SHEPHEARD HOTEL

Hotel History


Shepheard Hotel's history goes back to more than 150 years , known at that time as British Hotel. It is regarded as one of the oldest and classical hotels of Cairo. Mr. Samuel Shepheard of Preston Capes, started managing the hotel since 1841 and 4 years later it was renamed after him as known today.

During this time, the development of commerce brought many travelers from Europe to this part of the world. The meeting place was the terrace of Shepheard's which represented an oasis in a still urban Cairo. It became the playground of international aristocracy and every person of social standing made it a must to have tea at Shepheard's, to see and be seen. The hotel was first built on historical ground in a district known as Ezbekia , a park land with tropical greenery and rare trees , that was once occupied by the army of Napoleon and used as a headquarter during his invasion of Egypt in the 18th century. Furthermore, these grounds have witnessed the assassination of the French General Kleber, the commander of the French army in Egypt, after Napoleon had left for France. The tree where the murder took place became later known as Kleber's Tree.

The Shepheard Hotel continued to be the center of many events that took place in that century, being selected to be the headquarter of many armies during the Crimean war, the Indian Mutiny, the Boer War and the great two World Wars. One of the less hostile but great event that was celebrated at Shepheard's was the Grand Opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, where the hotel hosted numerous international celebrates that were invited to attend the ceremony. One of the highlight of this was a banquet given an honour of the French Empress Eugénie.

Among many distinguished visitors comprising film stars and millionaires, you also could see Ex-King Fouad, Theodore Roosevelt, Nahas Pasha, Saad Zaghloul and the celebrated explorer Henry Morton Stanley. Over the years, the Golden Book of the hotel listed names of guests like the prince of Wales, King Faisal of Iraq, the Aga Khan, King Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Prince Erik of Denmark, King and Queen of Italy, the Maharaja of Jodphur and the British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill .

Throughout its 158 years history, the hotel has always remained a mixture between exotic luxury and very special hospitality. In other words, it became an institution. Over the years its site has been changed three times, it has been rebuilt four times. After it was totally destroyed by fire, in 1952, it was re-erected by the Egyptian Hotels LTD at its Cairo-Downtown Garden City location. Now the hotel is owned and manged by The Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (E.G.O.T.H.)

General Introduction to the hotel:
Was founded in 1841 by the British Samuel Shepheard, as one of the classical hotels in Egypt. Built at Napoleon Bonaparte Headquarters as an oasis for the rendezvous spot for the famous and popular. The hotel was rebuilt on its present unique location in the fashionable Garden City district, in the heart of Cairo, on the banks of the river Nile with a breathtaking and fascinating view to the most landmarks of the city. Without compromising its classical magnificent style, guest enjoy various entertainment facilities and leisure activities.

Location & Information
The hotel is located in the center of Cairo, 3 km from the main Train Station, 18 km from Cairo International Airport, with an easy access to the business districts, Embassies, Ministries, places of attraction and shopping areas.

Accommodation & Rooms
The hotel features 266 stylish rooms including 5 non-smoking rooms and 5 disabled rooms, and 32 elegant suites, including one Presidential, 8 Corner suites and 23 unique duplexes (3 levels suites) not found elsewhere in the city. Most of rooms and all suites offer stunning view of the magnificent River Nile. All units have mini bars, international direct dial up Telephone line, TV with satellite channels. Jacuzzis are available in some of the suites, while all of them have digital safety boxes. 24 hours room service is also available.

Dining:
"Caravan" restaurant is your access to the flavors of the world. It is an all day dinning restaurant serving breakfast buffet, as well as a la carte menu for lunch and dinner.
"Asia House" a fine dinning restaurant serving authentic Asian cuisine, most famous for its Indian, Chinese, Japanese and Thai Specialties for lunch and dinner.
"Café" all day time café offering freshly prepared brewed coffees, refreshments, home made pastries and cakes.
"The Terrace" located at the hotel 10th floor, with an open air cozy atmosphere, offering the real taste of BBQ along with typical oriental drinks on the tunes of music.
"Castle Disco" entertain yourself with the finest and latest music from all around the world and dance all night long.

Recreation & Facilities:
- Gambling Casino open 24 hours.
- Bank open 24 hours.
- Travel Agency: two offices open from 9 am to 5 pm.
- Business center.
- WI - FI.
- Beauty Parlour.
- Laundry and dry cleaning with express delivery.

Places of Interest:
- Cairo Museum at 10 min. walking distance.
- Opera House and Cairo Tower across the Nile, at 10 min. walking distance.
- Pyramids & Sphinx 20 min. driving distance and 15 min. to the Citadel and Khan El Khalili Bazzar.

Reservation: Visite our site:www.shepheard-hotel.com or contact us directly through res@shepheard-hotel.com

Meeting facilities:
The Shepheard hotel offers ten multipurpose function rooms ideal for conferences, meetings, exhibitions, banquets and can accommodate from 10 up to 900 persons. Audio video equipments are available to fulfill the needs of any function. From Board meetings to large conferences and from glamorous weddings to cocktail parties, our planning team will assist you up to the last detail.

Promotional Rates and Packages:
- Preferential rate packages are offered during May, June months, and the holly month of Ramadan.
- Special wedding packages tailored to suit every couple.
- A wide variety of seasonally Food Promotions.

News flash:
New seven rooms and one duplex suite were added to the hotel capacity in July 2005.

Useful information:
Entry requirements: Visa is required for all nationalities.
Language: Arabic is the official language - English is widely spoken.
Local currency: Egyptian pound.
Credit Cards: Amex, Visa, Master and Diners.
Electricity: 220volts.
Weather: Summer average temperature is 34° C.
Winter average temperature is 18° C.