More about Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor
An Oasis in the Middle of Chaos!
by matt10gonzalez about Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor
If there's two hotels you should not miss around the world, let it be the Winter Palace in Luxor and the Old Cataract in Aswan!
The Winter Palace in Luxor- it's a 1930 setting hotel and it sure feels like it! It has a romantic setting: It overlooks the pretty, brown Nile river (Don't swim here, it's polluted!) and the desert mounds looking, the Valley of the Kings and Queens. And jut strolling around the lobby of the Winter Palace (Not the new, dull (but nice) modern quarters) gives you the feel like you're in the Orient Express- everything seems Victorian, like Egypt in the 1900's. (Well, it was the first hotel in Luxor.)
And if you get a chance to enter the Royal Suite (Where Agatha Christie stayed), wow! What a suite! Just look at all the orange lights, the fabulous living room, the Queen-princess like beds, the grand balcony with a top-end view, the giant closet room, (If you bring a thousand shoes when you travel, this is the place!) and alas! The bathrooms aren't claustrophobic! (It's big bathrooms!) In short, just imagine the Orient Express setting or like you're living in a museum.
But no, you don't have to stay here! Just hang-out around, explore this wonder and have a cafe and relax! Best part about this, is that it's a hassle free place! Truly a place to relax in hassling Luxor!
And for those interested in staying, the Royal Suite (Which I raved about here) is $1200 A NIGHT. (May 2005) The rest of the rooms here are pretty small and are not worth it for the price charged (May 2005) $250. But they also have a new wing that costs $88-$120 (I find the standard rooms better than the old, classy wing) which is okay for the superb location and a 5-star. For us to eat lunch here everyday, it must be outstanding!
The food is great, the atmosphere is fantastic, the pool- well, I don't know. I never swim in hotels. Oh yeah! And the location is great- it's walking distance (About 10-15 minutes if you walk slow and chat and chat) to the Luxor Temple and Mc. Donalds (If you can't afford eating here.)
TIP: What makes it also more expensive to stay here, is that getting a taxi from here will be more costly than getting it elsewhere (unless you bargain hard or speak Arabic!) as most taxi drivers and touts believe you're rich if you just come out from the Winter Palace.
But don't feel so bad if you got overcharged! (As long as you're safe, that's the most important thing! And these people gotta earn too you know? They also have families and kids too! Yes, they may be persistent but they need the dollars/euros more than a traveling tourist/adventurer!)
Sofitel Winter Palace
by Aragina about Sofitel Winter Palace
140.00 GBP superior deluxe hotel in a Victorian building was built in 1886 and renovated in 1994. Hotel facilities include a large, heated outdoor pool and exquisite gardens. This hotel is ideally situated for visitors to the area and has a warm and welcoming atmosphere that emphasises friendly and hospitable. It is situated 5 miles away from the Valley Of Kings.
Past guests include King Farouk, French President George Clemenceau, Jane Fonda, as well as many crown prices and princesses from European and Oriental Royal families.
Luxor's Finest
by archaeologist about The New and Old Winter Palace
My stay in Egypt and particularly Luxor was completed by the service, amenities and hotel personnel at the New Winter Palace in Luxor. Being alongside the "Old Winter Palace" it was like styaing in both. Rooms were clean, pleasant with extraordinary views of the Nile, Luxor Temple, tree lined horse-drawn carriage streets. A walk next door and to the back led out to beautiful gardens. Of special notice was the staff who were very cordial, friendly and more than willing to see to my every need. The breakfast buffet, lounge and food in general were excellent, including the tea room at the Old Winter Palace with its stately furnishings.
I would rate this hotel a 10 especially for its location right across from the Nile viewing the Valley of the Kings. I visited others while there and was glad I made this choice!
The friendliest stay in Luxor!
by dutchboycalledjan about Senmut Bed and Breakfast
We've stayed for four days in this lovely B&B called Senmut on the West Bank of Luxor: the valley of the kings is in the backyard. We were treated like family and felt at home: the room was large and clean with a large shower and toilet. The breakfast was fine and other meals could be catered for. We were supported in travelling around and pointed at sites. English ad Dutch spoken. The views from the roof: looking over Luxor temple and the old Winter Palace. Sayed and his family do everything to accommodate the stay. This part of Luxor is still rural - including unpaved roads - and relaxed.
It's a Breakfast Thing..!
by NinaRira about Old Winter Palace
If you want to know what was so wonderful about this hotel, you would have to order room service breakfast. We enjoyed a silver service treat at the start of every day and ate it on the biggest private balconies we came across in Egypt. With fresh bread of every kind, cooked eggs, hummus, fresh fruit salads, devine pastries and plenty of turkish coffee, we could have stayed here eating all day. The hotel itself is truely beautiful, with long hushed corridors, paintings and antiques everywhere and staff who go out of their way to take care of you. The rooms are very big with carefully restored features and if you're lucky you can get a room with a view that looks across the gardens. If you want more good food in the evening, the hotel has the well known '1886' restaurant, where you can enjoy your meal in candlelit style. There is a large swimming pool area that is shared with the horrible looking New Winter Palace hotel next door and here they also have Egyptian themed evenings if you are interested (not recommended). When you eventually head for bed at night, you will find it beautifully turned down and scattered with little chocolates and hibiscus petals. Sweet dreams..
Nice hotel conenient to sites
by TripAdvisor Member bwphd
We stayed in the New Winter Palace which is a basic hotel wing, attached to a nicer hotel (the Old Winter Palace). The grounds were lovely, we had a nice size balcony. The pool area is very nice, but service was slow.
This was true of the coffee shop restaurant, also. Service was slow and food was not good. However, the restaurant that overlooked the grounds had food that was quite good and excellent service.
Bathrooms had hair dryers. Rooms were noisy. If you had someone next door you could hear their TV quite clearly, even if they had it on low.
The Old Winter Palace, which is attached ,is much classier.
Absolutely Beautiful - Truly a Palace!
by TripAdvisor Member Pauline_1
We stayed in the Old Winter Palace for 5 nights in July.
We stayed in a Nile view room. The rooms are a bit on the small side but they are lovely and the view is unbeatable! We loved relaxing on our balcony watching life float by on the Nile!
The hotel itself was formerly an Egyptian Royal Palace until 1952! And as soon as you walk in you can tell. It’s so grand! And the staff treat you like royalty too!
The gardens and pool area are beautiful, and very well kept.
There are 2 restaurants, the 1886 & La Corniche and the pool side snack bar El Nakheel. All serve excellent food.
We got dressed up and ate twice in the 1886, we had steak and it was excellent and cheap it was only £6!! We expected the 1886 to be a large grand dining room but infact it’s small, but it was very nice, it was more intimate!
The are a couple of bars too, the Nile Bar on the terrace and the Royal Bar its very grand we loved relaxing in the Royal Bar after a hectic day of sight seeing!
The hotel is in a prominent location right on the Nile and a few minutes walk from Luxor Temple. Karnack is around 10 minutes away – By horse & cart.
I would highly recommend the Old Winter Palace, it’s a piece of history!
Photos
winter palace luxor (c) ukirsari
Old Winter Palace
The Old Winter Palace
Inside the Old Winter Palace Hotel
Forum Posts
Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel - OLD and NEW
by Bangkokjoe
We have the opportuntiy to stay at the Sofitel Winter Palace in the NEW Wing. The room will be in the NEw WIng if we accept it.
Does anyone know if this gives us the use of the facilities in the OLD HOTEL? The hotel and deal site does not make it too clear.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Ian
RE: RE: Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel - OLD and NEW
by Bangkokjoe
Thanks very much for your reply. Really helpful.
Ian
