Reviews of Nile Palace Steigenberger Hotel, Luxor, Egypt

What a disappointment

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2008

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Leila

Comments:

I was left feeling very disappointed with all aspects of this hotel, particularly the way I was treated by the staff who were both miserable and rude. As a young woman, with respect for all cultures and beliefs, I myself felt as if I was being judged and frowned upon and was made to feel like an idiot when I asked the hotel staff for help and when making general enquiries. My advice to anyone staying at the Steinenberger or any hotel within the centre of Luxor is that you do your own independent research before embarking on your travels here.

The food unfortunately was not good... there were no 'healthy' options at all, and in the hot climates of 30 degs plus the last thing I wanted was yet another toasted sandwich/burger..smothered with melted cheese with a side helping of greasy chips...but that was all that seemed to be on offer..and at ridiculously high prices...the resturants at the hotel were all too expensive and the food in all..was frankly disgusting. Another thing something to watch out for.. is being overcharged both for food and drink..I was often overcharged for the odd beverage that I ordered..but when I queried this..it conveniently seemed like the staff did not understand a word I said.

The entertainment, not that I wanted it..was a joke and an embarrassment..if you want strobe lighting and dancing gorillas then the Steinenberger's the place to be.

Essentially, nothing is free, even simple use of the hotel's amenities were unfairly overpriced.

The hotel itself was clean and comfortable..but I'm afraid that's the only positive thing I can say.

I will not be going back to this hotel.

Utterly disappointed

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2008

Tour Operator:

travelrepublic

Submitted By:

ditc1980

Comments:

Let me start with the good: Weather = Faultless (although this bares no reflection on the hotel).

I'm afraid that's it - other than the odd member of staff being helpful whom were the cleaners. All other staff above were utterly rude, unhelpful and discourteous.

The Food was the worst I have experienced on any holiday - thankfully we didn't fall ill but the bland, plastic, tastless stuff they serve and overcharge for was often inedible. I'm sure there is fresh local produce in Luxor but it's certainly not served to the tourists. Steigenberger restaurants, and evey eatery we visited in Luxor seemed to think that tourists just want steak, omelette, chips and breaded chicken, all covered in processed cheese. The only meal I enjoyed was a traditional Egyptian tajine at the Old Winter Palace which was fresh and tasty, surprisingly the prices in the Old Winter Palace (most expensive hotel in egypt!) were cheaper than the Steigenberger. How could this be??? Drinks in the Steigenberger would be charged differently from day to day which was confusing. I couldn't see why the price would change from one day to another leaving me feeling constantly ripped off. It's just such a shame the egyptians think tourists want the same bland stuff all the time. Food is important to me on holiday and if it is for you avoid at all costs!!!

The pool was utterly disgusting, this may be because we visited in Nov which is late in the season resulting in a dirtier pool than at the beginning of the holiday season. The water was full of bits of bits of dead skin and all kinds of unpleasentries. After dangling my feet in the pool I realised I certainly wasn't going to put my head under no matter how much chlorine is put in. I wonder if this pool has ever been drained and cleaned properly. At night the lights showed just how murky the water was.

The staff were constantly rude to my girlfriend and I. we are 29 and felt we were treated very differently to those of a higher age. It seems if you're a young unmarried couple who enjoy a glass of wine with your meal you will not be made welcome here but they're more than happy to take your money - double standards.

We were supposed to be in a nile view room but were told they 'overbooked' and 'upgraded' us to a Junior suite city view room. "A present from me to you" the member of staff said. This isn't exactly an upgrade as they're the same price. However, as the room was at the top of the building the street noise wasn't a particular bother and I just couldn't do with an argument at the beginning of my holiday. The room was spacious and cleaned everyday without fail. The balcony was unusable as it was filthy, probably because of being city side.

All in all I was utterly disappointed with the way we were treated and will certainly not be going back. The best tip I can give is to save up to stay in the Old Winter Palace. When I pay good money to go on holiday I expect to be treated courteously atleast, I expect the pool to be useable and the food to be edible. Not a lot to ask for really.

