Location

Four Seasons at the First Residence is located on the west bank of the Nile River that runs through downtown Cairo. The hotel sits atop the First Mall, and I found it looks dead, selling mainly luxury goods. Other than the mall’s atrium cafe, there are no eateries or restaurants. Fortunately, several shops near the hotel were selling snacks and smaller items. We also found KFC and Pizza Hut to be the only choices for food, other than the overpriced restaurants in the hotel and the riverboats docked on the Nile in front of the hotel. The Cairo Zoo and French embassy are next to Four Seasons at the First Residence. There is not much around the hotel, and it is far from everything else. Getting to Tahir Square, the centre of downtown Cairo, requires a 30-minute walk (or 10 minutes by Uber or cab).

The Room

Our tour company booked us into the Deluxe Room at Four Seasons at the First Residence. The 58m² Deluxe Room is the same as the next category room – the Premier Room in terms of floor space and decor. The only difference is the view of the room, where the Deluxe Room faces the Nile River, and the Premier Room faces the Pyramids.

Entryway

We could feel an old-school luxury vibe when we entered the Deluxe Room. The first sign of luxury in the room is apparent from the small chandelier-like lamp installed in the entryway. Decked in warm yellow lighting, the room exudes a cosy and comfortable feel. This part of the room houses a wardrobe and minibar. The wardrobe inside the Deluxe Room was built into the wall and comprised two-panel sections and one-panel sections. The single panel next to the main entrance to the Deluxe Room houses a two-tiered open shelving on top of a three-tiered drawer. This design provides space for its guests to stow away smaller clothing items. The in-room safe and the iron are stored on the shelves above these shelving spaces inside the wardrobe. The two wooden door panels open up to the space for hanging clothing. I believe this part of the wardrobe is capable of swallowing at least two weeks of clothing, but the number of hangers supplied is limited. A luggage rack and the ironing board are also stowed inside this part of the wardrobe. I like the rack design of the wardrobe, which is large enough for guests to put away their luggage after unpacking.

The minibar is situated next to the wardrobe in the room’s entryway. Here, we found a Nespresso machine, electric kettle, bottled water, and ice bucket, along with coffee capsules and tea bags placed on the marble-top open shelving. Some wine glasses and champagne flutes are neatly placed on the glass-top shelving above it. The mini fridge is fully stocked with drinks and some snacks, which are all chargeable, underneath the coffee and tea-making appliances, hidden in a cabinet.

Sleeping Area

The door frame between the entryway and the Deluxe Room’s sleeping area clearly segregates the room’s two parts. The sleeping area is dominated by the large king bed, which occupies about ⅔ of the sleep area in the Deluxe Room. On the ceiling hangs a gold-plated glass chandelier that provides most of the illumination in the sleeping area. The floral prints on the carpet extend to the headboard of the king bed, giving the design language some form of consistency. Using an old English headboard further projects the sense of luxury in the room. We got excellent sleep quality on the king bed that is topped by a firm mattress. The bedside tables and the design of the table lamp chosen by Four Seasons at the First Residence enhance the sophisticated opulence feel of the room. Despite not being fitted with drawers and decorated with a lamp, in-house telephone and radio, I found the space afforded by the bedside tables sufficient for us to place our lifestyle devices.

Sitting on a marble-top TV console opposite the king bed is a 42″ flat-screen TV placed perfectly for guests to obtain entertainment from the bed. The TV is loaded with both Egyptian and international channels that keep us entertained while not out exploring the vibrant city of Cairo. We could use a couple of drawers on the TV console to put away the souvenirs we bought in Cairo. A single-seat armchair equipped with an ottoman is placed beside the TV console. This armchair is very comfortable for relaxing or reading a book.

Further into the sleeping area, after the king bed and before the floor-to-ceiling glass window panels, we found a work desk. The luxury vibe in the Deluxe room is also apparent in the elegant dark brown wooden work desk with gold patterns and floral designs. The work desk is of a great size for guests staying in this room to get some work done. The power sockets are conveniently fitted onto the wall next to the work desk. Guests can look out into the Nile for inspiration or to relax their eyes while sitting on the red velvet chair while working.

Bathroom

The entrance to the bathroom of the Deluxe Room in Four Seasons at the First Residence resides in the sleeping area next to the TV console. The luxurious theme seen throughout the room flows into the bathroom. Decked in sand brown colour, the colour choice in the bathroom suited the desert country of Egypt very well. The bathroom has an elongated layout, with the bathing and sink areas on opposite sides. The first thing that caught my eye was the long sink countertop space. The dual sink is fitted into a brown marble top, accompanied by a gold frame mirror that stretches the entire bathroom length, adding to the luxurious theme throughout the room. There are toilet amenities on the countertop and the glass latch at the sink area, but one point to note is that Four Seasons at the First Residence did not provide a dental kit as part of their amenities offering in the room.

Opposite the sink is a huge bathtub and walk-in shower. The walk-in shower, next to the bathroom entrance, is a huge space for showering that comes fitted with a regular shower head in the shower. Four Seasons at the First Residence provides its guests in the Deluxe Room with bath amenities from Gyspy Water, a Stockholm brand, which left my skin feeling soft and refreshed. I like the fragrance of the bath amenities provided. There is ample space in the shower for guests to place their dental kits and facial wash. The bathtub is fitted next to the walk-in shower, further into the bathroom. The bathtub is rather sizeable, and I had a great soak in to wash away the fatigue from exploring Cairo. The toilet is a separate room tucked in the furthest end of the bathroom. Even the enclosed toilet space, which comes with a separate European-style bidet, feels spacious.

Service

Four Seasons is renowned worldwide for its luxury and top-notch service. While the service we received at Four Seasons at the First Residence was good, I find the service not memorable. The staff were welcoming and were able to respond to any questions posed to them. However, they are seen standing behind their desks or just hanging around waiting for guests to approach them rather than proactively engaging guests. Case in point: the porters in the hotel were more concerned with guests putting our bags through the x-ray machines upon entering than helping guests with their bags or offering greetings. The reception team were found hanging around behind their desks instead of actively welcoming guests who stepped into the hotel. Having said that, by no means were the staff in Four Seasons at the First Residence rude or anything; they were still seen smiling at guests and making eye contact with them.

Hotel Facilities

Gym

Four Seasons at the First Residence has quite a large gym on level 4 of the hotel. The gym is very well equipped with cardio and strength training machines. The 10 treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes were all placed facing the large window, allowing guests to work out with a view of the Nile River. While the number of strength training machines is limited, these machines allow guests to engage in total body workout, working different major muscle groups. There is even a free weight area with dumbells for body workouts. In the middle of the gym is an open space, which is meant for guests who want to do yoga or even stretching. Inside the gym’s changing room, we saw a huge jacuzzi facing a window that looked out into the Nile River. There is even a sauna and steam room inside the changing room.

Swimming Pool

Four Seasons at the First Residence has a large swimming pool on level 4 of the hotel building. The pool allows guests to do some serious lap swimming. There are quite a number of sundeck chairs on the pool, where guests can get a great tan as there is no vegetation blocking the sunlight. There is also a small wading pool at the side of the swimming pool for children to play in.

Overall

The Deluxe Room in Four Seasons at the First Residence is spacious and comfortable. The room screams luxury, consistent with the branding of the hotel chain worldwide. I found the sleep quality on the king bed to be excellent. The only letdown is the view, blocked by a building in front of our room. The hotel’s location is also rather inconvenient as there are not many shops or shopping malls near the hotel aside from the boring First Mall below the hotel. The service in the hotel was good but not memorable.