I stayed for 1 night in this hotel on my short trip to Cairo with the from Sharm el Sheikh. I did not spent a lot of time in the hotel, but generally i did not have any complaints. The exterior of the hotel looks really unpleasant, like a huge appartment block building (somewhat reminded waikiki hotels in hawaii, tolls, old concrete structures), but when you step inside the view changes to a better one. The lobby is really nice. The room was very much standard but with the great view of the Nile and clean. The hotel as i noticed has many dining options, lots of bars and restaurants, one of those is with the graet views of the Nile either and with very delicious food (do not remember the name). Had a drink in a pub, as in all hotels it is not inexpensive. Breakfast was Ok, good choice, but nothing special. They do have a pool and gym, but i did not have time to use it. The location is spot on, just outside the national museum in the heart of Cairo, but traffic is awful there and to cross the street takes some effort in some places! Service is fine. It is a typical branded city centre hotel.

We stayed at the Ramses Hilton for two nights in January 2008. Our expectations were not high but we were immediately won over. The lobby was bustling with good humored activity and the reception staff could not have been more friendly or helpful. As recent enrollees in the Hilton Honors program, all our paperwork was filled out in advance, our no-smoking preference noted and we were upgraded to a junior suite with a Nile view (and enormous outdoor balcony).

The rooms are a little tatty but that is nothing compared to the high level of hospitality offered by every single member of the staff. No detail was overlooked in making our trip enjoyable and comfortable. For example, as we were sipping a cup of coffee in the lobby, the training manager approached us to ask if everything was to our liking and if there was anything we needed to improve our stay.

One final note...the food in the Citadel Grill is delicious and beautifully presented.

My husband and I stayed here in November as part of an Egypt/Jordan tour with Friendly Planet. The hotel is adequate with pretty good rooms (by Egyptian standards)... the positives: it's central and close to the Egyptian Museum (albeit you take your life in your hands trying to cross the chaotic street) the views are great (of the Nile), the beds are pretty good and rooms are clean, nice shops in the lobby where you can get wonderful Egyptian cottons (tees and dresses) which are reasonably priced, it is across from a small mall where you also shop for other things, the food is good. The negatives: it tends to be noisy from traffic on busy streets (goes most of the night), the hotel is older construction which means dated furniture and bathroom fixtures. Good stay for a couple of days!

I stayed a week and one day at the Ramses Hilton as part of a cultural tour group. Because we were a group I think we were allocated the less glamorous rooms. My room was large and comfortable, but many things, including the bathroom, were a bit tired, in need of refurbishment. The carpet was stained in places, and some of the bathroom fittings were broken. The air con struggled to keep the room at a reasonably cool temperature, and I was there in winter! I think the hotel was built about 25 years ago, and it is beginning to look its age. The restaurants and public areas have been maintained and updated well, but the rooms could have used a makeover.

The breakfast buffet was included in our tariff and it was fantastic! A huge range of American, European and Egyptian foods were on offer. The evening buffet, at 120EGP was sumptuous, almost too much for my stomach. I chose from the a la carte menu, and had an exquisite meal of grilled fish and vegetables, with a glass of quite decent local wine. The waiting staff were always attentive and courteous and most spoke excellent English. At breakfast time there was always a bit of a hassle to get seated and to get cutlery, particularly dessert spoons!

Most of our group were first timers in Egypt and we were paranoid about getting sick, so we ate in the Hilton restaurants quite a lot. Although they were expensive by Egyptian standards, we were happy to pay the equivalent of Australian restaurant prices for the peace of mind. Alcohol is really expensive, apart from the local beer. So we were a sober lot!

There is a casino in the hotel complex, and there are two banks in the foyer, one of which is open 24 hours. There are several fixed price shops in the foyer also, as well as a galleria of shops and cafes across the road. We ate an excellent meal in the Italian cafe of the galleria.

The internet service in the Hilton Business Centre was outrageously expensive (60 EGP for 30 minutes) but was faster and more comfortable than the service provided (at lower cost) in a nearby internet cafe.

Another outrageous cost was an additional charge levied on guests who signed for expenses onto their room account. There are already service charges and taxes of about 21% on food and beverages throughout most of Egypt, then the Hilton added another 11% to the room account for "running up a tab". Grrr!

I fell ill at Abu Simbel, and was still suffering on our return to the Ramses Hilton for our last night in Egypt. The hotel arranged a well qualified, fluent English speaking doctor, who came to my hotel room, gave me a shot and a prescription for medications. The concierge arranged to have the prescription filled at a nearby pharmacy, so I did not have to get out of bed. The entire arrangement was handled efficiently by the Hilton staff.

In summary, my experience of the Ramses Hilton was a mixture of good and bad. I would say it was not what I would expect of a Hilton Hotel in the US or Europe, but it was a pretty good hotel by Egyptian standards.