Sofitel Old Winter Palace Hotel

We stayed four nights in the New Winter Palace Hotel our room on the 8th floor had a balcony and great views over the gardens and pool area.
Although the New Winter Palace Hotel was fine we spent most of our time in the Old section of the hotel, Its all one anyway. Sitting on the sun terrace sipping a drink and watching the sun set must be one of the best places in Luxor.
The hotels gardens and pool area are excellent, the bars and restaurants are all fine and offer plenty of choice, If you want top quality and service go to the old section.
One word of warning, We never went far away from the hotel because the street traders are just a pest and you cannot get rid of them. To be honest you dont really need to leave the hotel but a walk around Luxor would have been nice.
As part of aour holiday we had three days in Cairo and the street traders in Cairo are nowhere near as bad as in Luxor.

We went to Luxor for the second time in September 2006 staying again at the New Winter Palace. This hotel is in a superb location and we spent every evening on the balcony overlooking the Nile. The sunsets are to die for. The rooms are a bit tired but I have it on good authority that they are being refurbished and so far, floors 5 to 8 have all been done. You don't actually spend that much time in your room but it is clean enough and looking out over the Nile was worth the tiredness of the decor in the room. The air conditioning works and that's all that mattered to us. You cannot beat the service in the hotel and although the food can be boring after a week, we never suffered with tummy upsets at all. The staff cannot do enough for you.
We have just booked again, for the third year but requested a refurbished room this time. We have not booked with a package operator this time but with Whitehall Leisure who arrange the flights and hotels for you and they have booked a room on the sixth floor with a Nile view. Hopefully, we will not be disappointed! One tip, do not arrange any tours with your tour operator and take a walk outside the hotel to Karnak Travel and ask for Ali baba or Baha. They charge a fraction of the price and we were lucky enough to have a guide to ourselves on all the trips we did. We went on a Nile cruise for 3 days (wonderful!) and it only cost £75 each full board. The boat was first class and it was worth every penny. The trip to Abu Simbel is very long and tiresome but worth it too.

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.

2 readers found this review helpful

This was a very last min holiday for us and one we found via the internet. We paid just £220 each for a one week stay at the New Winter Palace on a B&B basis. Having read some of the reviews, I had a few reservations. However, our experience was very good.
We had not booked transfers as part of our holiday and so got a taxi direct from the airport. Beware. The driving and the standard of taxi left nothing to the imagination. I was convinced we were going to die!
On arrival at the hotel, we were directed to our room which was in the new Pavilion part of the hotel. It was quiet and peaceful and overlooked the gardens which were really beautiful whatever time of day you chose to sit and look at them from the balcony.
Our room was on the 2nd floor. It was very large and spacious, as was the bathroom. Both were cleaned well, towels changed two or three times each day, toiletries replaced etc. It more than adequate, but it was very tired. Sad to think really that any damage to the room had been done by previous guests. for example, there were burn marks on the carpet where guests had decided to iron their clothes! Given that everything is so cheap there, I am surprised that guests who needed to iron, wouldn't think to send it to the laundary service. Actually, all that was needed were new carpets and a coat of paint! In addition, if you want a hot drink in the middle of the night and don't want to ring room service, then do take a travel kettle because there are no drinks making facilities in the rooms.. This was really the only thing I found frustrating.
We found staff to be friendly and so helpful. Nothing was too much trouble. I guess that comes down to attitude because I have to say, that there were times when I was ashamed to be British. Some guests acted as if they owned the place and were so demanding. Many complained about the prices of things. It needs pointing out that this hotel is billed as 5 star. If you choose to stay 5 star, then be prepared to pay 5 star prices and don't go rushing off down the road in 42 degrees of heat to save 10p on a bottle of water!
The pool area was well maintained, the staff helpful. Fluffy towels taken to the wooden, calico covered padded loungers which were so comfortable. Pool service was good with bottles of water served in large buckets full of ice and yet, people still complained.
In my UK job, I stay in hotels about 3 times a week, every week. Whilst standards are of course culturally different, we could learn a lot in the UK about looking after guests.
There were 4 different venues in which to eat within the hotel and we didn't have a bad meal once. Interestingly, other guests who did eat outside the hotel, suffered from tummy upsets. We did not. As we were there for just a week, we wanted to chill and so spent most of the time beside the pool enjoying the heat, reading and people watching. We have been to Egypt before and have "done" the sights.
I/we will definitely go again and would have no concern about staying at the New Winter Palace.
Be prepared for major hassle outside the hotel. It does in fact detract from going out as you are so busy fighting off the vendors. It is however, their way of making a living and is usual within their culture. Keep looking ahead and don't engage at all, not even with eye contact as that signals an interest. It is difficult, but worth it.
When visiting the temples, pay for a guide, that way, you see more and the hassle stops.
A brilliant break!

