Sofitel Karnak Luxor

1 reader found this review helpful

The Sofitel karnik is without doubt the most beautiful setting imaginable. Set at the side of the Nile in beautiful gardens with a terrace and heated swimming pool to match.
Outside the hotel is a different matter. Luxor is the dirtiest city I have ever visited. As soon as you set foot outside you will be accosted with people after money, children and adults alike, either to go in their taxi, carraige or on a trip. They will not take no for an answer. The children just want money and demand it following for miles harrasing as you go.
The dishonest. A man called Ali Abdu or Captain Ali as he likes to be known. We were introduced to him early on in our holiday as someone who organises trips. We went on two very good trips with him and he gained our trust until he new we were going home and then he conned one of our party an 83 year old out of her deposit for a trip. He has 2 websites info@luxorfat.com and info@luxortoursegypy.com. If he has changed hi name, as well he may, he has a moter boat called Tom & Jerry & a feluca called Asterick. Stay clear of him and his favourite sayings "honesty is the best policy" and "money is here today gone tomorrow but freinds are here forever". Keep well away from him!

First time to Egypt and not a better place to stay. Rooms were clean,staff were very friendly and couldn't do enough for you. Food was good.
Didn't find it was to far away from the centre of Luxor. Plenty of taxis, free hotel bus and river boat.
Can't wait to go back again!!!!!

The hotel is very clean, very comfortable. The staff are a bit slow but this I feel is down to managers. But staff are fantastically helpful.
Food is a good mix of styles and the quality is great, all kept very clean and fresh providing you do not get in at the same time as a Japanese tour group.
All booked on line, Other hotel bookings needed during our stay all done by reception and all special requests apart from some flowers [but they raided the garden] done 100%. My wife’s 50 b/day was made memorable by the staff.
This was our second stay at this hotel and in 2008 we are staying again Why? So much to see in the area and hotel value for money but the biggest free bonus at this hotel is the view when taking your meals it is second to none.

We were a party of 3 women and 1 teenager. We had a fantastic time at this hotel, The staff were very nice and the rooms were cleaned to a good standard. The best thing about this hotel was the views of the Nile and the beautiful pool. I would recommend this hotel because of its location as it is peaceful although not too far out of the way for the tours and sightseeing. The rooms were very well air conditioned and we needed it as we went in August. The staff looked after us and nothing was too much trouble for them.
Looking forward to going back next year.

Sofitel Karnak is a beautiful hotel, located within lovely, peaceful and well kept landscaped gardens; security is tight and makes guests feel safe. Rooms are cleaned daily to a very high standard and the staff are very friendly and always eager to help with any problem or query.
Nightly entertainment is varied but aims at the family market and alcoholic drinks are expensive.
Breakfast is a magical feast and the availability of freshly cooked omelettes and pancakes a complete delight; staff very quickly realise and react to your individual needs - absolutely marvellous!!
There is a selection of lunch options, and snacks are reasonably priced and filling. Dinner is cooked to a theme, although the French ownership of the hotel is evident in the amount of highly spiced foods. These tend to get a little samey and there is little for the English pallet after a while, which encourages guests to seek alternatives - highly recommended is Maximes in down town Luxor; beautiful food at very cheap prices!!
I would recommend staying at this lovely hotel, although I would encourage guests to venture further afield for night-time dining and more adult entertainment. Go to the little shop outside the main gates for cheap water and soft drinks!

What can I say that others haven't said already. The Sofitel Hotel is very pleasant, the staff friendly and the whole place was a pleasant experience.
The food in the buffet was not always great but there was always a large selection and enough to chose from. The room was pleasant and clean with large comfortable bed.
Don't be put off by what is outside as when we stayed here the village and the road was being rebuilt/spruced up. When you get inside it is everything you could want and need.
As for the area, shopping is hassle as are taxi drivers etc make sure you agree a price before you set off. The temples and museums are awe inspiring, my advice would be find an independent guide as the tour companies charge a fortune for a rushed and limited experience.
We felt really let down by Thomson as our trip to the Valley's etc was a real let down once we found out what we had missed.