I have just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2008

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Mr A Craig

Comments:

I have just returned from a wonderful two week stay in this hotel with my girlfriend. I can honestly say it is one of the best hotels that we have ever had the privilege to stay in. It was our first visit to Luxor and we were definitely not disappointed. I have included a few tips that helped us have the best holiday below, I hope they help.



MR FISH.. (AKA Sayed, Hamdy etc..)



Mr Fish is a local taxi driver who is located to the immediate right to the hotel. We had been given his details from a review on this site, we were definitely not disappointed and he helped make our holiday. He helped us arrange our trips at more than 50% off the Thomson prices. We ended up saving a fortune. He also helped us avoid the major problem of hassling outside the hotel, as soon as you told them you were with ‘MR FISH’ they would leave you alone and then never bother you for the rest of the holiday. I would definitely recommend Sayed and his brothers, they are a great bunch of guys and extremely friendly. If you need there number or email address before arriving, then drop me an email.



Hotel Prices:



The hotel's food prices are similar to back home and expensive for the region. However, there prices for drinks are extremly overpriced and you can get the drinks up to 50% cheaper outside the hotel. i.e Vodka and diet coke 70le (£7) in the hotel and only 30le (£3) outside. Beer was 28le (£2.80), you could get it for £1 at murphys bar or the kings head.



Top tip:

During the day inside the hotel buying drinks can eat away at your spending money. There is a small shop to the right hand side when you leave the hotel, (not the right when you enter) here you can get 2 litres of water and 4 cans of drinks for £2.. so a big difference to paying £10 inside the hotel for the same.



Excursions:

Thompsons and other travel agents tend to over charge for their excursions. However, they all use the exact same local travel agents TRAVCO.. if you speak to Mr Fish he can arrange to book the exact same trip for over 50% less.. i.e popular ballon ride.. Thompsons cost £95 per person.. Mr Fish got the same trip for the 2 of us for £90.. same company, the reason we new this is we went on the trip with a couple from our hotel, who booked through thomsons.



TOP TIP:



when going on a guided tour, when visiting papryus and alabastar factories, you will pay 50% more, due to the guide getting 50% commission on whatever you purchase. However, if you go back with Mr Fish the prices will come down by 50%.. so again a big saving.



Hassle:



The hassle begins as soon as you step out of the hotel and even after reading all the reviews, i wasn't prepared!! The first day, we got only two mins from the hotel and turned around!! However, after we met up with Mr Fish he was on hand to help us avoid it. Then from then on.. we just mentioned our friend name and we avoided most of it outside the hotel. Then if you are on any tours etc with Mr Fish he will help you avoid there as well.



Top tip:

Speak to Mr Fish

Fabulous hotel, very elegant and...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

May 2008

Tour Operator:

CosmosArchers

Submitted By:

Mrs D Wrigglesworth

Comments:

Fabulous hotel, very elegant and tasteful, lovely staff. The view from our room was fantastic, over to the Valley of the kings. We were booked into the Sonesta St.George but the day we left Archers, our holiday company, wrote to say they had movd us out because of building work. We are very glad they did, the Sonesta was a bit too Las Vegas for us. Try and get a room with a Nile view if you can, even the Side Nile View rooms are great. We will definitely go again.

lovely fantastic hotel staff...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Apr 2007

Tour Operator:

Libra Holidayspanorama holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs L V EGERTON

Comments:

lovely fantastic hotel staff friendly upgraded to nile view in 2006 large balcony 2007 had a courtyard room did miss the view of the nile. will be returning in march this year.and hoping the standards are still the same. my family are going for the first time. i am hoping we will get lovely rooms. look forward to having breakfast outside having such a lovely view of the nile. food is good in the restaurants

This is a lovely hotel on the...

Overall Rating:

7/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

Libra Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs J Turner

Comments:

This is a lovely hotel on the banks of the Nile - clean and comfortable. The staff are courteous and friendly.



However I have only rated it 7 out of 10 because when I was there between 22nd and 29th October 2007 there were up to 5 Nile cruisers only yards from the swimming pool area which were being refurbished.



We were subjected to diesel fumes day and night not to mention welding and the smell of glue. Our room directly overlooked these boats and blocked our view of the west bank of the Nile. We were unable to sit on our balcony for the noise and fumes. We had paid a supplement for the room overlooking the Nile.



