tea Lounge, where those fabulous Egyptian breakfasts are matched by elegant afternoon teas. Inside the connected mall, you’ll find La Gourmandise, a brasserie that’s perfect for a stylish lunch between browsing the shops selling Tiffany jewellery and Rolex watches.
On the pool deck, our favourite restaurant, Aura, specialises in Lebanese cuisine, crafted by Chef Ahmed El Zoghbi, whose cooking is inspired by his childhood in his village in Lebanon. He elevates his family’s traditional recipes with local Egyptian ingredients, producing dishes that are colourful, aromatic, and delicious. We returned to eat here every night of our stay.
Wellness and Leisure
If the chaos of Cairo gets a bit overwhelming, you can always head to the hotel’s adults-only indoor pool, with its domed glass ceiling that’s painted to resemble a perfect blue sky. Or head to the family-friendly outdoor pool on the rooftop – a bit of an oasis above the city.
The hotel spa is a standout, with a Turkish hammam, steam room, sauna, hot tub, and a menu of Egyptian-inspired treatments. There’s also a well-equipped fitness centre for those who want to burn off a few calories, while those seeking a different kind of thrill can visit the on-site casino
Design and Ambience
Cairo can sometimes overwhelm, but the hotel’s interiors are understated elegance. Think fresh flowers in the lobby, glittering chandeliers, and furniture that leans more towards classic European chic than Egyptian flamboyance. This is Four Seasons’ trademark style, quietly luxurious rather than ostentatiousness, and it works.
The Four Seasons First Residence is not just a hotel, it’s also part of a wider complex that includes the First Mall. Here you’ll find Tiffany, Rolex, Ferragamo, and Bvlgari, alongside various cafés and boutiques. They tell me this is the place where Cairo’s fashionable elite mingle, so even if you are not in the mood to shop, it’s a pretty good place for people watching.
Of course, what ultimately defines any hotel experience is the service, and here it was flawless. Somehow the staff manage to get the right balance between professionalism and warmth. They remembered our names, how we liked to take our tea or coffee, what wine we’d selected the previous night at dinner; all this with a smile and genuine friendliness – and that’s what makes the difference between a good hotel and a great one.
Yes, Cairo can be overwhelming, but that’s part of its charm. But every challenging city needs a hotel to escape to, and in a city with no shortage of hotels, the Four Seasons First Residence is just that. Begin your day with ful mudammas and feteer meshaltet, venture out to visit pyramids or museums, wander back at dusk for a stroll across the Nile bridge and a cup of sweet tea, before returning to a suite that overlooks the river, glimmering with reflections of the city’s night lights. It’s this combination of luxury and local that makes the Four Season First Residence so perfect.
Tell me more about the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence
Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence 35 Giza Street, Giza, Egypt
E: info@bahiamarclub.com T: +202 3567-1600
Rates: We stayed in an Executive Suite, which averages £360/$480 per night, including breakfast. Accommodation rates start from £223/$300 for a Deluxe Room and range to the King Suite at £11,180/$15,000 a night. These rates all include breakfast, but do not include a 12% service charge.
Top Tip For Arrival In Cairo
We landed in Cairo at 3am, after many hours of travel. To say we were delighted to be met straight off the plane, by a smart looking man carrying a sign with our names on it, would be an understatement! Our travel agent, the amazing Sheri Fazleabas, owner of A&S Signature Journeys, who has put together many a fantastic trip for us, had not only organised our incredible Egypt itinerary, she’d made sure to organise the airport Fast Track service.
A concierge met us, relieved us of our passports, filled out all our paperwork and returned our passports, stamped, all while the rest of the passengers off our flight were still rummaging around for a biro to fill out their arrival forms. We were then whisked off to luggage collection, where we merely had to point at our bags, and suddenly they were loaded on the trolley and we were ready to go. Fast Track services are available to any traveller, on any airline, and in any cabin class.
