Reviews of Sofitel Old Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor, Egypt

My boyfriend and I went to Egypt...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

Discover Egypt

Submitted By:

Miss J Bye

Comments:

My boyfriend and I went to Egypt for our first holiday.



We booked a Nile cruise through Discover Egypt which included your first night at the Old Winter Palace. It was incredible! Just like stepping back in time (but with all the latest mod cons!).



The staff could not have done more for us. We went for a drink in the lounge bar in the evening and we were the only people in it but the pianist still scuttled over to the piano quick smart and started playing for us.



The breakfast was second to none - pretty much everything you could want.



There is an a la carte French restaurant - extremely reasonable prices (nothing close to the prices you pay at home!) and very good food.



The tour rep will probably tell you that men need to wear a tie but if you ask at the restaurant they will lend you one for the evening (at no cost!).



The gardens and swimming pool were immaculate.



The rooms were fairly substantial in size and beautifully kept. We had a view of the Nile (you could look out on the garden if you prefer) - at first sight you may get the impression it would be noisy in the evening as it is on the main road along the Nile, but it was very peaceful and a great view to wake up to!



We went in July which is usually one of their hottest times. We were quite lucky as they had unusually cool weather (still in late 30s most of the time). Our rep said the temp usually reaches the late 40s at this time of year.



We were only sorry that we didn't have longer there. I would thoroughly recommend this hotel to people of all ages.



I can also thoroughly recommend all the tours - Valley of the Kings, temples, Abu Simble (A MUST!!) etc. We went and visited everything possible!



We went on to stay on the Alexander the Great yacht - which was a truly fantastic experience.

A very much hyped hotel with...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2004

Tour Operator:

Booked Independently

Submitted By:

Mr S J Thomas

Comments:

A very much hyped hotel with quite a history.

On the outside; both front and back you'll see a fabulously grand hotel, almost intimidating! On entering the hotel, from the moment you step into the lobby, it felt like a museum. In a weird sort of way, I felt like I was checking in to Cairo museum.



All rooms at this hotel are on a large scale including bedrooms, and en suite bathrooms. In fact our bathroom was larger than our sitting room at home!



The hotel looks out across the Nile and literally up the road from Luxor Temple and a short carriage ride from Luxor Museum. We also took a 20 minute, horse drawn carriage into the heart of Luxor and tried one of the local restaurants. Was a fabulous treat and eating out here is incredibly cheap and terrific experience.



The staff could not be faulted but the most disappointing aspect for me at this hotel was the beds. They're made of iron!



The mattresses are wafer thin and I could barely sleep at all during my stay here. I even tried sleeping on the floor but it was no different.



Other than that, check out the grounds to this hotel. They are extensive and the gardens are beautifully manicured. Wonderful water fountains, bird houses and relaxing areas where you can 'chill out' and have a cool, refreshing drink from the bar. The pool area is especially inviting.



I'd recommend (if monies allow) to arrange Hot Air Ballooning over 'Valley of the Kings', or arrange a traditional boat trip in a 'Fallukah' to fill in a romantic evening on the Nile. Our trips were arranged through a ground handler, local in Luxor (Akorn), sub-contracting to 'Abercrombie and Kent'. Second to none service!!



If you're looking for accommodation offering something quite different to the norm.... Sofitel Old Winter Palace is well worth considering. Bring a lilo and sleeping bag though!