I have just returned from 14 nights at the Sofitel Karnak... chosen specifically as a result of the excellent reviews it received on this site.
I have to admit though that I found it slightly disappointing - I have stayed at several hotels in Luxor and Sharm el Sheikh over the last few years and hand on heart I wouldnt rate the Sofitel as a 5 star by any stretch of the imagination. It would say that at a push I would rate it 4 stars but it was more like a good 3 star place.
The hotel itself is on the far outskirts of Luxor, reached by a track that doubled as a building site whilst I was there. The hotel provide a boat into Luxor three times a day and a mini bus service 9 times a day. If you want to go to Luxor outside these times a taxi costs 15 LE.
The rooms are nicely furnished, albeit small, and have a TV and mini bar. Room and Laundry service are available.
The hotel has an excellent Kids club called the Baboo Club and this is the best part of the hotel service. If you have children then this is definitely a good choice for you. The club runs 9.30 to 12.15 and then 14.00 to 15.00. They do lots of interesting things like take the children on boat trips across the Nile, fishing on the Nile, Treasure hunts etc. On an evening there is a Childrens disco for 20 minutes at 21.00.
The worst thing about this hotel was the service. Every morning when I got down to breakfast there wasnt a cleared table to be found... just the remains of everyone elses breakfast... and this was at 7 or 7.30 am. I had to search out clean cups, cutlery etc myself and then struggled to catch the attention of staff to get coffee. Not what I expect of a supposed 5 star hotel.
The grounds are very spacious with plenty of sun loungers but again the service is poor. Therer were always the remains of yesterdays drinks lying around... water bottles on the grass and empty glasses. No one seemed to clear up before the next day began.
Small quibbles but I found it really annoying and spoiled what could have been a good hotel.
Unique Qualities: Spacious Pool area and grounds
Childrens Facilities
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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$180 and up
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Address: El Zinia Gebly Street, , LUXOR 0
Directions: Outskirts of Luxor
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on May 6, 2006
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