Egypt’s Minister of Public Business Sector, Mohamed El-Shimy, inspected the site on Saturday, calling the redevelopment a flagship project in the government’s plan to restore Khedivial Cairo and boost the capital’s tourism sector.
“We are committed to the highest standards of quality and efficiency and to completing all phases on schedule,” he said.
The Grand Continental is owned by the Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH), a subsidiary of the state-owned Holding Company for Tourism and Hotels (HOTAC), which is also leading the project.
The new hotel will cover 10,000 square metres, offering 300 rooms and suites at a five-star standard, along with three basement levels for services and parking.
The public enterprises ministry stated that one of the world’s largest hospitality companies—not yet announced—has been chosen to manage the property, with an agreement now being finalized.
Once a jewel of downtown Cairo’s Belle Époque, the Grand Continental Hotel is perched at the edge of Azbakiya Gardens and overlooking the old Opera Square, where Ibrahim Pasha’s equestrian statue presides.
The 19th-century landmark was once synonymous with Egypt’s cosmopolitan high society.
It is unclear whether the building dates back to the 1860s or 1880s, but archival records confirm that a grand hotel on the site welcomed foreign dignitaries during the lavish celebrations for the opening of the Suez Canal, hosted by Khedive Ismail.
The hotel was repeatedly renovated during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, at one point boasting an ornate columned façade that rivalled its great competitor, the now-lost Shepheard’s Hotel.
Its owners later expanded into Soliman Pasha Square with the Savoy, and together the two formed the famed Continental-Savoy Hotels, a hub for Cairo’s elite until the First World War, when the British military requisitioned the Savoy.
While that property was demolished and replaced, the Continental endured.
By 2016, however, it was a faded four-story façade—masked by shops selling men’s suits and fabrics—concealing an H-shaped structure of ageing masonry and timber, its central court and crumbling interiors serving as a stark reminder of how one of Cairo’s grandest addresses slipped into ruin.
That same year, EGOTH announced plans to demolish the building, calling it “a threatening humanitarian disaster.”
Officials argued the hotel was no longer a registered heritage site, having undergone multiple alterations throughout its lifetime.
Despite opposition from preservationists, most of the structure was razed in 2018 under a government-approved order that required the Adly Street façade be retained.
EGOTH and the National Organization for Urban Harmony later agreed on a new design to integrate preserved elements into a modern complex.
HOTAC chairwoman Mervat Hataba said at the time the EGP 1.5 billion redevelopment would be funded through investment partnerships, with returns shared between EGOTH and private backers.
In 2020, once the demolition was complete, the government announced its plans to redevelop the hotel into a 250-room five-star business property with investments re-estimated at EGP 1.7 billion.
On Saturday, El-Shimy urged contractors to adhere to deadlines and international standards. “Reviving the Continental Hotel is part of a broader effort to redevelop Khedivial Cairo and restore its architectural and cultural heritage,” he said.
An opening date has not been announced yet.
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