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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 July - 2 August 2000 Issue No. 492 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 July - 2 August 2000 Issue No. 492
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Planet Cairo
By Ahmed SamiTime it was when tourism authorities would proudly announce the opening of a new five-star hotel or the imminent arrival of a new international hotel chain in the nation's capital. These days they seem to be sprouting out of the concrete overnight and one is hard-pressed to make a case for squeezing in a few more. But with the number of travellers on the rise, Cairo's hotels continue to be overbooked and where there is demand, there is ingenuity.
Several international chains have been gobbling up property in the desert areas surrounding Cairo and cultivating a new breed within the hospitality industry. Many of Cairo's so-called satellite cities are easily accessible from the ring road and can accommodate large numbers of visitors. Because of the vast amounts of open space, new hotels are able to offer services unheard of in the cramped quarters of downtown Cairo: golf courses, outdoor sports facilities and what is perhaps the most treasured of luxuries -- a little peace and quiet. Guests can still visit all the sites and monuments in and around Cairo within a short drive, but need not be stifled by daily city-life.
Cairo has long been both a tourist magnet and a hub for business and leisure travellers, so it comes as no surprise that major international hotel chains have capitalised on its appeal. The trend began in the 1950s with the Nile Hilton, with several other chains following suit. But Cairo in the '50s and '60s was not the city it is today and visitors were not forced to do battle with crowded streets, pollution and the increasing difficulty of getting to tourist sites.
In recent times, Egypt has been keen to fashion itself as a major cultural and business centre, hosting numerous international conferences and wooing the leisure crowd. Eager to tap into the lucrative trend of conference and business tourism -- and the wealthy clientele it brings with it -- tourism officials have trumpeted hotel expansion in satellite cities as a practical solution to the expected overflow of visitors. But cheering and projections mean little without giving the whole endeavour a look from the inside, so I decided to test-drive some of these soon-to-be tourist hotspots.
Driving the ring road that encircles Greater Cairo is itself a sign of good things to come: it's less crowded, there are no stops and palm trees dot the trip with splashes of green. My first stop was 6 October City -- a mere 15-minute drive from Mohandessin. There are three hotels under construction here, two of them located in the Dreamland complex and another in the Media Production City. These projects have clearly been drawn with business and leisure travellers in mind. The Hilton Dreamland is scheduled to open in spring 2001 with a golf course commanding a panoramic view of the pyramids of Giza (only eight kilometres away).
"The hotel is a real resort," beams Dreamland executive Khaled Hamdi, listing its numerous virtues: health spa, conference centre, banquet hall. With Le Meridien Dreamland also expected to open next year, Hamdi is hoping that the Dreamland complex will become a choice venue for companies abroad to organise trips, training programmes and seminars. "We are aiming to attract businessmen, golfers and Arab travellers," he adds.
Over at the Media Production City, Movenpick Accor is planning to attach their new hotel to the main movie studio. "The hotel will attract a mixture of travellers: corporate businessmen, Egyptians and Arab tourists visiting the Media Production City," says Andrew Lavoipierre, director of marketing and sales for Movenpick in the Middle East.
Luxury unbound: Cairo is known for its five-star treatment, but what it can't offer is space.
Where to go but Cairo's new frontier? New hotels under construction satellite cities around Cairo are taking advantage of the open space, like the Hilton and Meridien at Dreamland of 6 October City
Out in Al-Obour City, located at the beginning of the Ismailia road, Movenpick is expected to open another hotel and golf course next year. This area, about 20 minutes from the airport, has become known for its environmentally-friendly industries and is popular with Egypt's elite. Quick to follow the rustle of the moneyed crowd, Movenpick has chosen a clever location alongside the Gero Land amusement park.
"The guests here will differ from those of the Movenpick in 6 October City," explained Lavoipierre. "It will attract golfers, airline crews, domestic travellers and Gulf tourists attracted to the amusement park."
A 15-minute drive on the Ismailia road brought me to 10th of Ramadan City, an industrial and residential area on the northern outskirts of Cairo, where Meridien will be opening another hotel next spring. The hotel has been planned as part of a larger complex, with a shopping centre, offices and an amusement park.
"The hotel is meant for businessmen and other travellers who come to the 10th of Ramadan City because of the industry here," explained Mohsen El-Husseini, general manager of hotels and tourism projects at Red Sea Sharm, which owns the hotel. "There are many industrial companies in the city and this facility is really needed."
El-Husseini noted that the hotel will be an ideal spot for Cairenes to come for the day to use the pool and visit the amusement park. The shopping complex will offer discounts on products from factories in 10th of Ramadan City. Naturally, the hotel will offer conference and meeting facilities.
Back on the ring road, I drove east until the intersection with the Suez road. Here lies the city of New Cairo, a quiet residential area that is growing more popular as it acquires all the hallmarks of independence from its nearby mother city. The city has several schools, universities, shopping centres and clubs and has caught the eye of Marriot Hotels, who will open the first seven-star hotel in Egypt: the Mirage J W Marriot. Only a ten-minute drive from Heliopolis and 20 minutes from Maadi, the hotel overlooks a grand 18-hole golf course with an elegant clubhouse that is sure to attract the wealthy international golf set.
"Golf has became a real international trend and is attracting a lot of investors to Egypt," explained Hani Yassa, general manager of Mirage City, where the hotel is located. "Marriot people consider this new hotel to be their jewel in the Middle East -- and it really will be."
Some may scoff at the suggestion that cities like New Cairo or 6 October City could eclipse Cairo as a destination for holiday-makers and conferences, but a lot of people choose their hotel on the basis of luxury and convenience and in many ways, Cairo has become a little unwieldy. For the travelling executive who may be cooped up in meetings for most of his stay, a few rounds of golf and a quick trip to the pyramids could be all he's looking for. Cairo may have to let her satellite cities grow up.