This hotel is a must. Just got back from a very relaxing holiday, the staff treat you like Kings and Queens.
Always happy to chat and serve you. Sometimes the bar staff were hard to catch for they were always chatting at the bar to their friends, which was a shame as sometimes it took me 10 mins for them to come to us when it was quiet.
The buffet was excellent, something for everyone. The out-door restaurant next to the pool was excellent but can be a little cold at night.
The pool is bigger than it looks in the brochures, and is warm and clean. Plenty of sun beds in Feb, I recommend going this time of year as it was quite hot.
We went B&B but wish we went full board, as we had a big bill at the end of the week for using the restaurants and the drinks are expensive like home.
Luxor was very stressful shopping. You could not look or browse at the shops and there are no prices on anything. They sort that out later when you have finished shopping then tell you the price. Shame really, as I would have bought a lot more if I could just look round without being hassled.
I could honestly say that I would bring my children to this hotel as we had no problems.
We were glad it was out of town and more quiet and there is free transport back and too. The taxis were only £3.00 to Luxor.
*Highly Recommended*
Glad we didn’t go a Nile cruise with all the tummy upsets I've heard about.

1 reader found this review helpful

We stayed at the Sofitel Karnak for week in mid November. The hotel is about 15 minutes drive from the centre of Luxor but the hotel courtesy bus and boat run frequently so getting into the town is no problem at all.
The bus drivers will drop you off at points on the route e.g. Karnak Temple, Luxor Museum and pick you up for the return trip. Alternatively, you can get a taxi from Luxor to the hotel for a reasonable price.
The hotel is spotlessly clean and the staff were unfailingly helpful and friendly. The gardens are immaculately kept – they were even cleaning the trees when we were there! There are plenty of sun beds around the pool and in the gardens overlooking the Nile. The breakfast and dinner buffets are extremely varied and offer something for all tastes.
We organised our trips through Jolley’s (next to the Old winter Palace in Luxor) and these were about half the price of those offered by the tour companies in the hotel. Our guide for the West Bank tour was extremely informative and got us past all the queues at the various sites.
Jolley’s organised our balloon trip with Magic Horizons and this again was really well organised and good value for money. For our felucca trip we were the only people on the boat and so had a very special experience.
The traders in Luxor can be rather persistent but if you are firm will eventually leave you alone. Whilst in Luxor it is worth going into the Bank of Cairo on The Corniche to change large denomination notes so you have a ready supply of smaller notes for tipping in the hotel and elsewhere.

If you are thinking of going to Luxor this hotel is a must. From the outside it didn’t look much but once in reception things change. The staff were fantastic nothing to much trouble and always trying to please. The food was very enjoyable with a good selection to choose from, rooms were comfortable and cleaned daily. Great pool for the kids and also splash pool with a slide.
Luxor is a lovely place with lots to see, Karnack Temple and Luxor Museum are a must. Shopping you have to haggle which personally I hate doing, walking around the Bazaars can be a bit of a pain with people shoving things in your face trying to get you to buy.
We paid for a trip to Cairo to see the Pyramids it was brilliant but found it a little expensive at £200 each for the day out.

The only downside to the holiday in my opinion was our own fault, if I were to go to Egypt again it would have to be a winter holiday the heat in July was a bit much for me but as I say that was our mistake in choosing the dates. Very interesting country with very nice people.

Great location - ideal for Luxor & Karnak Temples, West bank, Nile etc. Good travel options with courtesy bus & boats to/from Luxor and all places in between.
Fantastic location with pool and gardens. Good sun loungers with good quality towels. Food ok but repetitive and lacked imagination. Rooms ok. Service / attentiveness good.
Drink prices extortionate. G&T £5.30 equiv. Bottle water £1.10. Most guest visited the 'bottle shop' in Luxor and stocked their mini-bars. Bottle Gin £7.50. Bottle water 20p. Cans Coke etc 25p.
Third visit to Egypt. All hotels are 5star? Sofitel is about 3.5star and with a little imagination and effort could easily be 4.5star.
I suspect that 1 week would be enough time spent there. Most patrons cruised for 1 week then hotel for 2ND week.