We had never been to Egypt before so I wanted to make sure that we were staying in a reputable hotel that offered an airport transport. We paid for the $60 airport transfer in a Mercedes sedan. It's a little steep for Egyptian prices, but in U.S. prices it wasn't that bad and we didn't want to experience any problems getting to our hotel.

The hotel also offers this AMAZING airport service. As soon as we walked into the airport terminal, we were met by a gentleman with our name on a placard. He literally held our hand through the immigration process. He showed us where to buy our visas, filled out our visa forms for us, was able to get us to skip the entire immigration line (by just walking up to the officers on the side and showing him our passports and paperwork), and waited for our luggage. Then he handed us over to our driver who took us straight to the hotel.

The hotel has more security than any other hotel I've ever been to. The hotel car had to be sniffed by a bomb-sniffing dog before we were allowed to enter the driveway. Our luggage had to go through an airport-grade x-ray machine. They found our swiss army knife, which had to be "weapon checked" for the length of our stay. Every time we entered and exited the hotel we had to go through a metal detector.

Our room was extremely comfortable. We were enticed to pay for a Club room so that we could enjoy the internet and refreshments, so that we would not have to find food outside of the hotel. Our room met our expectations. We paid for a City View room, but we had a corner room with balcony views of both Tahrir Square AND the Nile! Our beds were extremely comfortable. The wired internet in the room was the fastest that I experienced ANYWHERE throughout my travels of the Middle East and Africa (It was like U.S.A. quality!!! Even our hotels in Dubai didn't match the internet speed in Egypt). The toiletries were very nice - L'Occitane!

We loved the Club floor. We spend 24 hours in the hotel, and didn't have to eat anywhere else but in the Club room. The heavy appetizer buffet (aka our dinner) was sufficient. We were able to arrange for a late check out at 4PM, and then stayed in the Club room for a couple more hours until we had to leave to take a taxi to our tour group. There is wireless internet in the Club Room (but only a wired connection in the room).

There was also FREE wireless in the hotel lobby. Usually something unheard of in a 5-star hotel.

The concierge and business center WERE AMAZING. I had a very important package shipped to me from the U.S. and the hotel was so helpful making sure that it arrived safely and passed through customs. They were very quick in contacting me and keeping me abreast of the situation. We also had to mail a 20kg package back to the U.S. and the business center was so helpful and patient in that tedious process.

The concierge was also very helpful in giving us directions to a FedEx location and the U.S. embassy. They even called the joining hotel for our tour to see what time our joining meeting was. The doorman was so helpful finding us a taxi across town, after most taxis "rejected" us because it was such a "short" distance.

The service we received from the Intercontinental Semiramis was exceptional. I will not hesitate to stay here again. Also, we staying in late October, but Cairo was calm. The U.S. news hype did not seem deserved.

This hotel offers everything for everybody: best location, excellent view, comfortable rooms, tasty food, friendly staff and good value!

On the negative side, some rooms need maintenance (phone cable was broken), some old furniture, room was cold on one of the nights. But none of this could detract from the pleasure of everything else.

The Semiramis is well located, next to the US Embassy and close to the main avenues. It has nice restaurants, one barbecue grill next to the pool. For Western women I would strongly recommend going light in the swimsuits since many men from Arabic and African countries are not used to see women wearing small bikinis.

Initially, I chose this hotel for the location and the good deal they provided for "Club" rooms. The room we got after checking in past midnight and passing through pretty intense security(we could not take our swiss knife with us and had to check it in?)was nice and spacious with a fantastic view of the Nile and the city. Could not ask for better view. The location was indeed central and convenient for the museum and other sites. The hotel also had restaurants and a shopping arcade which was nice.
Now the problem I had with the hotel was the so called "Club" option for which one pays extra. The breakfast was just ok. I found later that you could request falafel and other choices, however, no one mentioned it. Perhaps a little menu of options would be helpful. The tea time was very mediocre compared to some of the other "Clubs", where I enjoyed sandwiches, spirits and other goodies. This "Club" only had pastries. The "happy hour" spirits choices were pathetic. International airlines offer more choice. Only whisky for liquor and couple of beers and wine. The actual food options were good. However, overall I was very disappointed. One of the previous reviews indicated this was the best "Club" service he received. I have no idea where he stayed. Also, service wise there was one server compared to 3-4 hotel people in suits milling about. The lounge area was nice and comfortable, where we got to use wifi. I agree with the previous reviewer- they should provide wifi in the rooms especially, the club rooms. The club eating area also provided a nice view of Tahrir square. Overall, I would recommend this hotel, but not the "Club", unless they take it up a notch.