The world’s biggest Sofitel hotel opens on the Nile

Egypt is experiencing a tourism surge, with almost 16 million tourists visiting last year, making it one of the world’s emerging travel hotspots. And that’s even before the long-awaited official opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, the world’s largest such institution dedicated to a single civilisation.

Sofitel Cairo – on-the-Nile luxury in the ancient city.

While it’s been in a soft opening phase since last year, the grand opening of the 490,000-square-metre museum, home to 100,000 artefacts, is now set for July this year and will be a three-day-event.

Lobby luxury.

For visitors keen to get involved, the largest Sofitel hotel in the world has opened in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

In the heart of the buoyant local tourism scene, the Sofitel Cairo Downtown Nile sits beside the eponymous river, minutes from Tahrir Square and a short distance from the Cairo Opera House, Giza Pyramids, Cairo Citadel medieval fortress and Ancient Coptic Quarter.

Grand arrival for a grand opening.

It has 615 guest rooms and suites across 24 floors, with private balconies with Nile views.

The hotel’s 52 suites have separate living rooms and come with 24-hour butler service.

The hotel is home to five restaurants and bars, including the Egyptian-Lebanese Jayda Nile Terrace, the East Asian fine dining Kamala, and Stage One nightclub.

The spa includes a jacuzzi and saunas, and there is a 300-square-metre outdoor pool.

Guest room, Sofitel Cairo Downtown Nile.

Designed by ElGhoneimi Architects, the Cairo-based, highly experienced global hospitality hands (Conrad Cairo and Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan are listed in their Egyptian credits) melded Sofitel’s French heritage with local influences.

As of November 2024, citizens from 112 countries, including Australia, can travel to Egypt without a visa – part of the nation’s push to boost tourism.

In January this year, DFAT began advising travellers to “exercise a high degree of caution” when travelling to Egypt, a downgrade from last September’s “reconsider your need to travel” due to the conflict in Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

See sofitel.com