The staff were apologetic but unable to do anything about it as were our tour representatives.



I would recommend anyone wanting to stay at this hotel first check whether anything has been done to correct the problem.

The hotel I cannot fault at all,...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Mar 2007

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Miss M Heaton

Comments:

The hotel I cannot fault at all, brilliant service and lovely food and drinks. The Italian place - brilliant. The rooms were amazing, lovely furniture and good sheets. Air con was good but it got cold too quickly so couldn’t be used for more than 10 minutes.



The entertainment was ridiculous! Dancers doing the same routine in the same order every single night then would play some English songs. Mostly rubbish like Boyzone "when the going gets tough" etc.



The people in the lobby couldn’t do enough for you and memorised your room number.



You get searched going in through and there were bombs in another city during my stay.



Breakfast was great having outside in already baking hot sun was lovely. The pool is freezing though so be prepared.



The hassle was the only factor... being 18 and blonde haired and blue eyed I attracted lots of unwanted attention. For example the waiter at Club Tropicana kept touching me and pinged my swimming costume, so watch out!



Also as soon as you leave you don’t even get off the step before you get hassled.

People walking behind you all the time talking to you. People trying to get you into shops, if you decline they take offence which can be quite scary considering it was just me and my 65 year old grandma.



Don’t go to any government shops... total rip off and nothing is priced you have to ask and they wont tell you until you have have decided everything you will buy and then charge a ridiculous amount. About 800 Egyptian pounds for some King Tut head (that’s like 80 quid).



Tried the McDonalds just for laughs but wasn’t nice at all, plus waiting outside for the taxi I had a young boy keep talking to me and blowing kisses I couldn’t understand what he was saying but and old man threw water at him and the boy left.



Taxis are very cheap but always ask how much before you get in.



Karnack temple was nice but it was far too hot to walk around I had to sit under a tomb to get shade. Not much to see there either it’s just the ruins and a few sphinxes.

We arrived back 12/09/07. This...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mrs S Gibbons

Comments:

We arrived back 12/09/07. This hotel ticks all the right boxes, FANTASTIC!!



I was very wary about going to Egypt but we are now planning to go to Sharm next year and then in 2009 we are going to go back to Luxor to the same hotel Nile Palace.



There is not a wrong word to be said about this place. We made some very good Egyptian friends over at The Kings Head, who we are keeping in touch with, and this is why we are to go back in 2009.



We flew to Cairo a long day but not to be missed, had an early start on a hot air balloon, once you get over the fear factor it is out of this world!



We have also left enough sightseeing to do on our next trip. I would advise not to go in the hotter months (I can usually cope with a hot climate but 47 is abit extreme even for myself) we are planning Oct for 2009.



Hassle is a big big issue, not so much outside the hotel area as they get used to you, but when we went into the main area of Luxor you do get A LOT. So be aware.



Over all I highly recommend Luxor and The Nile Palace. Enjoy!

Fantastic! We booked B&B at the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Ms  Sidney

Comments:

Fantastic! We booked B&B at the Nile Palace and we can’t fault it.



It had excellent air con, a must as the temp was between 40 and 52 degrees every day.



There is a safety deposit box in the room for your valuables, there were two double beds, big airy rooms, and balcony with table and chairs, shower worked well, room was spotless and cleaned every day.



Breakfast was buffet style and had fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereal, breads, toast, hot meats, cold meats, cheeses, omelettes and eggs cooked to order, unlimited tea and coffee, fruit juice, etc, excellent stuff.



The staff were so polite and friendly, nothing was too much trouble, the pool was brilliant, loads of sunbeds (padded!) and clean towels given to you daily. Loads of umbrellas and the pool side bar did a service where they brought everything to you.



The pool was really warm. The food in the poolside bar was lovely, and same prices you would pay back here.



There were three restaurants in the hotel and we ate in all of them, the manager of the Lebanese one was really nice.



The wine in the hotel was expensive, with the cheapest bottle being £14 and the spirit measures were tiny!



It is much cheaper to eat out at restaurants along the strip. There were some great places, John and Johns, Maximes and Snobs were good. The waiter in Snobs was entertaining doing magic tricks whilst we waited.



