Introduction
The hotel scene in Egypt, especially in Cairo, has undergone some major changes in the past few years. Some hotels that were new-ish the last time we did a comprehensive review of hotels in Egypt have more recently proven themselves to be a bit of a disappointment in not living up to the standards of their brands or in slipping in standards after an initial run at the top of our recommendations list, while some even newer hotels have opened or re-opened in Cairo and elsewhere and revealed themselves to be much better than we ever expected them to be.
In fact, one of these newly reopened hotels in Cairo has now become the Egypt Travel Blog’s and the Egypt Travel Podcast’s official new #1 hotel recommendation for value and luxury in all of Cairo, and this property wasn’t even open the last time we did a hotel scene review for our readers and listeners.
The same goes for Luxor. A hotel that was renovated not too long ago has displaced, by far, the top hotel that we used to recommend there. So lots has changed and there’s a lot to update our readers and listeners on regarding the the Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019.
So let’s get started!
Background on Egypt’s Hotel Scene Changes
Egypt’s tourism sector has finally started to recover after years of devastation following the Arab Spring revolutions back in 2011 and some continuing issues that Egypt and other countries had in the subsequent few years after. In 2016, only 5.4 million tourists visited Egypt. While 5.4 million people may seem like a lot, when you compare Egypt – which is a bucket list destination for literally everyone on the planet and has the only one of the Seven World Wonders still standing – to other popular tourist destinations in Europe or Asia or South America, 5.4 million is incredibly low… for Egypt.
That’s why I’ve been telling people on both the podcast and on the blog for years that going to Egypt as soon as possible is the smartest thing you could ever do because you’ll be getting to see these bucket list sites before the massive crowds return and Egypt gets to be overrun with tourists again. In 2017 and 2018, the numbers began climbing again to well over 8 million visitors each year, and in 2019 it’s sure to reach well over 10 million.
As these numbers have begun to climb again, so too have the number of hotel room units to accommodate the growing number of visitors. During the slower years, a number of hotels closed, either for good or just for renovations. In Cairo, for example, the very famous and historic Sheppard Hotel on the Nile in downtown Cairo closed down for a two-year renovation in 2014 and just never opened back up. The Nile Hilton was closed about 2009 and planned to reopen as a Ritz Carlton two years later, but that two years stretched out to about six years. The Cairo Sheraton closed for five years and just recently reopened, and a palatial new Kempinski property has popped up out by the airport.
Outside of Cairo, the Hilton down in Luxor was renovated into what can only be described as the new jewel of the Nile. And an entire new development has opened with lots of new hotels on the Red Sea south of Hurghada. But as the saying goes, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and while this rebound in tourism overall is indeed excellent news for Egypt, the re-growth naturally has its pros and cons for the visitor experience.
There are two major trends I’ve identified as a result of mass tourism returning to Egypt. The first and most obvious is that much more room inventory is coming online now as new hotels are built, both good and bad ones, and as older hotels are renovated and reopened, some for the better and some for worse. We’ll get into my reviews of those in a few moments, so get ready.
Another less obvious trend that has resulted from tourists starting to come back to Egypt quicker than new hotel room inventory can get completed to accommodate the rising numbers is that some of the existing “luxury” hotels are starting to let their standards slip when they don’t have to try as hard to get bookings, especially when it comes to some of their management and quality practices.
One of the most blatant examples of this trend in Cairo is the Nile Kempinski. I used to love that hotel, and I’ve both stayed in it a lot myself and booked a lot of clients and guests into it as well. But in the last few years, their standards have really dropped and I just can’t recommend this property anymore.
The same goes for the Semiramis InterContinental in Cairo. I practically used to live at this hotel too and still can recommend some of its restaurants. But the management of the hotel itself has changed and the property has just become too dreary and problematic for me to feel comfortable recommending it anymore.
And the biggest disappoint of them all is the new Nile Ritz Carlton that was previously the old Nile Hilton. This property is ok on the inside if you visit it now and don’t know what a Ritz Carlton is supposed to look like, but it is absolutely not up to international Ritz Carlton standards and anyone would be a fool to stay there and pay the prices they’re asking until they undertake some major reforms beyond just the unimpressive renovations they supposedly did.
With each of these three major hotels that I’ve had to downgrade from our top recommended hotels list, I was a little hesitant to do so, so I did some checking around with other friends in the tourism industry in Egypt to see if they’ve had clients who have had similar experiences with and impressions of these properties in the past two years too. Sure enough, others reported stories and evidence of the exact same trends at these three properties.
It’s hard to grasp this sometimes as a guest a hotel, especially if you’re only visiting there once and don’t see the longer-term or bigger picture like I do from visiting frequently, but management changes over the years can have drastic effects on the quality of a property and on guests’ experiences there. So don’t waste your money at any of these properties right now until major changes happen there. I’ll be sure to let you know if and when they do after periodic re-reviews in the future.
Another property I’m having a hard time personally recommending anymore is the Cairo Marriott property on Zamalek Island, also known as Gezira Island. This is an “historic” property, so it’s naturally worn around the edges a little. But that’s never turned me off. I like hotels with some historic charm that make me feel like I’m in a bygone era when I’m in them.
