Palatial Paradise and other Luxor, Egypt Hotel/Accommodation Reviews

What a joy it was to stay at Al Moudira Hotel. It is an oasis of calm and beauty at the edge of the desert on the West Bank of the Nile, and is highly reminiscent of the riads of Marrakech. The hotel was built in 2001 by a talented, elegant and multi-lingual Egyptian lady whose dream had always been to construct a luxury boutique hotel. Al Moudira consists of several domed structures, built in a traditional desert palace style. Each structure has a central courtyard surrounded by artistically decorated rooms or suites. The grounds have been beautifully landscaped and contain a large swimming pool. The hotel has a spa and an excellent restaurant that serves three meals a day. While the only drawback is its distance from downtown Luxor (takes about 30-40 minutes, including a ferry ride), the hotel is so pleasant that you would not want to leave it. I would return to Luxor only to stay at Hotel Al Moudira, which could easily be voted as the best hotel in the whole of Egypt.

The hotel website says it all...


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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$180 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: +20 123 251 307
Address: Al Moudira Hotel - West Bank, Luxor
Website: www.almoudira.com
Other Contact: contact@moudira.com

The legendary Winter Palace Hotel was built in 1886 shortly after the British occupation of Egypt. The colonial-style hotel intended to capitalise on Egyptomania by attracting wealthy European tourists of the time. It was 'the' place to stay and its long list of famous guests included Agatha Christie herself (more recently while I was in Luxor, the notorious couple, Président Sarkozy & Mademoiselle Carla Bruni stayed at this hotel!). The construction of the Winter Palace, along with Cataract Hotel in Aswan helped to pave the way for modern tourism in the following century. With the influx of tourists into this area, the small village of Luxor grew around the new tourist industry. Today, the Winter Palace continues to function as a luxury hotel, run by the Sofitel chain.

Unique Qualities: I did not stay at the Winter Palace nor was I able to visit it due to time constraints. However, I managed to take these distant photos while crossing the Nile. I've included this tip mainly for historical value. However, this hotel is a possible option for a luxury trip to Luxor, though if I were return, I would only stay at Winter Palace if al-Moudira Hotel was fully booked.

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Theme: Hotel
Comparison: most expensive
Prices: US$180 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: (+20) 952 380 422
Address: Corniche el Nile street
Website: www.sofitel.com/sofitel/fichehotel/gb/sof/1661/fiche_hotel.shtml