Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor

10 readers found this review helpful

We spent a week cruising the Nile then spent a further week in the Sonesta St George. What a magnificent Hotel.
The staff in Reception were very efficent and the staff in the Restaurants and room service very helpful and friendly.
The food was buffet style and had so much choice it was difficult to decide what to have at each meal but whatever we chose was always excellent.
The room was thoroughly cleaned each day and our towels were changed twice a day. The bed made in the morning and turned down for us each night. What service !!!
Our room was on the side of the Hotel but still had a magnificent view of the Nile and the mountains of the Valley of the Kings/Queens and of course the fabulous sunsets.
There were some sort of building work going on next to the Hotel but after a while it didn't bother us espesially as the work didn't seem to last very long. We only had to turn our chairs round on the balcony and we couldn't see it anyway.
Our tour guide from African Safari Club made sure we were looked after so we went on many trips with a lovely meal to look forward to once back in the Hotel

2 readers found this review helpful

We stayed at the Sonesta St George in Luxor this September the hotel was very nice but very expensive we had a room with a view of the nile on the 2nd floor right above a electricty station with noise 24/7 on top of this you have building work going on around it from 7am to late afternoon. We asked to be moved if possible and they offered us a room on the other side of the hotel BUT!!! there is a building site here even worse than the 1st side but this site is being done to extend the hotel and will be ongoing for a long time to come.We could upgrade to the front of the hotel (no noise there) but this will cost 50 us dollors per night.So if you dont mind building sites both sides its a loverly place with nice food and nice people.But beware when you leave the hotel you get hasseled all the to your destination.

3 readers found this review helpful

just had 2 weeks at the sonesta,if you are unlucky to get a city view room you will have to put up with very noisy traffic up till about 3 am then at 4 30 you will be woken up with a call to pray from the mosque near by.if that,s not all you have a good view of the sewarge treatment plant directly across the road from the hotel.if you think you will be able to cool off in the swimming pool be warned it is only heated in the winter,december till end of april,rest of the time it is kept cold by adding cold water.the food was very good plenty of choice,only problem was getting a hot plate when i asked for one i was greeted with a shrug of the sholders.there is work going on next to the hotel used to be the municipal swimming pool,now going to be the sonesta 2 if you have a room the same side as the reception desk you will have that noise to put up with between 0900 and 1800.if you are already commited to going ask for a nile side view room on the opposite side to the reception desk.if not go to the pyramis isis hotel 50 yards away,good luck

5 readers found this review helpful

We have just returned from a one week stay at the Sonesta St George and had a fantastic time. The hotel is located approximately 20 minutes from the airport and a 5 minute taxi ride from luxor temple. I have stayed at a 5 star hotel before and would say that this is a 5 star. The rooms were immaculate and the hotel staff were friendly, professional and very helpful.
The only thing that let the hotel down a little was that there was some construction work going on. However the disruption was very minimal and I would go back whilst the work is going on.
We were staying on a bed and breakfast board basis and have to say that the selection of food for breakfast was amazing, it was fresh, tasty and there was so much on offer that you could try something new each day.
Luxor itself is a great place and on the whole the people are lovely. As two women travelling alone we felt completely safe. However be preared for hassle from the carriage drivers, taxi drivers and some shop owners. With tourism being the main source of income they are eager for you to use their services or buy from them and so can be pushy, but if your assertive they will leave you alone. Phrases to remember are 'La Shukran' which means 'no thank you' or 'Mafish Fallus' which means 'i have no money'.
The carriage drivers work on commission basis and so will entice you into going for a ride around town but will then take you to a shopping centre. The shop owners will be pushy and will try to get you to pay over the odds. Don't let this put you off shopping just remember to haggle, haggle and then haggle some more. Other than this one 3 storey shopping centre we found most other shop / market owners to be friendly and easier to haggle with.
We would advise you to stay away from Carriage No.39 the drivers name is Ahmed Sapry and a taxi driver who calls himself Mr Fish.
We did eat out and sampled traditional egyptian food and would recommend Sofra and Om mahashim, both in down town luxor. We only ate vegetarian food which was very tasty.
We also went out to the local cafe's and found this quaint little place that has great art work on the wall and you can sit and enjoy a coffee or shisha whilst reading or watching the TV. The cafe is called NAGIB MAHFOUZ on Nadi Madina (the name of the road). The owner - Moustafa is a lovely guy.
We went to Jolley's (next to winter palace hotel) to book our tours, given the current exchange rate the tours were a little more pricey than expected but their prices were still amongst the most reasonable that we found.
We had a great time in Luxor and would stay at this hotel again.