The price of a meal for two is between £8 and £16 depending on what you have. Steak for example was about £4. Wine outside the hotel is about £7.The food was lovely.

What the tour reps don’t prepare you for is the in your face hassle when you leave the hotel.



The local Egyptians drive horses and carriages (Egyptian Ferraris) and there are taxis too. We used the horse and carriage and your driver will take you to the Egyptian Market, be aware though that he will meet his friends along the way who will try to sell you things (boat trips, souvenirs) Be firm but polite and they are ok with that.



Despite the locals hassling you and following you down the street (even the kids do it) No-one actually touched us to try and sell anything. There are lots of police around but they seem to eye up the European girls as much as the locals do. If you are blonde haired and blue eyed look out! Be careful when you purchase stuff as you could end up paying a lot of money for absolute tat.



Tipping, we tipped about 20 Egyptian pounds £2 of our money which is nothing to us but a lot to them. We left the tip on the bed for the cleaner and tip the pool boy on your first day you will get good sunbeds all week.



Don’t tip the mini bar man, we made the mistake of tipping him on the first night as he was hanging around so obviously waiting for a tip, the next night we turned him away at the door and he came back an hour later to try again. The third day we put the do not disturb sign on the door and the cheeky so and so phoned our room to see if he could come up. So I complained and we didn’t see him again.



There was an air conditioned gym for those of you that wish to use it, and go up to the roof to check out the view.



We went to Luxor Museum, I enjoyed it but my other half wasn’t so enamoured, I find it fascinating but admittedly it wasn’t the best museum I've been too. We also went to Crocodile Island and Banana Island on a trip up the Nile which was lovely on the sunset.

For those of you that smoke, local fags are about 50p a packet and Marlboro lights were £8 for 200. Lambert and Butler were £17 a packet so they were cheaper at Gatwick.



On the way out of Egypt at Luxor B&H were £11 for 200 but they didn’t do Lambert and Butler or Super kings.



The only downside was the entertainment, there was nothing for kids, and the hotel laid on the same entertainment every evening which consisted of a troupe of dancers who didn’t appear very enthusiastic about their job.



There were lots of trips laid on by the tour operators but it was cheaper to go across the road as there was a tour operator there. It costs about £5 to get an air conditioned car (taxi) from the hotel to the airport.



I would def recommend the Nile Palace and Luxor to others, it was a beautiful place.



If you do go you will have a fabulous time.

I really enjoyed my holiday at...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss V Skidmore

Comments:

I really enjoyed my holiday at the Nile Palace and was far better than I expected. I would certainly recommend this to anyone and everyone!



The staff there were fantastic and was so polite and for me made the holiday what it was, brilliant.



I cannot praise the hotel enough.



The hotel is situated close to everything I wanted to see, it was very clean and tidy and I can’t wait to go back.

This was the first time I have...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Mr M  Percy

Comments:

This was the first time I have been to Egypt and I had not had any recommendations from anyone. I travelled with my Dad and his friend.



The Nile Palace is an excellent hotel and I would recommend it to anyone. The staff are great and the facilities are brilliant. The hotel itself looks amazing.



The location was great too, not being far from Luxor and Karnak temples and the Luxor museum and the Valley of the King only a 15 minute drive away.

This was my second visit to...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Half Board

Date of Holiday:

May 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Ms M Clayson

Comments:

This was my second visit to sunny Egypt. First time I stayed in Sharm and had a great time, but this really is a beach holiday.



After many recommendations I decided to brave a trip to Luxor. I travelled with my friend, two youngish girls together and not once did I feel out of my depth. I won’t deny, you do get hassled for everything to visiting shops and restaurants to hiring taxis and horse and carts, but you do get used to it!!



The hotel and its facilities were fantastic along with the staff, especially Mohammed the waiter, and Ashraf the pool attendant.



The hotel is in a central location, an opposite two British named pubs for those who prefer home from home,(the kings head and the red lion).



We managed to do many trips off our own accord, we haggled a price with the local taxi drivers and just paid an entry fee to the attractions, Luxor museum with its mummies and Karnak temple by night are well worth a visit. And with the temperature a

glorious 43degrees every day, what more can I say.



