Hotel openings are frequently delayed, and that’s not too surprising. After all, opening a hotel is no small task, and there’s a lot that has to be coordinated.
But then there are some hotel openings that are delayed for years and years. I imagine this can happen for a variety of reasons — sometimes there are huge construction flaws, other times the company that owns the hotel goes out of business, and other times there are political or other factors that cause them to reconsider.
One of the hotels I’m most fascinated by is the St. Regis Cairo. I’m not exactly sure why. I mean, I love the St. Regis brand and I make it to Cairo a fair bit because of the cheap premium cabin fares published from there. But there’s just something fascinating about how this hotel has been months from opening for a couple of years now. If I didn’t know any better, I’d guess that Baltia is behind it based on the timeline they’ve had.
For example, when I wrote about the hotel in January 2018, the expected opening date was listed as March 2018.
When I wrote about it in September 2018, it had an expected opening date of December 2018. Now the hotel’s opening date is listed as April 2019, though they’re still not accepting reservations.
So, what exactly is going on here? Do they just not see a market for another premium hotel in Cairo? Did the owners run out of money? Are they reconsidering how to brand the hotel?
Nope, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Rather this hotel may be tied up in a diplomatic dispute. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the St. Regis Cairo thread on FlyerTalk, where a member quotes an unnamed GM of a hotel in the area as saying that the authorities are withholding the operating license for the hotel.
Why? The St. Regis Cairo is owned by Qatari Diar, a Qatari real estate company. As most of you are probably aware, since June 2017 there has been a blockade between several countries (including Egypt) and Qatar.
So while I’m not 100% sure what exactly could be done to open the hotel at this point (short of handing over the property to a company from another country, or hoping the blockade ends), at least now we know why this hotel is so delayed in opening.
Maybe someone who has a better understanding of the impact this blockade has on real estate could chime in.
I’ll be curious to see how this unfolds…
Welcome to a culture which puts saving face before practicality (not the only culture mind you).
Egyptians aren’t Arabs.
@Kalboz Calling you out for stereotyping. A Hong Konger could be of any race who lives in Hong Kong. I'm pretty sure not all New Yorkers are white, not all Londoner are Brits, not all Parisian are Catholics. Time to wake up, beliefs, race, or skin color has nothing to do with being in Hong Kong.
You are as racist as it gets, only certain people like to blindlessly abuse the race card. You are...
@Kalboz Calling you out for stereotyping. A Hong Konger could be of any race who lives in Hong Kong. I'm pretty sure not all New Yorkers are white, not all Londoner are Brits, not all Parisian are Catholics. Time to wake up, beliefs, race, or skin color has nothing to do with being in Hong Kong.
You are as racist as it gets, only certain people like to blindlessly abuse the race card. You are likely one of them.
I wouldn't say @Hong Konger's answer is PC (a mind control tool against free speech). But calling a rascist is too far.
@Hong Konger....Bravo. Always nice to see someone with enough balls to calls spade a spade.
@Kalboz
You realize HK was a British territory for the entire 20th century, right? Sort of hard to blame them for a century on mainland turmoil
What about the pool in waldorf Jerusalem..i think air baltia too.. look how many times they have postponed it..
@lucky, could you look into why the Sheraton palau is being postponed? I suspect it’s due to Palau’s stance on Taiwan but am not totally sure.
@Lucky - I made a reservation for June 16-23 at the St. Regis HK by calling the ambassador for PPE w/ Ambassador status holders.
In other news, St Regis Hong Kong has started taking reservations for June 1st opening.
@ David -- Hmmm, not seeing them taking reservations. Where are you seeing that?
http://www.qataridiar.com/English/OurProjects/Pages/St--Regis-Nile-Corniche-.aspx
The Nile Corniche project is one of a number of significant Qatari Diar projects in Egypt. Located on the banks of Nile River in the heart of Cairo, next to the World Trade Center, the Nile Corniche is a high-end complex featuring two splendid towers and a retail atrium.
As a full-service ultra-premium hotel and serviced apartments with total of 515 units, the St. Regis Hotel will be well positioned to provide...
http://www.qataridiar.com/English/OurProjects/Pages/St--Regis-Nile-Corniche-.aspx
The Nile Corniche project is one of a number of significant Qatari Diar projects in Egypt. Located on the banks of Nile River in the heart of Cairo, next to the World Trade Center, the Nile Corniche is a high-end complex featuring two splendid towers and a retail atrium.
As a full-service ultra-premium hotel and serviced apartments with total of 515 units, the St. Regis Hotel will be well positioned to provide first-class hospitality and amenities in this rapidly developing part of the world. The hotel will also offer stimulating meeting spaces encompassing a space of 2,339 sqm, including a main 963 sqm ballroom, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a health center
The St. Regis Hotel marks the ultimate expression of contemporary luxury in Egypt’s thriving capital city and will be an important component of a high-rise hospitality and residential complex.
@Hong Konger Comment of the deplorables..
Oh and the Abu Dhabi Midfield Terminal. Good heavens that's long overdue
Don't hold your breath. I, for one, am expecting something more iconic: The Raffles Hotel Singapore
Calling you out @Hong Konger for such a racist statement!
Let me remind you that the Chinese killed each other to the tone of 8 million people during their period of political turmoil (1927-1961). And that is without including the "Great Leap Forward", "the Cultural Revolution", or the mass murders of Chiang Kai-shek (Project National Glory and the White terror that ended in 1987). Assuming by your handle name that you are Chinese, you aren't perfect either!
Answer: Arabs
Wow, you would think they would put jobs before such issues...if that's the case.
stupid politics