Sheraton Luxor Resort

1 reader found this review helpful

Absolutely beautiful hotel. Staff were friendly enough. Pool was always packed so deck chairs were hard to come by.
There was a beautiful view of the Nile from our bedroom window which was a perk.
Restaurants of all types are on the hotel grounds for a choice which was good but if you go a mere 5 minute walk out from the hotel there is an absolutely amazing little English bar and restaurant ( 7 ways 7 days I think it’s called). Well worth going to if you want a taste of home which we did after 3 weeks.
Luxor is a lovely town with so much of Egypt’s history to see. Well worth a visit. But heat is shocking in July which was when we were there - bad time to go.
Hot air balloons, tomb visits and temple visits are all available from the hotel.

Was not refurbished as promised, only a lick of paint. Entertainment very poor. Not clean.
Under-staffed,but the staff they had worked hard for the pennies they receive in wages and were very helpful.
The Sheraton is trading on name alone and I would not recommend it to anyone.

Disappointing hotel with small, cramped rooms, nonexistent balconies and tiny bathrooms.
The loo was in a dark cupboard! Supposed to be the best (top) floor in the hotel so we had paid extra. Wanted to move but bungalows were far worse, dark and gloomy - not very clean looking.
A poor pool area with cramped sunbeds which were quickly reserved. Deep pool so OK for good swimmers but not for the many screaming kids.
Food choice at breakfast was good, but poor value at other meals. Close to several cheap cafes offering "British" food. Very like Spain around this part of the town.
The Nile views and the peaceful gardens with peacocks, pelicans and flamingos were the only good bits!
Once away from the Sheraton hotel there are amazing luxury hotels, breath taking ruined temples and friendly people. Great museums and a fascinating Sound and Light show at Karnak.
Have no idea why people rave about this Luxor backwater, when there were so many better places to stay.

What a shame the previous reviewers went during the renovation. By the time we arrived at the Sheraton, building work had almost finished and the workmen had created a plush reception area, bright and airy restaurant/breakfast room which overlooked the Nile and a swish bar.
We stayed in a bungalow situated on the edge of the hotel complex, which also included souvenir shops, tennis courts, two swimming pools (only one currently in use), and three restaurants. There was also a relaxing outdoor pool-side restaurant which served fantastic food during the day.
Apart a bit of confusion in finding our bungalow room when we first arrived -we didn't get any directions from the receptionist, who failed to mention our room wasn't part of the main hotel- and a little bit of building work to create a new pool area (which didn't affect our comfort whatsoever) the place really was the perfect base for exploring Egypt.
The room was comfortable, clean and had air conditioning. The staff were brilliant - incredibly friendly, helpful and attentive without being too interfering. The breakfast was so tasty.
As mentioned before the restaurant enjoys stunning views of the Nile and the range of food was excellent - continental-style croissants, cheeses, breads and cakes were on offer in the buffet plus lots of tasty fruits, a fry-up and delicious pancakes. The best I've had in a hotel without a doubt.
At night the breakfast room transforms into the Karnak restaurant serving a buffet which was okay, although nothing special. However, the Indian restaurant was very good and the Italian restaurant served decent food - although situated outside in a marquee-style structure it got a bit cold in the 10c evening temperatures of Egypt in December.
Egypt is a beautiful country and despite the hassle tourists get on the streets of Luxor -from shop owners, people attempting to lure tourists into taxis and pony and trap rides - it is well worth finding restaurants in the town to dine in. The Sheraton is a 10 or 15 minute walk from Luxor Temple and the Mummification Museum for those wanting to do some local sight seeing.
However, it is also close to other hotels such as the Old Winter Palace which is well worth checking out if only to enjoy the grand colonial architecture and environment.
Besides, the hassle in the streets while very annoying the first time you venture out is just a facade and once you acclimatise to it, you quickly realise it is all part of the vibrant atmosphere of Egypt which complements its rich, fascinating history.
Finally, I should probably alert anyone about to embark on a stay at the Sheraton about the bar entertainment. On Monday and Sunday evenings there is an Egyptian belly dancer who is pretty good. However, there are also - on every single day of the week - two very loud singers who are great if you like a bit of Celine Dione being sung to the backing track of a tinny keyboard.
But if that's not to your taste, you might find it a bit painful. There's nothing wrong with a bit of live music - just not when it ruins any chance you had of holding a conversation and is totally uncomplimentary to the beautiful scenery on the Nile.
A shame, really, because it's a nice bar. Still, it by no means ruined a great holiday and excellent accommodation.

