Pro Center: Sleek, Well-Equipped Gym in Nasr City

Canadian franchise Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is well-known for its stately, traditional decor. Egypt’s Fairmont Heliopolis hotel lies a mere five kilometres from the Cairo International Airport, making it a convenient place for recently landed travellers and Heliopolis residents alike. In the original wing of the Fairmont Hotel Heliopolis, marble floors and a few ornate brass castings evoke the lobby of a toned down aging Vegas hotel. During this reviewer’s visit, which coincided with the recent Eid weekend, we were served a glass of karkadeh by a waiter in a white gallabeya and burgundy tarboush while we waited at the reception desk to check in for our day use. Day use is available with a required reservation of either a single or a double room (500LE for Egyptian residents; 110USD for foreign guests) or of a poolside cabana (650LE for guests with Egyptian residents; 120USD for foreign guests). Rooms in the more modern Fairmont Towers hotel cost 800LE for a day use (160USD for foreign guests), whereas cabanas are not offered. After paying our cash sum for our double room reservation, we were ushered– or rather waved languidly in the general direction – towards the elevators. Regular double rooms are modest but leave little to complain about. Regular-sized bathtubs with primping accoutrements and a hair dryer were all tidy and in place, while the dated television set reminded us that the great outdoors are far more exciting than staying in. Once we had located the pool, our afternoon of true relaxation began– to the constant backdrop of the crowds of shouting children out for an afternoon of poolside fun. The circular pool is family-friendly, with plush chaise longues and generous umbrellas ringing the perimeter. A below-ground-level circular bar flanks the pool, serving up a menu of juices, grills and snacks. A lap pool and lower level kiddie pool with a waterfall are to be found, although both were deserted. Partway through our tanning session, we were pleased to see a waiter make the rounds with a tray of yoghurt parfaits. The strawberry yogurt, cornflakes and chocolate syrup made for a sweet, kid-friendly snack. Having heard that a day use earns you tanning rights to both Fairmont Heliopolis and the newer Fairmont Towers wing, we set out to explore the reputedly more adult-friendly pool on the other side. A stroll through the majestic, modern atrium evokes the feeling of walking through the most elegant of airport lobbies. Huge skylights, endlessly high ceilings, fountains and maze-like glass wall walkways complement a heady mix of modern art and corporate styles. The pool itself is tucked around the corner of one of the lobby restaurants, and is surprisingly quaint with its irregular shape and spacious hot tub. The luxurious wooden beach chairs are separated by curtains for optimum privacy, and on the afternoon of our visit, only a few guests were reclining by the pool. Service was attentive to the slightest wave of a hand. Remember that a large bottle of Evian costs 75LE on the menu; be wise and ask if they have any regular brands of water not listed and they may begrudgingly produce a bottle of Dasani for a third of the price. Other cocktails, smoothies and snacks have similarly high price ranges – we are at the Fairmont, after all. A soundtrack of questionable taste blared through the speakers for much of the afternoon with a barrage of Stevie Wonder, Mary Hopkin and Enrique Iglesias. Still, the Fairmont Heliopolis Hotel and Towers presented some true summer delights, with its pleasant blend of poolside luxury, family fun and a unique study of compare and contrast.

In a city like Cairo where gyms come with a hefty price tag, it’s nice to find a gym that offers great service and quality machines at affordable rates.

Its location inside of Gezira Sporting Club is Pro Center gym’s first disadvantage: you have to become a member of this pricey sports club to access the gym.

Once you’ve got your membership to Gezira Club, Pro Center offers decent prices in comparison to those at most top gyms in Cairo. A three-month membership will set you back 700LE, while a full-year membership will set you back around 2200LE, which includes full access to the gym’s spinning, toning and dance classes. The gym also has large changing rooms with a Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna as well as a locker space. Private trainer sessions are also available, and new members are eligible for one free session.

Located underneath the Gezira Club lido pool, the gym itself is an oblong room with a line of treadmills and elliptical machines facing the large windows on one side, and weight machines and free weight areas on the other.

If you like your treadmill, you may be impressed with the several Precor GFX and Progym treadmills that come with built-in TV screens, while the three Technogym elliptical machines have built-in touch screens that you can plug your iPod into during your workout.

The most popular machine of the lot is the Precor Cardio Theater, a machine that works as a stepper as well as an elliptical with movable hand levers for an all-round workout. Since it’s the only one in the whole gym, though; be prepared to wait a while for your turn.

On the other side of the room, at least a dozen Pure Strength machines are lined up in two rows, offering everything from wide and incline chest presses to shoulder presses. A small corner of the room holds a mirror and a free weights area, which is sadly small and gets very cramped; not a pretty visual when you’re jostling with other sweaty men for a chance at a dumbbell.

At the far end of the room, a few Progym bikes and upper body bikes are lined up facing the mirror, while a few benches are sporadically distributed throughout the room for your abs, upper and lower back workouts.

The major disadvantage to Pro Center is its small, cramped space and the way the machines are arranged. It’s difficult to navigate between your chest and shoulder press machines on a crowded day, and the sole space for mat work and stretching is the separate room, which is also intended for group classes. So, if a class is going on when you need to stretch your hamstrings or work on your plank, you’ll have to make do with a tiny corner of the gym.

Nonetheless, Pro Center definitely offers the best value for money among all Zamalek gyms, though you do have to be a club member to enjoy its benefits.