3 readers found this review helpful

The Winter Palace is a fantastic hotel, it is in prime location in Luxor, next to the temple and just across the road from the Nile! Service was Egyptian in style and speed was not of the essence, but that’s what holidays are about, relaxing!
The pool and gardens were fantastic and very beautiful. The rooms were of a good size and well maintained but the beds were not the most comfortable in the world. Very friendly staff and the 1886 restaurant was fab and not to be missed (formal dress but very worth it).
The tombs were very interesting but weather was too hot to fully appreciate it at 49 degrees C. Karnak and Luxor temples were not to be missed, very, very impressive with loads of history!
Did a balloon flight from Sindbad at the hotel which was fab with a little boat ride first, fantastic views and sights that will never be forgotten! The Metropolitan bar opposite was very reasonable with amazing views of the sunset across the Nile to the West bank, this was done almost every evening with a glass of Egyptian wine, which is an acquired taste.
We would return again to Luxor without hesitation and the Winter Palace would be our first and only choice, it was fantastic!

2 readers found this review helpful

This was my second time staying at the winter Palace. Initially in September 2005 on an accommodation on arrival basis. My expression on arrival was "WOW" and I am "well traveled".
The staff are extremely polite from the managerial to the gardener. The food's okay, having only breakfast, trying to get a bowl porridge was fun. Did not get it simple because the staff did not know what I was on about. My Egypt experience is fantastic. And it certainly will be one of my regular destinations.
What I would say to anyone is, if you can get pass the haggling, get to know the Egyptians. They are one of the most humbling, welcoming people about. The very little they have is yours to have without any expectations. One of my most memorable and enjoyable moments was my overnight trip on the train to Cairo, supposedly first class.
There was myself (Jamaican) my friend (British) two local Egyptians, a Japanese, and an American (the United Nations) that’s what we called that compartment. The local Egyptians spoke very little if no English. But we had such a journey it was great.
If you love culture and curious about others people's lifestyle Egypt is for you. I know it is definitely for me.
Happy travels.

1 reader found this review helpful

I stayed in the new building for 7 nights after reading the reviews for this hotel on this website and I enjoyed every minute of it. My sister text me that it was freezing back home and I sent her a picture message of my son in the 27 degree centigrade heat swimming in the pool.
The staff were friendly and the room was spacious. They have added hairdryers in every room and the garden was absolutely beautiful. The place was clean and the variety of food available for breakfast was good. Walking along the river Nile in front of the hotel was just beautiful. I would definitely stay at the same hotel again.
The MacDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC made you feel at home and are only a short walking distance away, but please try their local kebaby restaurants that serve barbecued mixed grill. The taxi drivers should not be a problem as long as you make it clear that you do not want to go to the market or any other place other than where you want to go.

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!

1 reader found this review helpful

The Winter Palace is three hotels with shared facilities, Old, New and Pavilion Wing.
Having made several trips to Luxor in the past ( all Nile cruises ), we always thought that the amount of time given at Luxor, was somewhat limited when taking a cruise, given that the majority of the sites to be seen are in the Luxor area.
The Winter Palace is in the perfect location, on the cornice facing the Nile, in the centre of Luxor, within easy walking distance of all the tourist areas of Luxor and Luxor temple. Having stayed in the Pavilion wing, the accommodation is very much Holiday Inn type.
The gardens, with its facilities and pool area, more than make up for the run of the mill type accommodation. The hotel main building, is clean and well maintained, staff are most helpful and friendly.
The food in the buffet restaurant could be more imaginative, however, much better than the food on the cruise boats.