Mena House Oberoi - a walk through history
The origin of the Mena House was that of a royal lodge for the Khedive Ismail, 
used as a rest house for himself and his guest when hunting in the desert or visiting the Pyramids at Giza . The main dinning room of today was once the entire lodge, but in 1869, with the opening of the Suez Canal , the lodge was enlarged. Also, a road was built between Cairo and the Pyramids (specifically for the visit of the Empress Eugenie) which made visits to Giza much easier.
For a time, Ismail retained the lodge, often allowing it to be used by royal visitors, including such noteworthy personalities as Prince Albert Edward of Wales . However, affairs of the state kept the Khedive himself from using the lodge with any frequency, so in the early1880s it was sold to Frederick Head as a private residence.
The Heads, a wealthy English couple, lived an idyllic life at their new residence, enlarging their home and adding a second floor. Seeking a name for their estate, Professor A.H. Saya made the suggestion that it should be called Mena House, after the first king referenced in the Tablet of Abydos. But sadly, after owning the house for only five years, Frederick who was always a delicate soul, died while on a visit to London .
Another hugely wealthy English couple, the Locke-Kings purchased the house from Mrs. Head, and it was
they who set about turning the estate into a luxurious hotel. With plenty of money to work with and an estate already rich with furnishings and other treasures left by the Khedive and the Heads, the Locke-Kings enlarged the building once again, adding the English touch of great fireplaces that were unusual in Egypt. However, they retained much of the Arabic ambiance of the facility, and enhanced this with fine Mashrabia (wooden screens) work, fine blue tiles, mosaics and medieval brass-embossed and carved wood doors. Their taste was excellent, and the hotel has been kept with such good care, that many of these original fixtures are still in use.
But despite all the wealthy guests who frequented the Mena House, rarely did the Locke-Kings make any money from the hotel. They were very extravagant, and when time came for a guest's bill to be settled, they tended to say that they had invited their friends at their own expense. Later, the couple returned to England and turned the management of the hotel over first to Baron Rodakowsky, a colorful gentlemen, and later to Emil Weckel and Mr. Schick, who many thought owned the establishment. But years later after Mr. Locke King's death, she finally sold the Mena House to George Nungovich who operated the Egyptian Hotels Company.
The 1913-1914 tourist season was great in Egypt , but the First World War came to Egypt amongst martial
law. The Mena House was told to hold itself ready for an influx of Australians. Of course, this was a time when the British claimed Egypt in their colonial empire, so Alfred Warner, an English contractor was awarded the job of building a camp for the Australian Light Horses just behind the hotel. While there was plenty of hard fighting in the desert, Cairo was reserved for fun while on leave or training. The Australians often took over the Casino de Paris, dancing and howling with mirth, took part in horse and camel races, and generally had a good time of it.
But later during the First World War, the Mena House became one of the hospitals, and remained so for the rest of the war.
As the Second World War started, things were much slower at the Mena House. Unlike World War I, which caught the world by surprise, people were uneasy prior to the second war and not much in a holiday mood. But Once again, the hotel filled with servicemen to the point where additional staff had to be added. The Australians were back, up to their usual pranks with plenty of good fun.
But matters did not go right at first, as Rommel, the famous desert fox, initially routed the allied troops. Later, things went better, and by 1943, the Mena House saw one of its most exciting years. Plans for Overlord, the invasion of Europe, had to be discussed by Churchill and Roosevelt and operations in Southeast Asia needed consultation with General Chiang Kai-Shek. It was decided that the Big Three conference should take place at the Mena House Hotel. In his Book V of the Second World War , Winston Churchill writes:
In the 1970s The Oberoi Group took over the management of The Mena House, 
adding it to their worldwide chain. The hotel was meticulously renovated and expansions incorporated. Under the Oberoi management, the hotel matched the highest standards of international hotel Dom and became a member of The Leading Hotels of the World.
Set in 40 acres of jasmine-scented gardens with the Pyramids towering above, The Mena House Oberoi comprises 523 units (rooms, suites and cabanas), which include the Palace section (97 units), the Garden Section (401 units), and the swimming pool (25 units). Beautiful arabesque furniture inlaid with mother of pearl; hand-crafted mosaic tiles; exquisitely carved, brass-bound wood doors; original works of art and magnificent antiques all speak of a degree of care and attention to detail rarely found in a modern hotel.
All rooms are air-conditioned, furnished in a rich, opulent Arabesque style, and include balconies, a stocked mini-bar, satellite TV~ in-house music channel and international direct-dial services. An en-suite marble bathroom is equipped with a full range of personal toiletries, bathrobes and king-size tubs.
Recreational facilities include an outdoor swimming pool, the largest in Cairo , an eighteen-hole golf 
course, outdoor tennis courts, a jogging track, horse and camel riding with experienced instructors, and a casino. The Banquet and Conference facilities offer meeting space for up to 1,000 people, extensive communication systems, simultaneous translation in five languages and other up-to-date conference technology. Word processors, telex, international direct-dial telephones, a business library and secretarial services are available at the Business Center . For conferences, the hotel can provide a range of audio-visual aids, a limousine service and travel and car- hire facilities. The hotel also has a shuttle service to the city center.
Among other services, guests at the hotel enjoy 24-hour room service, a personal valet, laundry facilities, 24-hour banking service, car rental, an in-house travel agency, beauty salon, shopping arcade and a parking area.
Mena House Oberoi, like all Oberoi hotels the world over, treat the culinary arts with reverential respect.
published May 31, 2007
Source: Mena House Oberoi
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