The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

To anyone living in central Cairo, 6th of October City would
seem like an awful trek to take just for a day-use at a swimming pool, but some
hotels are worth the journey.

Located across from Dreamland Park and next to the Hilton, Swiss Inn
Pyramids Golf Resort is technically marketed as a
five-star hotel, although quality-wise it’s probably only worthy of three stars.

Just beyond the hotel’s golf course and its restaurants is its swimming pool. The 225sqm-pool is heated in the winter, and surrounded by chaise
lounges and large umbrellas. Towards one end of the pool is the pool bar and
Oasis pool restaurant, which can serve you lunch and drinks to your chaise
lounge if you’re too lazy to get up.

At the time of our visit, the pool area was not crowded, and the large
size of the pool itself means you don’t have to be cramped uncomfortably with other
strangers in bathing suits. Even better, a separate kids’ pool keeps the
children’s screams somewhat distant. Lifeguards stand pool-side at all times, and bathrooms
are available to change in, but there are no changing rooms or locker facilities.

As of June 2011, Swiss Inn Pyramid Resort’s rate for day-use is only
100LE per person. Day use lasts from 11AM till 7PM, so you have a decent eight
hours in the sun and pool for 100LE. Even better, the hotel offers a
three-person cabin that you can rent for the day, so that you can rest, change
and shower in comfort. On weekends, the cabin costs 350LE, and on weekdays, it
costs 250LE. Split three ways, it’s an excellent deal for a
pool use with a cabin.

The poolside restaurant offers a standard menu of pizzas and sandwiches
fit for pool-side snacking, with a rather limited drinks and juice menu. Fresh
strawberry juice and orange juice (15LE) are available, while a bottle of
Heineken and Stella equally cost 25LE.

If you’re starving, chow down on their steak sandwich (45LE), which
comes in a large portion with very tender, juicy steak shreds as well as a
massive portion of French fries. The club sandwich (45LE) is equally delicious
with fresh ingredients and just the right amount of cheese and roast beef. Try
the pizzas as well (around 45LE), which are large enough to be split between two to three people.

A day use at the Swiss Inn Pyramids Golf Resorts is an
affordable swimming pool option to consider. Whether or not you
want to make the trip out to the 6th of October area is entirely up
to you.