The hotel is not too expensive and is quiet and comfy. Unlike those in downtown area which are near mosques whose loudspeaker starts 5:00am in the morning. They do make your beds everyday (something not all budget hotels do.) Staff is friendly. The bathroom in our room was too small and shower was unusable. The breakfast is poor, with cold breads and croissants cheese and butter and tea. No milk, coffee or any other drink. The location of this hotel is not great. No good restaurants, shopping nearby. However we did find a great restaurant "Makani" which is a fabulous sandwich shop and Sushi bar and has great desserts.
Comparing to other hotels we stayed in Luxor and Aswan this was the least desirable hotel, however to be fair one has to compare it to other hotels in Cairo which we cannot because we only stayed in this hotel when in Cairo.

The Maifair is an upper-class hostel with comfortable, quiet, newly renovated rooms (ask for a room away from the reception). Apart from the floor, my room was rather clean. The hostel is located in a decent neighbourhood amid embassies, antique shops and modern cafes, but you should be aware that there is no metro station nearby. So for most activities you have to rely on taxis, which can be quite annoying in the rushhour. It is a good option for women travelling solo because there are many foreigners living in the area and you can move around without attracting attention, giving you a break from the constant hassle downtown.
The bad thing about the hotel is that you cannot rely on the staff as a service provider. They shamelessly lied to me when I asked at the reception how much a taxi to the airport would be from the main road near the hotel. Tthey said drivers would charge about 120 pounds, while they could arrange it for 70. I paid 50 pounds including airport fee for a ride in one of the better taxies without even haggling.

Don't forget, this is Cairo, so in the view of that, it's a great budget place and the 3 bed rooms are specious and clean. Our A/C worked great what's a must with the heat... The breakfast is basic but fine. The location is quiet, off a busy road, and close to everything. The Wi-Fi didn't reach our room either, so had to go out to the balcony. Few helpful info: Take their airport pickup, it's a good price and most taxi drivers don't know where this hotel is. All of them had to stop and ask for directions every other corner. You need to pay upfront as you check-in but if you need money there are ATM's close by (5 min walk). You can get water from the market on the street for less but they charging 4 pounds shouldn't be a show stopper, at tourist sites they are 7-10 pounds... They let us keep our luggage in a locked storage room on our last day.

Normally the hotels on the island of Zamalek are expensive - the Mayfair is fair. The rooms are smaller than expected and mostly all airconditions work. The "restaurant" is the balcony and the breakfast constists of rolls, cheese, jam, eggs, butter, tea, and nescafe. The service is really slow. Parking is a problem in the street. Everyday they give new towels, but the shower could be cleaner. The bed are too soft. To stay here on Zamalek it is ok. The WLAN does not reach to all rooms, mostly you have to sit on the balcony.