The historic Nile Hotel, Cairo, owned by Misr Hotels, a subsidiary of The Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema, has shut its doors for renovation work and will reopen in 2012 newly re-branded as The Nile Ritz-Carlton.

In what was a watershed moment in the luxury hospitality industry in the city of Cairo, the hotel bade farewell to its guests on the year's first day, said a senior official.

The celebrated hotel will remain closed for the next 30 months as it undergoes an extensive physical makeover. When it re-opens, the new hotel will feature a contemporary design by WZMH Architects/Frank Nicholson.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company said plans were in place to convert the property, strategically located along the famous river in the heart of bustling downtown Cairo, to reflect its former glory as an iconic landmark in the ancient city.

“We are set to raise the bar of excellence and define the service standards with the values inherent in The Ritz-Carlton culture,” said Simon F Cooper, president and chief operating officer of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.

“Our goal is to transform this property to be the destination of choice for luxury travelers and establish the hotel as one of the best in the world,” he added.

The Nile Ritz-Carlton will comprise 327 luxurious guestrooms, including 52 suites that offer magnificent views of the city.

There will be two 432-sq m Royal Suites, each featuring a magnificent grand entrance with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering an unparalleled 270-degree panoramic view of the Nile, two bedrooms, a living room and dining area.

Guests of The Ritz-Carlton Club Level, the signature section of the hotel accessible only by key card access, will enjoy 24-hour refreshments in the hotel’s Club Lounge; the services of dedicated, multi-lingual concierge staff and a spectacular view of Cairo, with the pyramids of Giza at a distance, he added.

All guest rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including wireless and wired internet access, iPod docking stations, flat screen televisions and DVD players as standard to enable guests to both work and relax in their rooms. Most of the guest rooms will also offer luxurious free-standing bath tubs.

Four specialty restaurants, two lounges and a bar will offer a multitude of dining options from classic Italian cuisine to a contemporary steakhouse.

The hotel’s all-day dining restaurant will offer international favorites with five live cooking stations, while a modern steakhouse and sushi bar feature the best of both dining concepts. For those who have a taste for the Mediterranean, there is a fine dining Italian restaurant with a wine bar and a walk-in humidor.

Surrounded by a 360 degree view of the Cairo skyline and the Nile River, the roof top lounge and bar is an excellent place to savour a drink with friends while the Egyptian-themed cafe is a comfortable setting for drinks, snacks and shisha.

As a key destination for business in the city due to its facilities and its central location within Cairo, The Nile Ritz-Carlton will offer a variety of fully-featured meetings and function space.

The Grand Ballroom will offer flexible meeting space for conferences and special events of up to 4000 guests, while seven smaller function rooms may be used for meetings from 1345 to 2880 guests.

“We are delighted to announce that we are progressing on schedule with this major project and that we are totally committed to our plans,” said Aly Abdel Aziz, chief executive officer and chairman of The Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema.

"This project will retain the historic sentiments of the iconic hotel and is essentially an evolution of adding to what it once represented. Although it is a considerable investment on our part, we strongly believe that it is one which will yield great economical and emotional rewards,” Aziz remarked.

“The year 2010 will herald a new phase in the history of the hotel that started in 1958,” said Fathy Nour, chairman of Misr Hotels.

“We have finalized all the preliminary work and are now fully prepared to start the renovations and refurbishment of the hotel. We are certain that the final results will reposition this property among the leading hotels in Egypt,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service