3 readers found this review helpful

This was a brilliant holiday. The ship was big, clean and luxurious (although it did look a bit like an explosion in a wrought iron and gold leaf factory). The cabin (standard) was large, comfortable and lavishly decorated. If you can get a cabin towards the front of the boat it would be well worthwhile. Our cabin was near the back where you get a lot more engine noise, however this didn't really spoil things. There were big sliding doors onto a French balcony which you could open whenever you felt short of deisel fumes.
The food was amazing. Buffet breakfast (I dare you to try the white sausages), buffet lunch (more choice than any sane person could require), A la carte dinner (good choice and absolutely A1 quality).
The staff really could not have been more friendly and attentive.
We were split up into same language groups of about 10 or 12 people and assigned our own Egyptologist who conducts you around the various tombs and temples. Our guide (Ehab)was very informative, entertaining and never lost sight of the fact that we were on holiday and not studying for a degree in Egyptology. If you want a lot of detail, you can have it, if you want an entertaining overview of Egyptian culture, you can have it.

2 readers found this review helpful

This is the best hotel i have ever stayed in, and it deserves it 5* rating, the food is fantastic the staff are wonderful and we had a fabulous holiday.
There is still building work going on, but it did not affect us in any way.
Highly recommended!!!!!!! Will most definately be going back.

2 readers found this review helpful

still undergoing refurbishment, there are 2 new floors being added, at this point all the main building work is complete but some days can be noisy, too be honest this didnt worry us it was quite fun watching the local builders!health n safety wats that?
if they have placed their winch outside your room then you will probably be annoyed!due to some of the work there was alot of dust, some wet surplus plaster dropping and grit falling. one day we could not eat outside close to the building... i would imagine that the building work will soon be completed
i would not say it is 5 star at the moment but when refurbishment is complete will be there or there abouts...

watch out for black sooty deposits which was covering all the tables and rails down the bottom end of hotel which includes the pontoon. this is the result of the sugar cane being burnt, four of us ended up with this on our clothes, the thomson rep just stated well thats what they do here , its too be expected!!!!! well she should let us all know before then! hotel manager was brilliant and offered to have our clothes washed free of charge.
due to overbooking the hotel moored a cruise boat at the end of the pontoon, but as it ran its diesel engines all the time the fumes made it impossible to sit in its vacinity, again tomson rep just said well its not happend before..
thomson arranged trips are expensive and rushed, we had an excellent guide for the valley of the kings trip on the west bank and he told us to take our time... only 3 tombs are open each day out of 62, tuts tomb has an extra charge, but worth it to see his mummified body
we took a balloon trip with cattarct travel (turn right outside hotel second tour operator other side of road) £75 for both of us (£135 per couple thomson) a brilliant experience
luxor museum small with some amazing artifacts
karnack temple awsome
the fellahs tent is also a very good experience
be aware if you have mobility probs or breathing probs access to most things can be difficult but achievable so long as you are allowed to pace yourself.
Take bottles of water everywhere as sight seeing places will rip you off with their prices, and wear a hat
taxis....they will rip you off....pay upto 10 egyptian pounds anywhere in luxor, karnack £15 .. if you haggle and they wont drop thier price walk away as there are stacks of people after your money, papyrus pics are very common as there not original get 2 or three prints for one english pound...
buy water from small local shops we used one , left outside hotel first right to the bottom and cross the road little shop on corner,,, paid 13 egyptian for 2 times large bottles water, 4 small bottles and 4 double chocolate wafers instead of 13 egyptian for one big bottle? some of the roads and buildings are somewhat lacking so be careful on your feet
food at hotel was good,,,, japanese was pretty good and enjoyable, italian was good, main restaurant was gd, lots of selection... we also ate at snobs and deans (right out of hotel first left over the road... ok food
everyone expects a tip!!!!! so tip at end of week , locals try all sorts to get some money outta yer
NOW I HAVE PROBABLY MADE IT SEEM LIKE A NOT SO GOOD PLACE, BUT TOO BE HONEST WE REALY ENJOYED THE STAY, STAFF WERE FRIENDLY AND HELPFULL ESPECIALLY MAHMOOD WHO TOOK US OUT SEVERAL TIMES ON THE BOAT, WHEN THE WORK IS COMPLETE THE HOTEL WILL BE EXCELLENT, WE WERE UNLUCKY WITH SOMETHINGS THERE AT THE TIME MANY OF THE GUESTS AV BEEN RETURNING TO THE HOTEL YEAR AFTER YEAR, A GREAT BASE TO GO AND EXPLORE FROM.
GREAT SUN SETS, WARM POOL (NOW THEY HAVE IT TURNED UP) GREAT HOLIDAY MAKERS,

