Mena House, Cairo

This beautiful hotel lies in the shadow of the Great Pyramids in Cairo and has enchanted guests since 1869. Located in forty acres of jasmine scented gardens, Mena House Oberoi has played host to kings and emperors, Heads of State and celebrities. The Mena house is significant as it provided the original lodgings for the young, adventurous Rhodes & Beckett upon their arrival in Egypt way back in 1907. Rhodes and Beckett were especially taken by the fact that another Englishman - Albert, Prince of Wales, no less - had stayed as a guest of the King at Mena House.

Even after their eventual move to Alexandria, the home of the local cotton industry, Mena House continued to provide a familiar and comfortable Cairo base for our mischievous lads. They took a vicarious pleasure in the delights of a hotel that had played host to some of the world’s most famous people – among them, Charlie Chaplin, Cecil B DeMille, Omar Sharif and David Niven – and they were particularly keen on the panoramic views of the pyramids from the comfort of the hotel’s lobby bar.

A century later, it seemed fitting to return to Mena House and photograph the images for our Australian launch among the grand, salubrious surrounds of this magnificent estate. Rhodes and Beckett were with us in spirit!