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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 20 - 26 April 2000 Issue No. 478
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Heritage Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters A room somewhere
By Rehab SaadWHEN THE Semiramis Intercontinental opened in the 1980s few would have guessed that it would be the last big hotel chain to open in Cairo for a decade. Yet in the late 90s things started to move again, with the inauguration of Cairo's Conrad Hotel. And now the ball is well and truly moving, with the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at First Residence -- the first Four Seasons hotel to be opened in the Middle East -- scheduled to open next month. And hot on its heels come another 17 projects currently under construction in Cairo, which at the five star end of the market include an extension to the Cairo Meridien, a second Four Seasons hotel, the Nile Plaza Four Seasons in Garden City and a new Marriott resort in Mirage Golf City near Nasr City.
"There are different view points regarding the expansion of tourist facilities in Cairo," says Adel Radi, head of the Tourist Development Authority (TDA). "Some people have called for the halting of any further expansion in the city, arguing that it is already overcrowded, while others believe that Cairo itself acts as a magnet for travellers and that the number of rooms should therefore be increased."
A total of $252 million has been invested in the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at First Residence and the residential building, casino and shopping mall that are annexed to it. The hotel will provide 273 guest rooms and 43 suites.
