Kempinski Nile Hotel review: a rooftop pool above the Nile

Looking for a Kempinski Nile Hotel review before you book? Here’s what it’s like to stay at this five-star hotel on the river in Garden City, from the Nile-view rooms to the rooftop pool and bar, who it suits, what to know before you go, and whether it’s the right base for your time in Cairo.

I spent my last night in Egypt at the Kempinski Nile Hotel in Garden City, checking in after a final day exploring the Citadel, Coptic Cairo and the royal mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, and before that, more than a week of an overnight sleeper train, a night on a felucca and early starts for temples and tombs.

It’s a welcoming high-end hotel with a stunning rooftop pool and spa, and it’s my top pick in the city. Here’s my review, with everything you need to know to decide whether it’s right for you.

Quick verdict

The Kempinski is a polished five-star hotel right on the bank of the Nile, with rooms that have superb views over the river and a rooftop that’s one of the best places in the city to watch the sun go down. It suits couples, first-time visitors and anyone who wants a calm, central base for the museums and Islamic Cairo, rather than a view of the pyramids.

My rating: 4/5

At a glance

• Where: 12 Ahmed Ragheb Street, on the Corniche in Garden City, on the east bank of the Nile.
• Style: classic five-star luxury, with a modern rooftop pool and bar.
• Best for: couples, a first or last night in Cairo, and anyone who wants to walk to Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum.
• Rooms: Nile-view and city-view rooms and suites, up to a two-bedroom Presidential Suite.
• Facilities: heated rooftop pool, spa with sauna and steam room, several restaurants and bars.
• Price: from around US$290 a night for a standard room (listed for November dates).

My stay

The hotel sits right on the bank of the Nile, and it has rooms with superb views over the river. It’s only a short drive from the city’s highlights, which made it an easy base to come back to after a long day of sightseeing.

My room was decorated in soft golds and creams, with a large bed between two bedside lamps and a framed print above it.

I made the most of every part of it. I swam in the rooftop pool, booked a lymphatic massage in the spa (it was great) and ate at the rooftop restaurant, where the food was bright and flavourful.

In the early evening, I headed up to the rooftop terrace for a cocktail and stayed as dusk fell over the river, with the Cairo Tower and the bridges to Zamalek in front of me and the city lights coming on below.

What I loved

• The rooftop: the pool and terrace bar look straight down the Nile to the Cairo Tower, and it’s a brilliant place to watch the sun go down after a day of sightseeing.
• The Nile views: the river-facing rooms have superb views over the water, and you’ll see them from the moment you open the curtains.
• The spa: my lymphatic massage was great, and it’s the perfect reset after days of early starts and long drives.
• The food: the rooftop restaurant’s dishes were bright and flavourful, and you eat with the Nile below you.
• The welcome: it’s a welcoming hotel, and a calm place to come back to after a day in Cairo’s busy streets.
• The location: it’s right on the river in leafy Garden City, a short drive from the city’s highlights, and you can walk to Tahrir Square and the Egyptian Museum.

Worth knowing before you book

• Book a Nile-view room: the hotel has city-view rooms too (sold as Madina rooms), and the river view is what makes a stay here special, so it’s worth paying the difference.
• The Corniche is busy: the hotel faces a major road, and while Garden City’s back streets are leafy and quiet, walking along the river itself isn’t relaxing. Most guests take taxis to the main sights.
• It’s not for pyramid views: the pyramids are about 45 minutes to an hour away by car, so if waking up to them is your priority, stay in Giza instead.

The rooms

The rooms are split between Nile-view and city-view categories, from deluxe rooms with king, queen or twin beds up to junior and deluxe suites, and a two-bedroom Presidential Suite of around 300 square metres. The style is classic and comfortable rather than cutting-edge: think soft furnishings, warm neutral tones and large windows, with modern bathrooms.

The rooftop pool and spa

The heated outdoor pool is on the roof, surrounded by loungers and a terrace with views up and down the river. Guests can use it during the day (it’s typically open from 7am to 5pm), and the bar and restaurant up there stay open into the evening, which is when the view is at its best.

Kempinski The Spa has treatment rooms, including couples’ rooms, plus a sauna, steam room and hot tubs. It offers massages, facials, scrubs and wraps; book treatments in advance. I had a lymphatic massage, and it was great.

Eating and drinking

There are several places to eat and drink without leaving the hotel:

• Osmanly: Ottoman and Turkish cooking, for lunch and dinner.
• The Blue Restaurant and Grill: Italian and Mediterranean dishes, from breakfast through to dinner.
• The Rooftop: the bar and restaurant beside the pool, with the best view in the house. I ate here, and the food was bright and flavourful.
• The Jazz Bar: live music in the evenings.
• Chocolate Lounge: coffee, cakes and, as you’d expect, plenty of chocolate.

Reservations are recommended for Osmanly and The Blue.

The location: Garden City

Garden City is one of the most pleasant parts of central Cairo to stay in. It was laid out in the early 20th century with curving, tree-lined streets, and it’s still home to embassies and grand old villas, which keeps it relatively quiet.

From the hotel, Tahrir Square is about 1 km away (around 12 minutes on foot) and the Egyptian Museum about 1.5 km (around 20 minutes). Downtown’s cafés and the island of Zamalek are a short taxi ride away, and feluccas wait for passengers at landings along the Corniche for an hour’s sail at sunset. Islamic Cairo, the Citadel and Coptic Cairo are each around 20 to 30 minutes by car, depending on the traffic.

Practical information

• Address: 12 Ahmed Ragheb Street, Corniche El Nil, Garden City, Cairo.
• Check-in and check-out: check-in from 3pm; check-out by noon.
• Getting there: Cairo International Airport is about 40 minutes by car without traffic, and well over an hour at rush hour. The hotel can arrange a transfer, or use Uber or Careem.
• Getting around: Uber and Careem are the easiest way to reach the sights. Sadat metro station, under Tahrir Square, is about 15 minutes’ walk away.

Tips for your stay

• Time your rooftop visit for sunset: get up there an hour before the sun goes down to bag a table facing the river.
• Ask for a high floor: the higher the room, the better the view over the Nile.
• Use it as a base for the museums: the Egyptian Museum is walkable, and NMEC and Coptic Cairo are a short ride south.

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Is the Kempinski Nile Hotel worth it?

If you want a central, comfortable base with river views and a rooftop to unwind on at the end of each day, yes: it’s my top pick in the city, and I rate it 4/5. If your trip is all about the pyramids, look at Giza instead, and if you’re on a budget, my guide to the best places to stay in Cairo covers options for every price point, area by area. For everything else you need to plan your trip, see my Egypt travel guide.

Check availability at the Kempinski Nile Hotel Garden City on Booking.com

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Read next

• Where to stay in Cairo: the best areas and hotels
• The best things to do in Cairo, from royal mummies to medieval bazaars
• 2 days in Cairo: a Cairo itinerary from pyramids to bazaars
• Best museums in Cairo: from royal mummies to Tutankhamun
• Coptic Cairo: a walking route through its churches
• Cairo Citadel: the Alabaster Mosque, views and what to skip

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