1 reader found this review helpful

I booked the Sheraton Hotel (5*) aprox 4 weeks before going to Egypt through The Holiday Place, I had seen the hotel advertised on Thomas Cook TV and the internet, we booked a five star as we wanted to experience a bit of luxury, after booking the holiday I was telephoned back to ask if I was aware that there was refurbishment going on at the hotel, I said no, I had not been informed at the time of booking.
I was told that the work had started in May and was due to finish in Oct 06, and that the reception and main restaurant area were being refurbished, I was told that the noise would be minimal and that we would not see any of this going on as it would be cornered off and covered up. I decided that as we had booked this holiday to visit the sights of Luxor that this should not be a problem, however nothing could have prepared me for the building site we booked into.
We arrive at approx 5.30p.m and it was dark, we were shown to a makeshift reception which was appalling, we then had to pay £65 to upgrade our room to the top floor to be away from the dust and the noise. The next day we went for breakfast, coming out of the lifts we were faced with a building site, workmen everywhere, scaffolding erected and cables running across the floor where you had to walk through to get to the breakfast area, the swimming pool or the bar outside, there was dust everywhere and the glass was being erected into the doors and wall areas.
The drilling and banging started at 7.00a.m and went on until approx midnight, you could not sit by the pool, bar or restaurants area without listening to all the noise, many people left the hotel or refused to stay there while we were there, and although we asked reception we were told that all the other hotels were full, and there were never any holiday reps around to consult or complain to either. Three times we ate at the Italian restaurant at the front of the hotel, but again could not enjoy our meal due to the noise of the building work draining out the background music. (And as we were only recommended to eat in the hotel you did not have much choice)
For a five star hotel I though it was disgraceful, there was not area to sit inside or get a drink out of the sun, there were dust sheets everywhere to try and protect the carpet from the mess, and constant noise. This hotel should certainly not have been accepting guests during this time and there were definitely healf and safety issues around the work and the fact that you had to walk through it all to get anywhere, the hotel should have been closed until the work had been completed. What annoyed us more was that at the bar one nigh we found out that they were charging guests for the entertainment (a signer who was there every night) on top of their drinks bills (the drinks were expensive enough anyway and I thought this was disgusting for a five star hotel as this should have been included).
I was very disappointed in the hotel, in my opinion I paid five star hotel money for a building site, and would certainly not recommend anyone go there until all the work has been completed.

Whole of the ground floor is under renovation at present and virtually out of action. The pool area and furniture are very shoddy and in need of urgent replacement.
The outside pools which housed exotic birds have been drained and there are large pipes exposed.
The entertainment was very poor and the only redeeming factor was the Ramadan Tent which had excellent entertainment every evening. Before staying here check on the status of the renovation work.

Egypt is a fascinating country. Luxor is amazing. The people are especially accommodating and friendly; they hassle the tourists but they accept a simple no thanks gracefully. ("la shukran" in Egyptian) This is expected as at the end of the day it is a third world country and they view the western world as wealthy; which we are in contrast to the average Egyptian who earns £20 a month! I would personally like to recommend a young Calleche driver (horse and carriage) named Mustafa (carriage 184) he showed us the whole city and even took us to a couple of Muslim weddings; where we were warmly accepted. He really cared about us and he was entertaining!
The Sheraton in Luxor at the moment is under refurbishment (until October 2006) and will undoubtedly be one of the finest 5* hotels in the area. Its setting is idyllic and very peaceful. But at the moment it is more like a 3*. It is dusty and the most part of the bottom floor is out of use. It is summer time and it is not peak season because it is so hot (around 40 degrees.) so they are getting the work done. The temperature was fine, quite nice to be honest. We went around the sites in the morning and the evening and chilled by the pool during the heat of the day under the plentiful loungers and umbrellas. The staff were amazing, very trust worthy, friendly and helpful. The entertainment was really bad. The food was ok not of 5* quality and very monotonous, but edible. The rooms were not great, a Nile view is important and they project that in a years time they will be improved, but they were clean. The hotel was good value for money and well run nevertheless.
After a week we decided to change hotels because of the renovation work. We moved to the Sonesta nearby; with an upgrade cost of £160 for 3 of us. This hotel was fantastic! The food was superb, the hotel was luxurious, the staff were brilliant, the setting was lovely etc. I can not possibly think of anything negative!!
Luxor is an amazing place. All the sites are amazing especially the west bank and Karnack temple. One thing I would recommend is that you don’t use tour operators from within the hotel to go on excursions as they are unnecessarily expensive; simply go and speak to the local people and they offer a much fairer price and all the profit goes to the local people not the hotels. Enjoy Egypt.

Oh dear. What a let down!
The place looked great in the brochure, but the photographer was very clever.
The pool is TINY and we had to queue up for sunloungers even though the hotel was half empty (August is supposed to be a quiet time). It was just like a 3 star Spanish B+B as we had to step over sunbeds to get near the water and people tried to reserve beds.
The rooms are the smallest I have ever seen in a 4* hotel and they were using creamy/white sheets as bedcovers which was a nightmare after getting dusty on the West Bank. I have had a bigger room in New York!
We paid extra (in the UK) for a Nile view but could not enjoy the amazing sight because the "balcony" had no chairs and was too small to sit on! BE WARNED - top floor balconies are just window boxes.
We lost the best part of an afternoon waiting for the hotel to find us a room. Thomson say 'small balcony' when they mean window box.
The bright spots were the Pelican Restaurant and the cheerful dining room staff.
Sadly, the hotel is a hot taxi ride from the historical sites and the bazaars, which does mean you'll have to allow extra money for cab fares: this does add up if you go sight-seeing in the morning and for a drink at another hotel at night.
The holiday was so disappointing compared to the delights of 6 previous holidays in hotels like the New Winter Palace and the Mercure Coralia (Etap).

Our hotel the Sheraton was fab!! This was a 4 star but was almost a 5 in my view over looking the Nile.
Location wise we were 5 - 10 min walk form the temple of Karnack & Luxor temple which were both in my opinion were the 2 best temples to visit, We took many other excursions but be prepared for very long days we went to Cairo to see the Pyramids we were picked up at 5am and didn’t return till 11.30pm!!!
It is safe to leave the hotel but be prepared to be hassled.. Lots of gold to buy but do shop around first. We went in December the weather was pleasant but not boiling it does get colder at night so take a jacket.. Overall great hotel, with lots to see.

Nice enough, but a bit over the top on service. There were men to open the toilet door, men to hand you the soap, men in a band at the hotel who struck up when you left or returned to the hotel. Combined with a weeks cruise on the Nile, this was an excellent holiday, and good value.
The excursions to Cairo and Abu Simbel were expensive but enjoyable. Food generally pretty good and lots of it, but when eating out its best to check to be sure exactly what’s being served to avoid sheep’s brains and the like.