1 reader found this review helpful

I would say it is the best hotel in Luxor, there is only a couple 5 star hotels in Luxor and and i have stayed in both. This is by far the best, i have stayed in this hotel several times and cannot fault it.Situated on the Nile and minutes away from the town centre, The staff are very friendly and helpful. Always greeted with a smile. .An amazing hotel and would definatly say a 5 *plus! On entering the hotel it has an amazing crystal chandellier virtually the length of the reception area! The rooms are spotless,and cleaned twice a day. Well furnished, and the staff are very friendly and very helpful. The food is really nice and has several restaurants, My children are fussy eaters and had no problem there with the food, everything we ate was nice, and beautifully displayed.The pool, and pool area is spotlessly clean and the staff around the pool area are more than helpful.The view from this hotel are amazing, you can see the Valley of the kings clearly, and the sunsets on the Nile are not to be missed! I have stayed at this hotel when in Luxor for over 5 yrs, and will definitely for years to come. Its like home from home.

2 readers found this review helpful

My wife and I stayed in the Sonesta for 7 nights in March. This has to be the best hotel we have ever stayed in and truly deserves its 5* rating. From when you first enter the hotel, it is luxury all the way. The hotel has 6 different restaurants inside, varying from Italian to Japanese and all that we tried were first class. There is also a snack just down from reception, which would leave most established restaurants in the shade. The breakfast alone was a feast to behold, the presentation is something else! The staff were friendly and efficient and all had good english. The pool area is very well laid out and as soon as you appear in the mornings the poolside staff do everything for you, from laying a hotel towel on the sun-lounger of your choice through to moving your sun umbrella for you as the sun moves through the blue sky overhead.
There is a good variety of shops in the hotel where you can buy things like your morning papers & sweets, you can buy your knick-knacks here also and there is even a jewellery shop. The shops in the hotel have fixed prices, except for the jewellery shop where you can haggle, as you do everywhere else in Egypt. Haggling is essential, and expected. In most cases if you pay about 50% of the original asking price, you are doing ok.
At the rear of the hotel, on the Nile, they have their own motor boats and felluca's. You can probably get boat trips cheaper if you want to, but you have the comfort of knowing that you arent going to be ripped off at the end, and the comfort of leaving from and returning to your own hotel.
One thing to watch out for is the price of bottled water. In the local shops, with a bit of haggling you can buy a standard 1.5Ltr bottle for about 2 Egyptian pounds, whereas in the hotel, the same bottle of water is 13 Egyptian pounds.
There are dozens of shops along the road down from the hotel, all of whom will try to tempt you in to buy their goods, take your time and dont be "hassled" by them. If you see something you want, be prepared for haggling. One of the shops is run by the self professed "Famous Harry". Anything you want, if he dosent have it in stock, he will have it for you tomorrow.
Overall, a wonderful hotel, excellent staff and a holiday to remember.

2 readers found this review helpful

Just got back from the Sonesta St George.After 2 weeks.The hotel is out off this world
The staff are fanastic esp the pool staff ie the only female there,she would find us a bucket off iced water and two glass for our bottle water without us asking
Also the pool attemdents towels ready as soon as you get there.It was hot when we were there so i kept in the shade.Before i had time to get up to turn the prinsome there were there doing it for you
Three things agianst the hotel
1 the rec staff i found them a bit off putting
2 the work being done on the hotel a bit noisey at times esp when we where told the work was beem 9am and 9 pm,sorry to say one day the work started at 6am and went on till 11 30 that night.this is the outside,ie concetre, steel bars and guiders going past within 10 ft off our bedroom
The work on the top comes on 24 hrs a day
3 The prices are higher maked up ie bottle water hotel £1 30 across the road at the jewel in nile 30p
To eat out i sugest Maximes
We also found for trips moon travel very very good a ballon ride £25 each,we also booked with them for the valley of the kings etc for £25 each but this was in a taxi plus our own guilde excellent
So shop around and enjoy