Bleh not a good place unless grime is your thing. Staff friendly but the place is long due a renovation a shame as there is much potential.

this hotel was my refuge in cairo - the staff was extremely helpful and always polite. Its in the heart of cairo, a bustling, chaotic, dirty, beautiful, and enchanting place that I would love to return to. Being right of a main 'square' yes there is a bustle of cars at most hours, but since you're in the middle of everything you step out the door and can go anywhere. If you want peace and quiet, wander around garden city just south of this hotel - there are not too many places to sit but there are tons of trees and narrow streets. I ate dinner one night in the hotel, and it was fine (there is no menu), i was hungry and could have wandered to spend less, but i would do it again. I had the front room so I could even see the nile from the (shared with restaurant) balcony! I am excited to go back to garden city house hotel if i get the opportunity to go to that incredible city again.
Oh i did NOT get any bed bugs, that person sounds difficult to please.

The Garden City House Hotel basically has everything you could ask for out of a budget hotel, but with better service! The location is perfect if you want to be in the dynamic, chaotic and culture-rich centre of Cairo, right by Tahrir Square, and a short taxi ride away from the extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Site of Islamic Cairo and the Khan al-Khalili Bazaar. The rooms and the building itself are modest and a bit grubby, but the beds and bathrooms are clean, allowing the rest to contribute to the old-world character and charm of the place. Each room also has a fantastic balcony that really lets you feel energy of the city around you. If you arrange to have a driver through the hotel for any reason, you can bet that they will be there on time and for a low price. The staff that work there are also extremely friendly, and go out of their way to answer your questions, find you maps, and so on. For the minimal price you pay to stay at the Garden City House, you get great service and a comfortable place with a lot of charm that really lets you feel the experience of being in Cairo.

I got bed bugs from here. Besides that, the location is good, but because of the location, there was nonstop loud traffic, even at 3:30 in the morning. I don't know if it was the traffic or the bed bugs that prevented me from sleeping. That said, the people who worked there were very friendly and helpful. Oh, and breakfast was not great. Stale bread, jam and butter, a hard-boiled egg, and tea.