In what was a watershed moment in the luxury hospitality industry in the city of Cairo, The Nile Hotel bade farewell to its guests and closed its doors on the first day of 2010.
For the next 30 months, this celebrated hotel is undergoing an extensive physical makeover to emerge in 2012 newly re-branded as The Nile Ritz-Carlton, Cairo.
Owned by Misr Hotels, a subsidiary of The Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema, plans are in place to convert the property, strategically located along the famous river in the heart of bustling downtown Cairo, to reflect its former glory as an iconic landmark in this ancient city.
“We are set to raise the bar of excellence and define the service standards with the values inherent in The Ritz-Carlton culture,” said Simon Cooper, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
“Our goal is to transform this property to be the destination of choice for luxury travellers and establish the hotel as one of the best in the world.”
When it re-opens, the new hotel will feature a contemporary design by architect Frank Nicholson.
The Nile Ritz-Carlton will comprise 327 luxurious guest rooms, including 52 suites, offering magnificent views of the city. There will be two 432-sq-m royal suites, each featuring a magnificent grand entrance with floor-to-ceiling windows, two bedrooms, a living room and dining area.
Four specialty restaurants, two lounges and a bar will offer a multitude of dining options from classic Italian cuisine to a contemporary steakhouse.
As a key destination for business in the city due to its facilities and its central location, The Nile Ritz-Carlton will offer a variety of fully-featured meetings and function spaces.
“We are delighted to announce that we are progressing on schedule with this major project and that we are totally committed to our plans,” said Aly Abdel Aziz, CEO and chairman of The Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema. “This project will retain the historic sentiments of this iconic hotel and is essentially an evolution of adding to what it once represented. Although it is a considerable investment on our part, we strongly believe that it is one which will yield great rewards.”