Pension Roma

If you’re willing to forego a private bathroom and A/C, there’s no way this place can be beat in terms bang for your buck/pound/euro, etc. You can easily pay double or more for something less well kept, where the cacophony that rises up from Cairo’s streets will rattle your nerves well into the night. This place is located on a somewhat relatively sedate (for Cairo) shopping street with plenty of places to eat nearby, as well as one of the city’s best pharmacies (that, unfortunately, I had to utilize), which is located just down the block. Additionally, it’s set back off the street so there are many quiet rooms on offer. Both of mine faced the quiet alleyway that lies outside the entrance. One thing you won’t be for want of is space; the place has a huge dining area, a nice television room and spacious hallways. It’s charm, albeit somewhat faded, is reminiscent of the old pensions in Europe (replete with an open air, wrought iron elevator shaft). Because of this “open concept”, however, mozzies are free to float in and float up and down the floors. I bought a plug-in device which uses a product derived from chrysanthemums, which you slide into the device. They look similar to the memory card for a camera and are good for 8 hours. It seemed to keep them at bay. I stayed in two rooms at different times and neither had A/C but the really high ceilings and fan did the trick for me (granted I wasn’t there during summer). The rooms also have a secondary ventilation system which turns on in the morning and goes off at 20:00. Essentially it is an exhaust fan located above the windows which draws air out of the room to increase circulation. Supposedly the pension has A/C rooms. I saw three rooms on two floors, none of which had it. Maybe if you specifically request one when you book you’ll be able to nab one. The front desk and staff are truly 24 hours. They’re all fluent in English and other languages. There are no inquiries about your day’s plans and no offers of taxis, guides or tours. Their only interest is in providing their guests with a room and breakfast (which is bare bones but is better than no breakfast). If you would like those services, however, they’ll be happy to accommodate you. An obvious downside is the lack of private bathrooms. Rooms come with sinks, which is nice, but everything else requires the communal bathroom. Fortunately they have two separate bathrooms. One consists of a toilet and sink only (for when the room that contains the shower is occupied). The only flaw I experienced with the shower was the heating system for the water. The propane powered heater either raged, which turned the water uncomfortably hot, or turned off, in which case the small tank quickly ran out of hot water. Not optimal for shower taking but it got the job done. Be aware that the pension is set back in an alleyway and there is no sign indentifying it. When you see the “Redmonds” department store, you’re there. One word