You may have read in my previous post that on our recent trip to Alexandria we stayed at the Four Seasons. I feel that the hotel was partly the reason why we enjoyed our holiday in Alexandria so much, as it brought a bit of luxury to our trip. So, here’s my write-up of our *almost* perfect stay.

The Good

As the saying goes location, location, location. Usually when I book a hotel  – because lets face it Greg doesn’t get too much of a say – my choice is based on the location. If it’s somewhere we haven’t been before I try to choose a central location close to the main sites, if it’s a place we’ve been several times I’ll book based on different factors. As this was our first visit I wanted to be close to the historic / tourist sites such as the catacombs, amphitheater and Citadel as I’d heard horror stories about the traffic and didn’t want to waste time sitting in jams. It turned out that the location was ideal, in normal traffic it took about 20 minutes to the main sites and just over that to the Citadel. The hotel is located right on the corniche and has fabulous views over the Mediterranean Sea.

On this occasion we didn’t book a sea view room but I would probably upgrade when we go again. I bet watching the sunset from one of the balconies is just wonderful!

I wasn’t expecting too much from the room as it is their cheapest basic room. However, on arrival I was pleasantly surprised. Our city view room was very spacious, I liked the how light and airy it was and the classic design. There was lots of storage space, mini bar, complimentary water, kettle, coffee machine ( pods were extra) hairdryer, robes, slippers and a safe. I thought the in-room plug adapters were a thoughtful touch especially for international travelers. The best part of the room was the extremely comfortable bed with down pillows; it was difficult to get up on a morning after such a good nights sleep!

 

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The roman style marble bathroom was a lovely place to relax after a busy day with a very deep bath and separate powerful shower. I loved the double doors that folded back to reveal full length mirrors and the mosaic feature tiles; which resulted in a really luxurious feel.

 

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We didn’t make use of the balcony other than to dry our swimsuits as it was overlooked by the rooms directly opposite and wasn’t very private. To be fair, the view from the balcony wasn’t great as we could only really see the roof of the mall and a tiny glimpse of the sea. If you want a room with a pretty view I would recommend the sea view rooms at an extra cost.

 

​Food 

We had breakfast included in our room rate and it helped set us up for the day. Each morning the staff greeted us and gave us a table with a wonderful view. Breakfast is served buffet style and there was the usual selection of pastries, fruit, deli items, hot dishes, waffles, pancakes and an egg station. Kala restaurant is nicely designed using a fresh blue and white theme and has lots of natural light,  it was lovely to start the day people watching and gazing at the sea.

One evening we ate at Stefano’s, the Italian restaurant within the hotel. We thought the food was very good and the service from Mina was exceptional – he really is a credit to the hotel. It was a shame that the restaurant was so quiet but the food was of a good standard and reasonably priced.

We also tried room service one evening when we were felt like a night in. Once again the food was very tasty and arrived within about 30 minutes.

Pool / Beach

The amenities within the hotel were also good and made for a relaxing stay. Despite the outdoor pool being a little chilly it was a great place to go back to after a busy morning sight-seeing. There were plenty of loungers and, by early afternoon, the terrace caught the sun.

In addition to the main pool there was also a Jacuzzi and a shaded kids pool.

Occasionally we were brought complimentary ice cream and fruit, which was a lovely touch.

The hotels wonderful, private beach can be safely and conveniently accessed via a corridor which goes from the hotel under the main road. At the beach there is a restaurant serving food, drinks and shisha which is perfect when you want a break from the beach but you don’t want to walk back up to the hotel.

There is a washroom with toilets and showers which were very clean and perfect for getting changed or for freshening up. The beach itself is well maintained and has sunbeds, chairs and umbrellas. We spent a few hours here catching a bit of sun, dipping our feet into the clear water and listening to the waves!

Why ‘almost’ perfect?

There were a couple of things that we felt could have been better and these were mostly down to communication. On our first day we had a lovely lunch by the pool however, there was a price discrepancy between the menu we ordered food from and the bill. It transpired that the outlet had 3 different menus showing completely different prices. We had been given the menu with the cheapest prices to order from but the bill had been calculated using the most expensive menu. We felt that this was unfair as we were charged the higher prices and we explained that we should have paid the price from the menu that we ordered from. The staff were very apologetic but we did have to pay the higher bill as they said it was an error on the menu. To be fair it was only about 150LE difference but for us it was the principal. Later when we went to the pool we were given a complimentary coffee but it didn’t leave a good impression.

Another disappointment was the closure of the indoor pool which we were not informed about on check in. The staff at the spa told us the steam room was still available but these were segregated and therefore we couldn’t use the indoor facilities as a couple, which was disappointing – especially as the outdoor pool was not heated.

So, being picky, our stay wasn’t 100% perfect but on the whole it was relaxing and we loved the location, our room, the pool and private beach. There was some inconsistent service and the indoor facilities weren’t fully functioning but this wasn’t too much of an issue overall. My plan is to return in a couple of months, book a sea view room and enjoy a winter break Alexandria style!