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Cairo’s hotel sector is experiencing record demand this December, with room rates rising sharply and occupancy levels approaching full capacity following the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum on Nov. 1.
Industry sources say prices are up between 30% and 50% from last year as tourist arrivals surge and competition intensifies for five-star accommodations.
According to a report by Al Arabiya Business, sources in Egypt’s tourism and hospitality sector said that the current prices exceed last year’s levels by 30% to 50%, amid strong inbound tourism and heightened demand for major hotels, particularly five-star properties.
The sources said that hotel occupancy rates in Cairo have already surpassed 90%, with strong indications they could reach 100% during the final days of the month amid year-end celebrations and rising visitor numbers.
They added that this direct increase in demand has driven prices higher, particularly in upscale hospitality establishments that are seeing intense competition for bookings.
According to a survey conducted by Al Arabiya Business on online booking platforms to monitor accommodation prices during the 2025 year-end holiday period and the start of the new year, rates for some luxury suites have recorded unprecedented jumps.
Leading the list is a suite at the Nile Ritz-Carlton overlooking Cairo’s Corniche, where the price for a single night reached approximately 575,000 Egyptian pounds, the equivalent of about $12,000.
The survey also revealed a list of the highest room rates in Egypt during the final days of December.
Topping the list was the Steigenberger Pyramids Cairo, overlooking the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum west of the capital, where the price for one night reached 89,300 Egyptian pounds per person.
Ranked second was The St. Regis Cairo, with a nightly rate of 60,600 pounds per person, the same rate recorded at the Hilton Cairo Grand Nile. Meanwhile, the nightly rate at the Four Seasons Cairo Nile Plaza stood at approximately 45,100 pounds.
As for the historic Marriott Mena House, which overlooks the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, the price for a room reached around 38,000 pounds per night amid strong demand during the current tourism season.
According to a government document reviewed by Al Arabiya Business, Cairo has 19 five-star hotels with a combined capacity of 9,574 rooms. In Giza, there are 10 hotels in the same category, offering a total of 3,677 rooms.
Another industry source confirmed that strong demand for hotels across Greater Cairo is prompting international hotel management companies to expand in the Egyptian capital and add new properties, helping build the capacity needed to absorb the steadily rising demand.
The report’s data indicates that the surge in occupancy is not limited to major hotels but extends across the entire hospitality sector, including boutique hotels and smaller properties that are attracting growing interest from tourists seeking accommodation close to archaeological sites.
Tamer Al-Shaer, a member of the Chamber of Tourism Companies and Travel Agencies, said occupancy levels peaked with the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum at the beginning of November and have risen across all types of hotels in Cairo and Giza.
Salah Khattab, the owner of a boutique hotel near the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Giza Pyramids, noted that occupancy levels this winter are the highest in five years, both in percentage terms and in pricing.
He added that average occupancy at these properties exceeds 80%, with nightly rates ranging between $60 and $90 per person, calling for streamlined licensing procedures for this category of hotels and serviced apartments amid growing tourist demand for Egypt.
During the final third of December, Cairo hotels recorded unprecedented booking levels, with occupancy at five-star properties exceeding 95% compared with the same period last year, according to the report.
An official at the Egyptian Hotels Chamber told Al Arabiya Business that hotels across Greater Cairo were nearly fully booked during the first half of December, with current occupancy reaching around 93%.
He expected rates to hit 100% in the final days of the month amid Christmas celebrations, a surge that has had a direct impact on pricing levels.
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