ToThereAndBack

Hi, everyone,

I was wondering if anyone knew more about the Palace wing standard rooms. Our tour company had book Mena Garden standard rooms (no pyramid view) for our large group of 25 and recently informed us that they got a free upgrade for us for the Palace standard rooms. I can't find any information/pictures whatsoever about these rooms (not on their website or otherwise), and I'm afraid it's because they are not worthy to be shown. I believe it has a desert view. I know it's nice to stay in the Palace wing, but are these particular rooms really an upgrade?

Thanks for your help!
MJ

Elizabeth_S

When are you going? I read on TA that the Palace rooms were slated for renovations but not until next year. Friends stayed in the Palace wing (non-view) last year and while their room was quite beautiful, they did think the appointments were a little long in the tooth.

ToThereAndBack

We're going in November 2010. Yes, you're right, they postponed the renovations until next year. Do your friends have any pictures of the rooms they stayed in? I don't mind antique and charming if it's done well, but worn out and outdated makes me a little nervous when people are paying extra to stay at a 5 star hotel. As long as the rooms have clean bathrooms, the beds are comfortable, and the rooms don't have a dank or smoky smell, I think we'll be okay. I doubt we will spend too much time in the rooms with such nice grounds to explore. But I also don't want people to be too disappointed -- they know they're not getting a pyramid view room, but I hope it's decent. It's hard to please 25 people!

Casual_Cairo

I was going to say you should not have to worry about the rooms being dirty, and they should be reasonably comfortable with decent bathrooms, at any Oberoi property, but when you mentioned you didn't want them to smell of smoke, I stopped. This is a VERY old palace. Lot's of people have stayed in that room over the years, and IF (and I do mean IF) it is now a non-smoking room, you can bet for years and years, it was a smoking room and may still have the smell. Don't be surprised and warn everyone that it's possible.
The Mena House does a marvelous job in its lobby of burning Jasmine oil to make it smell wonderful ALL the time. If your rooms are yukky smelling, you might tell them you need an oil burner and some of the oil brought to the room to mask it. They clearly have LOTS of the oil around.

MissGreen

Hi. I have just returned from a month in Egypt with 5 nights at the Mena House. I absolutely LOVED it. We were in a deluxe room that overlooked the pyramids on the 3rd floor. The room was magnificent and so clean. The service there was absolutely mazing. Staff did things to help and always said hello, even though there was no chance of a tip (e.g. staff on a golf cart passing you across the other side of the road waving and saying welcome).

The public areas of the Mena House are also magnificent so although I didn't see a standard room, surely they cannot have so high exacting standards in some rooms and public areas and not in others.

I was in a non smoking room, and after a few days I wandered what that smell was in the hall. It was only very slight and I had no idea, then I thought, it is probably smoke that had been covered up. The smell was only so slight and didn't even smell like smoke.

The Mena House was my favourite of all the hotels I stayed.

bbb123

I also stayed at the Mena House for 3 nights mid September. I know what category the room was, it was on the second floor and like Ms Green above you could get a peek a boo view of the pyramid of Khufu. Some of the rooms in this wing are renovated to a more modern style, with flat screen tv's and streamlined furniture. Our room was still modern, but slightly older style, ie: tv in the armoire. I think the room was a smoking room (i do not smoke), did not smell at first, but the next morning I could really smell cigarette smoke in the bathroom -probably coming in thru the vent. One of our group changed her room 'cause it really smelled of smoke. Also, another thing about the Mena House is that at sundown every afternoon around 6pm, they *smoke* the grounds to keep the mosquitoes away. Whether it is just smoke, or some kind of chemical, I do not know; gardeners carry around what look like leaf blowers that belch out huge clouds of smoke. Sure, it dissipates in about 5 -10minutes, but anyone with respiratory concerns should stay indoors.

MissGreen

bbb123. I was often around the hotel and the pool at that time but never noticed the 'ground smoking'! The Movenpick in Aswan said they did that but I did not notice anything there either.

bbb123

don't know whether they smoke every day or not...there is a small plackard note in all the rooms by the phone on the desk that mentions this...I too was at the pool most late afternoons, wasn't the pool gorgeous? and the water was delicious after the hot, hot day!

MissGreen

BBB123.. I LOVED the pool at the Mena House and yes, as I trudged around in the heat I thought of the pool! I had a favourite "pool guy" too - he was very handsome and polite! Only problem at the Mena House was I noticed that they "recycled" the pool towels now and again if they were not too damp and put them straight back in to the pile of towels to be issued to guests.

I saw the note at the Movenpick about the "smoking"!

jefftennis

Just got back from egypt and we stayed at the mena house palace room with a wonderful pyramid view, room 902. the place is so beautiful. the palace wing is the place to stay.

cpwebler

We just returned from Egypt. We were at The Mena House for 5 nights. The Palace rooms are the place to be, not the Garden rooms. The hotel has excellent service.

MissGreen

CPwebler & Jeff... I looked on the Mena House website for room prices (just for fun imagining I was going to book the Royal suite). I think you're right because a deluxe pyramid view room in the Palace was approx 100 Euro dearer.