Mena House Oberoi

29°59′08″N 31°07′58″E / 29.98556°N 31.13278°E / 29.98556; 31.13278Coordinates: 29°59′08″N 31°07′58″E / 29.98556°N 31.13278°E / 29.98556; 31.13278

The Mena House Oberoi, Giza, Egypt

The Mena House Oberoi is a luxurious hotel and resort located just outside of Cairo, Egypt and lies at the foot of the famous Pyramid of Cheops.^[1] This five star getaway is owned and operated by the Oberoi Group hotel chain.^[2] Mena House Oberoi has played an important role in Egypt's history and has played host to numerous influential people such as Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon and Agatha Christie.^[3]

History

View from the Oberoi - Mena House Hotel, Egypt.

The Mena House Oberoi was initially a hunting lodge; it was a two story hut nicknamed the “Mud Hut”. It was built in 1869 for the Egyptian King Isma'il Pasha. Due to political matters in 1883, Isma'il sold the lodge to couple Frederick and Jessie Head as a private residence. The couple came across the building while on their honeymoon and once it was purchased they expanded it.^[4] In 1885, it was then sold to an English couple Ethel and Hugh Locke-King.^[5] They immediately began construction on the hotel and opened it to the public in 1886 as The Mena House. The hotel is named after the founding father of the first Egyptian dynasty, Mena or King Menes of Memphis. He founded the city of Memphis and unified Upper and Lower Egypt. In 1890, the hotel opened Egypt’s first swimming pool that same year it was announced that the hotel would remain open year round.^[6] During World War I the hotel was requisitioned by Australian troops and occupied again by the Australians in 1939. Toward the end of the war it was then converted to a hospital for wounded Australian troops. In 1971, the hotel was purchased by Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi; his company is the current owners of The Mena House.^[7]In December 1977 Egypt and Israel sat down together at Mena House in quest for a peace settlement (also attending were American and United Nations representatives). The results of this Mena House Conference were to lead to the Camp David Agreement, which restored Egypt's sovereignty over the Sinai peninsula.

Renovations and expansions

The Oberoi - Mena House entrance, Egypt.

In 1920, 30 more rooms were added. In 1964, the hotel was purchased by the Oberoi Group and they began refurbishment in 1972; it was completed in 1975. In 1978, they began construction on the garden wing; 200 rooms were added. In 2007 and 2008 the hotel was renovated again.^[8]

Famous visitors

In 1889, Prince Albert Victor of Wales stayed at the hotel. In 1894, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his wife stayed there. In 1909, the future King George V and Queen Mary attended a banquet there. Circa 1914, Winston Churchill stayed at the hotel. In 1939, King Farouk of Egypt frequently visited. In 1974, President Richard Nixon visited.^[9] Other notable people such as Agatha Christie, Roger Moore, Cecil B. DeMille, Charlton Heston, Frank Sinatra and Charlie Chaplin have all stayed at Mena House Oberoi.^[10]

Reference

1. ^ Winship, Frederick M. "Egypt in Throes of Huge Tourist Boom." Sarasota Herald-Tribune (1978): 6.H. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XAAkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gWcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835,2816882&dq=mena+house+oberoi&hl=en>.
2. ^ "Oberoi Hotels & Resorts." Oberoihotels.com. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, 2010. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://www.oberoihotels.com/about_us/group_profile.asp>.
3. ^ Turner, Sarah. "Mena House Oberol in Cairo: Where Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra made history." MailOnline (2010): n. pag. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1250935/Mena-House-Oberol-Cairo-Where-Winston-Churchill-Frank-Sinatra-history.html>.
4. ^ "History of the Hotel." famoushotels.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sep 2010. <http://www.famoushotels.org/index.php/includes/hotel_info/106/historic_data>.
5. ^ "Weekend retreats Cool pools." Al-Ahram Weekly Online 705 (2004): n. pag. Web. 19 Sep 2010. <http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/705/tr4.htm>.
6. ^ "Americans create Egypt travel boom." Montreal Gazette (1978): 16. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7j8wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=daQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=850,3211308&dq=mena+house+oberoi&hl=en>.
7. ^ "The Mena House: Review, history and photos of the legendary Oberoi hotel in Giza near the Pyramids." Cosmopolis 24 Jan 2008: n. pag. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://cosmopolis.ch/travel/giza/mena_house_e0103.htm>.
8. ^ "The Mena House: Review, history and photos of the legendary Oberoi hotel in Giza near the Pyramids." Cosmopolis 24 Jan 2008: n. pag. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://cosmopolis.ch/travel/giza/mena_house_e0103.htm>.
9. ^ "The Mena House: Review, history and photos of the legendary Oberoi hotel in Giza near the Pyramids." Cosmopolis 24 Jan 2008: n. pag. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://cosmopolis.ch/travel/giza/mena_house_e0103.htm>.
10. ^ Turner, Sarah. "Mena House Oberol in Cairo: Where Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra made history." MailOnline (2010): n. pag. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1250935/Mena-House-Oberol-Cairo-Where-Winston-Churchill-Frank-Sinatra-history.html>.

"Oberoi Hotels & Resorts." Oberoihotels.com. Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, 2010. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://www.oberoihotels.com/about_us/group_profile.asp>.

"The Mena House: Review, history and photos of the legendary Oberoi hotel in Giza near the Pyramids." Cosmopolis 24 Jan 2008: n. pag. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://cosmopolis.ch/travel/giza/mena_house_e0103.htm>.

Turner, Sarah. "Mena House Oberol in Cairo: Where Winston Churchill and Frank Sinatra made history." MailOnline (2010): n. pag. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1250935/Mena-House-Oberol-Cairo-Where-Winston-Churchill-Frank-Sinatra-history.html>.

Winship, Frederick M. "Egypt in Throes of Huge Tourist Boom." Sarasota Herald-Tribune (1978): 6.H. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XAAkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gWcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6835,2816882&dq=mena+house+oberoi&hl=en>.

"Americans create Egypt travel boom." Montreal Gazette (1978): 16. Web. 12 Sep 2010. <http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7j8wAAAAIBAJ&sjid=daQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=850,3211308&dq=mena+house+oberoi&hl=en>.

"Weekend retreats Cool pools." Al-Ahram Weekly Online 705 (2004): n. pag. Web. 19 Sep 2010. <http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2004/705/tr4.htm>.

"History of the Hotel." famoushotels.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sep 2010. <http://www.famoushotels.org/index.php/includes/hotel_info/106/historic_data>.

External links

• Mena House Oberoi, webpage