“In Central Old Cairo. . . .”

In the hotel-provided plastic chairs, you can from your own lanai look down upon the shari talaat harb traffic and see from your location the midan talaat harb (square), a spectacle at night.

“If cheap is what you want then don't expect luxry hostels!”

The hotel was in walking distances of all banks and currency exchanges, sadly not all of them would exchange my rands from South Africa! BOO! Anywho, it was a struggle being hispanic because everyone thought i was Arab and got upset when ever i spoke english (SO EXPECT LANGUAGE BARRIERS in the TALAT HARAB district and all around Cairo). There was an awesome sandwhich shop, hardly any internet cafe's around (if so, waiting perioud for 5 computers), the metro was helpful but plan ahead cuz i got lost a couple of times. Plan to get tickets to aswan, luxor or other a day ahead! TOO many shoe,purse and clothes stores all in one district! The Egyptian Museum was near by too as well as pretty Mosques and Churches. Enjoy!

“For budget travelers”

The hotel is in a great location if you want to visit the Cairo museum or want to do some shopping, close to the metro and the Ramses station. We stayed there 3 nights in 3 different rooms. The first one was so dirty we had trouble showering (didn't want to touch anything in the bathroom), the next two rooms were pretty clean in comparison. The staff speaks some English, enough to communicate but when we needed extra help with our travel needs (like getting a train ticket) they could not help much. All our rooms had AC and private bathrooms, the rooms were quiet and the beds were clean. After all, I would go back there any time, staying there is part of the Egypt experience, especially if you are a budget traveler.

“only for very low budget expectations”

Pros: You get to experience the real daily life of a person living in Cairo.You could see a lot in walking distance from the hotel,places to eat, find snacks to take back to your room,Internet cafe's etc.Cons: the hotel did not have the amenities they listed,no internet,no refrigerator,no breakfast,no phone in room.Street noise was very loud til at least 1am,no towels,only1/2 roll of t.p.,no soap.But my time was the experience of a lifetime and I wouldn't trade it for anything.I never was one who wanted to be pampered anyway so it worked out.Keep track of your $.I gave the exchange clerk at the airport 200usd but he only recorded it as 100usd,so I was shorted 100usd.I was in a hurry to get to my hotel I never noticed until 2 days later.You live and learn.Also if you like cats there are many,they are all strays but some are lucky and get fed by someone.

“Cairo was incredible but VERY different......”

The staff was excellent.....very friendly and helpful. THE LOCATION IS EXCELLENT...ESPECIALLY IF YOU WANT A FEEL OF DAILY LIVING IN CAIRO...VERY SAFE The hotel was unique and in its day I am sure beautiful. MAYBE AS OLD AS THE PYRAMIDS! LOL The rooms were clean....like camping clean on summer retreat.....sheets and towel were clean but so old and a bit of clorox would help the yellowing. Actually, went and bought a few of my own. YOU HAVE TO TIP EVERYONE IN CAIRO AND I MEAN EVERYONE SEVERAL 100 POUNDS EACH TIME YOU DO ANYTHING. Never tried the taxi's..with a friend. BEWARE THE PYRAMID PRICES.....ESPECIALLY THE CAMEL RIDE, PHOTOGRAPHER, HE WANTED 2000 POUNDS JUST FOR TAKING SOME PICTURES....HE GOT 500 THE PYRAMIDS WERE AWESOME THOUGH....... There is a city way way way up high somewhere overlooking ALL of Cairo....you have to ask but a place serves tea and overlooks the entire city...AWESOME..yet it is old too I personally love mixing with the locals so I loved Cairo but it is very different yet so spectacular too.....THE CHILDREN SLEEPING ON THE STREETS THOUGH BROK MY HEART.........definitely take a camera....and I would advise leaving your jewelry at home......it only makes the cost of everything go up when you have gold and diamonds on. In a way I felt that in Cairo their were some fabulous arcitectures but those left to care for the buildings over the last 100 years could care less about up keep. This though added to the lure of Cairo and I would even stay at the Gresham to

“Review of Gresham hotel in Cairo”

The Hotel needs to be remodelled if it wants to attract customers. New elevator needed. The only good thing of this hotel is Price- very cheap.

“STAY AWAY!”

1.5 stars is 1.5 stars too many! CONS: I've lived in Egypt and visted often and can even speak some Arabic and this was the worst experience. First off, it's in an alley and really hard to find- having the street address is no help to any cab driver in Cairo. The hot water was so hot it came out as steam. The toilet leaked all over the floor. The floors were dirty, the sheets had hair on them, no blankets so we froze at night, the pillows were questionable, the tub was filthy and the whole thing was scary. No climate control unless opening the french doors to the balcony counts, but then you have mosquitoes. Most of the people at the front desk don't speak any English, and they will not let you use a phone or call anywhere for you. Egypt also has very few internet cafes and virtually no wifi, so don't count on being able to go online to get help. PRO: It was quiet. And the room was so horrendous that we spent as much time away from it as possible, so we saw a lot of Cairo. Please stay somewhere else and don't let these people make money from you. There are many cheap, budget Egyptian hotels that are actually really nice but this isn't one of them. Consult a tour book, or a resident or a friend or even an enemy and you'll do way better than ending up at this dump!

“Be part of a HORROR movie... stay at the Gresham!”

This is NOT a hotel. More a hostel, right out of a "Alfred Hichcock" movie..or a "Twilight Zone" series. The filthiest place I have ever seen. The entrance is in a dark back alley. No reception on the bottom floor. A steel cage from 1930, which acts as a lift, but is out of order. After carrying your luggage (if you have the guts to go further than the entrance of the building) up to the 3rd floor, you walk through old bar doors, to get to a glimsy lit room, filled with smoke. That's the hotel lounge. The furniture dates back to the 1960's, with hardly any material left on them... The room has NO INTERNET, dirty NYLON sheets, and a disgusting toilet, with no towels. The grime on the balcony ballistrates built up since the day construction was completed (many, many moons ago) $5 a night is the most the hostel can charge anyone, but even if they PAY me, I could not stay there.

“Spend the extra cash for a nice hotel”

No elevator was working. No telephone in room or help with getting a taxi. Was locked out from room for one hour due to bad lock. Hallways had cats roaming. The bathroom had bugs and ants. The AC worked well. The beds were hard and the main light in the room burned out after 2 days.