I even managed to avoid upset stomach syndrome by not having ice in drinks and minimising the salad with meals, believe me I've never eaten so much, there is a lot of choice from Italian, Lebanese, Egyptian to good ole burger and chips.



I am planning a trip back later in the year. Hope you all enjoy it too!

This hotel has to be in my eyes...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

May 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomas Cook

Submitted By:

Mr S Blaine

Comments:

This hotel has to be in my eyes one of the best, cleanest and friendliest hotel I have ever stayed in.



With a range of different little shops selling near enough everything you could possibly need for your holiday. There are plenty of different types of food to choose from, which is not ever priced and is of a very high standard.



This hotel also offers a variety of entertainment all within the premises and there is a nice size pool area surrounded by a bar and small outdoor restaurant.



The rooms are well sized very clean and all with air conditioning, I managed to get upgraded last year which basically gave me a Nile view room which was spectacular to see when the sun came up first thing in the morning.



The only bad moment I noticed was when another couple that we met in Gatwick airport, and then went on to spend the whole holiday with, had a large wooden parasol fall onto her leg.



The hotel staff were so helpful and could not do more to help during this unforeseen circumstance.



Overall I still recommend and rate this hotel very high and this is why I, my partner and the same couple that we had met the previous year have booked to go again in may 2007.



I hope this has been a great insight to what to expect with this fabulous hotel in a fantastically friendly and beautiful part of Egypt.

Le Meridien Luxor is one of the...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Nov 2006

Tour Operator:

Airtours

Submitted By:

Miss K Bredski

Comments:

Le Meridien Luxor is one of the most brilliant hotels I have ever stayed in. The service was excellent even when we were a touch demanding (on the first few mornings there were works going on out with the hotel which were quite noisy very early in the morning and we were moved to a different room as soon as we mentioned this, as well as being given the option to move again if we had wanted) Both rooms we stayed in were gorgeous and well proportioned with lots of room in built in wardrobes for our cases.



Room service was also very good, lots of soups and snacks and meals if desired and they were all sent up very very fast with a nice man coming to collect shortly after. (He got quite a lot of baksheesh during our stay)



The food in the hotel was incredible with a choice from several different restaurants, only downside was the food was a touch on the expensive side, as was all alcohol! I highly recommend popping your head into the Ritz restaurant which is practically next door (when leaving turn right from the hotel past the Chinese restaurant and right again into the next alley where the Ritz is on the Left slightly disguised by trees)



The Ritz, unlike its namesake, is possibly the cheapest yet best place I have ever eaten. There was a great selection of food and soups were no more than 50p with lots of lovely homemade warm bread and main meals were never more than £3. It took me and my partner until the last night of our two week holiday to spend more than £10 on one meal and that was because we had lots of wine.



A lot of guests sunbathe by the pool but don’t forget to try the roof as there is unblocked sun all day and most guests didn't seem to have noticed it, possibly because we were supposed to pay but we never did and no one said otherwise!?!



Only downside to whole hotel was entertainment program, basically there wasn't one, the same show was replayed every night with cheesy UK music, celine dion, eagles, jenifer rush on repeat. But we learnt to eat out while the show was on.



As long as you have the guts to say no, Luxor is one of the best destinations in the world, tell yourself before you go that you don’t want a ride on a felluca or on one of the horse carriages which are smelly and the horses are treated badly and you will have the holiday of a lifetime.



ps. Menfadlek Emshi means please go away in Arabic, a little bit of politeness and their language does tend to get them to leave you be.

Staying at this hotel was quite...

Overall Rating:

9/10

Board Basis:

Bed & Breakfast

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2006

Tour Operator:

Thomson

Submitted By:

Miss C Place

Comments:

Staying at this hotel was quite pleasant. However I was ill during my stay however I am still not sure weather this was from the food in Cairo. The local restaurants are very good, there are MacDonald’s and pizza hut just down the road.



There is also a nice one down a backstreet that I can't remember the name of. Most of the staff were very kind and helpful, however there is one member that was scary and seemed very unpleasant.



The rooms are large and airy, with lots of night time entertainment. There is a boat port form the hotel which is on the banks of the nile, that is very useful.