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As part of our plan to complete the Turkish Airlines Million Mile Challenge, my wife and I booked a quick two-night stop in Cairo, Egypt. Although we'd been to Egypt before, we aimed to hit the highlights during our short stay as part of our separate #40for40 challenge. So, a visit to the Giza pyramid complex was a must for this trip. Then, the question was where to stay to maximize this short stay.
We enjoyed our stay at the InterContinental Cairo Semiramis on a previous visit to Cairo in February 2024. However, that hotel was currently undergoing renovations. We considered the Category 2 Hyatt Regency Cairo West, but found it didn't have any standard room award availability on our dates. However, we then noticed that Marriott Mena House — located directly adjacent to the pyramids complex — was bookable for just 59,000 points total for our two-night stay.
We've heard great things about Marriott's Mena House, so we decided to give it a try. And we're glad we did! Here's what I loved about the stay.
Page Contents
Excellent Use of a 35,000-Point Free Night Award
The first night of our stay cost 33,000 points, and the second night cost 26,000 points. But, with a 35,000-point free night award from the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card set to expire December 5, we opted to use the certificate for the first night.
The comparable paid rate for our two-night stay would have been $838. Splitting that cost in half, we saved $419 by using the Marriott 35k certificate and got an excellent redemption rate of 1.61 cents per point on the second night. For comparison, AwardWallet users average 0.93¢ per point when redeeming Marriott points.
Marriott Bonvoy uses dynamic award pricing, so you'll likely see different rates. But most dates cost between 23,000 and 57,000 Bonvoy points per night.
Related: How to Top Off Your Marriott Free Night Award Certificate With up to 15,000 Bonvoy Points
Solid Room Upgrade as a Titanium Elite Member
Standard room awards book into a 387 square foot deluxe garden view room with a balcony and either one king bed or two twin beds. You can redeem more points for a similarly sized room with partial or premium pyramid views, or you can use nightly upgrade awards to request an upgrade.
Having a pyramid view from our room wasn't critical for us, so we simply waited to see what the property would assign us with Titanium Elite status. And we were pleasantly surprised to get a top-floor garden-view Grand Deluxe room in the ‘old palace' section of the hotel.
The Grand Deluxe room is much larger at 699 square feet.
We loved the extra space, including the large couch and spacious work space with two desk chairs.
Having a walk-in closet was also nice, as was the spacious bathroom complete with a large tub by the window.
We didn't use the balcony as it was exceptionally hot during our August stay. But, during cooler weather, it would be a pleasant place to sit.
Related: How To Earn Marriott Bonvoy Elite Status and the Perks of Each Tier
Wonderful Service
The level of service we found at Marriott's Mena House was comparable to some of the best Maldives resorts we've visited.
It started with letting us check in around 11 a.m., but continued throughout the stay with frequent check-ins from guest relations staff during our visits to the M Club lounge, several calls to the room, and even at dinner on our last night. And, unlike too many Marriott properties where you have to fight to get elite perks, the front desk granted us an extended 4 p.m. late checkout without hesitation.
The concierge was also helpful, even offering a (complimentary) golf cart ride to a nearby gift shop when we mentioned we were interested in buying and sending postcards.
If we'd had any issues during our stay, we would have had many opportunities to discuss them and hopefully get them fixed. But, luckily, our stay went smoothly.
Related: Which Marriott Hotel Brands Earn the Most Points?
Top-Notch M Club Lounge
The M Club lounge at Marriott Mena House was another highlight of our stay. Marriott Platinum Elite and above members get access, as do guests who book grand deluxe rooms, suites, or executive rooms.
The lounge serves breakfast daily from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. and evening snacks with wine and beer from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. You could get made-to-order eggs in the morning by asking, and staff didn't bat an eye when we ordered a second bottle of beer during the evening hors d'oeuvres.
The lounge is open 24 hours with grab-and-go snacks, including coffee, tea, juice, Pepsi products, and water.
Related: How To Get Hotel Elite Status for Free (or Almost Free)
Special Access to the Giza Pyramid Complex
Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to stay at Marriott Mena House is the VIP access guests get to the historic Old Pyramids entrance to the Giza pyramid complex. Guests can work with the concierge to book a complimentary golf cart ride between the hotel and the entrance. As the complex is immediately adjacent to the property, the ride takes just 5 minutes — most of which is spent just exiting the Marriott complex.
You reportedly need to book your ride 24 hours in advance. However, when we spoke with the concierge in the M Club lounge the night we arrived, she was able to arrange a 10:30 a.m. ride for the following morning.
You can take the golf cart ride, purchase tickets to the pyramid complex at the entrance, explore the complex on your own, and then call the hotel for a ride back once you're ready to leave.
Last time we were in Cairo, we'd booked a day tour of the pyramids through Viator and considered doing so again this time. But we opted for the simplicity of booking a guide through the Marriott Mena House concierge for a reasonable $50 per person.
When we reported to the concierge desk for our tour, we still weren't sure if we would be part of a larger group. But the tour ended up being just us and the tour guide — for over three hours!
We were very pleased with our guide. He gave us excellent information, answered all of the questions we had, didn't push additional activities or shopping, and took great photos of us.
Related: Why EgyptAir Plus is the Best Airline to Get Star Alliance Gold Status
Dining with Pyramid Views
The Marriott Mena House has an on-site restaurant named the 139 Pavilion with tables overlooking the pyramids. We assumed that this restaurant had to be expensive and/or hard to get a reservation for, but we decided to check it out on our second night. Not only were we able to get a front-row table without a reservation, but the prices were also surprisingly reasonable!
We ordered two dishes from the Egyptian specials menu: Koshary for about $7 and Molokheya with Roasted Chicken for about $14. Beer is about $5, while cocktails start around $15.
The food was tasty, but the pyramid views were what made the dinner truly memorable.
Related: Making Sense of the Marriott Bonvoy Co-Branded Credit Cards
It's a Historic Property
The Mena House was first constructed as a royal hunting lodge in 1869 before opening as a hotel in 1886. And the property does an excellent job of showcasing this unique history in historic photos located throughout the hotel.
We loved looking at these photos while walking the property. The photos highlight just how much Cairo and tourism around the Egyptian pyramids have changed over the years.
Our Take
Marriott Mena House was perfect for our short stay, especially since the primary sight we wanted to see was the Giza pyramids complex. It's great to take a golf cart to a VIP entrance, and we were happy we booked a guide through the hotel for our tour of the pyramids.
Service was excellent, and we appreciated that the hotel automatically upgraded us to a significantly larger room. The lounge is open and provides ample snacks, but dining on-site is also affordable.
You won't find many restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. So you'll need to take a taxi or Uber if you don't want to eat onsite. This being said, I'd return to Marriott Mena House for a stay focused on visiting the Giza pyramid complex and nearby sites on the eastern side of Cairo.
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