But this one I have to downgrade to just a walk-through recommendation this year. I’ve just had some reports from some listeners of some bad experiences there, and I wasn’t too pleased with how the management and staff handled those situations. So I would say this is still a great place to visit for a walk-through of the old palace section and maybe have a tea or snack there on the outdoor terrace, but there are plenty of better places to stay in Cairo now until they clean their act up too.
One other property that I would avoid until further notice – and this has never actually been a recommended property of mine but it still carries a big international brand name so sometimes people assume it’s a top notch property when that’s never a guarantee of quality in Egypt – is the Sofitel. The Sofitel in Cairo used to be a Sheraton, and I remember going there over a decade ago just for the casino in there. When Sofitel, which is an Accor Hotels portfolio brand, took over this property, it definitely did some much needed updates, but the management and staff there still leave a lot to be desired for a luxury international brand. The Egypt properties just aren’t yet up to the standards that we would expect from Accor Hotels and especially from Sofitel, but hopefully that will change.
Even the Sofitel’s public relations staff seem to have little interest in helping travel media communicate information to the travel public about Sofitel properties in Egypt. On at least two different trips to Egypt in the past year I’ve reached out to them multiple times and basically had to call and beg them to give out updated information about their Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan properties. And communication with the public is critically important because, for example, their Luxor property is undergoing major renovations very soon and they’re supposed to be closing part of it for over a year. But getting the Sofitel team to provide the most basic engagement and assistance has proven to be too much of a challenge at Sofitel in Egypt.
Alright, enough about the hotel properties in Egypt that have slipped in the recommendation rankings for various reasons. Let’s move on to the properties that have actually made the Egypt Travel Blog’s and the Egypt Travel Podcast’s list of the Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019.
More On Why We Chose and How We Ranked These Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019
Cairo and Giza
Let’s start from the lower end of the spectrum of this top category of hotels, but not at all because these are bad properties. In fact, they have still made it onto our top recommended hotels list precisely because we still do like them.
To begin – the two Four Seasons properties in Cairo. These are still spectacular properties. Four Seasons in Egypt can use a little better public engagement these days, but these buildings are still beautiful both outside and inside. There are actually two Four Seasons properties very close to one another in the heart of Cairo, the first being a more boutique property across the river in Giza, but still right on the Nile and very close to everything downtown, although not walking distance. That one is called the Four Seasons First Residence, and it was the first Four Seasons property to open in Cairo.
The newer property is called the Four Seasons Nile Plaza and it’s on the eastern bank of the Nile a little closer to downtown Cairo’s main attractions. It’s still a little walk to those though, and honestly most people who probably are staying at this Four Seasons would rather overpay for overpriced short taxi rides in tinted black sedans instead. But you could still walk to a few central spots from there if you wanted.
Both Four Seasons have large upscale malls attached to them, so even if you don’t stay here you might be interested in browsing the shops at either of these. The restaurants are not anywhere near as good as the restaurants in some of the other hotels, even some lower quality hotels nearby like the Semiramis InterContinental. However the Four Seasons First Residence does have a nice restaurant with an amazing Nile view and a posh but still comfortable atmosphere.
We have ranked the Four Seasons First Residence and the Four Seasons Nile Plaza at #6 and #4 respectively on the Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019 in recognition of their continued posh, elegant, and luxurious style and atmosphere, although with the opening of newer hotels in Cairo over the past two years it is worth noting that they have slipped from their previous years’ recommendations list slots of #1 and #2.
Moving along, the Fairmont Nile City is another solid choice for poshness in the heart of Cairo and came in at #5 on the Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019. This property has a small a mall attached to it too, but the only thing that’s good for is the Starbucks in it if you need an American coffee or frappuccino fix or want a souvenir mug for those who collect Starbucks mugs with different country or city names on them. The Fairmont isn’t really renowned for its food options, but it’s bar is quite swank and the rooms are definitely posh.
Out in Giza to the west of downtown Cairo, there are a few nice properties that make great options for a home base when visiting Cairo because of their proximity to the Pyramids and, as of its anticipated grand opening next year, the Grand Egyptian Museum.
In previous years, the Marriott Mena House Hotel has topped the list of recommended hotels in this area. This year, however, this property has slipped off of the list primarily because the nicest historic part of the hotel is expected to be undergoing renovations this year and because the management and public relations team for this property has been non-responsive and un-engaging, leaving us unable to determine the length and extent of these renovations and their impact on the guest experience at this property this year.
However, a much more luxurious and modern alternative out by the Pyramids – and the #3 property on the Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019 – is the new-ish Steigenberger property out there called the Steigenberger Cairo Pyramids Hotel. I say “new-ish” because this hotel used to be a Movenpick property but it has more recently been taken over by the Steigenberger brand and they’re doing a really great job running it and revitalizing it. This hotel feels really open and airy and posh inside, but you don’t feel like you’re in a crowded tourist hotel at all. It’s modern and clean and the rooms are very spacious and nice, and it has amazing views of the Pyramids from many of the rooms and also from the enormous meandering pool and sun deck area.
There’s another really special thing about the Giza Steigenberger property too – it’s directly across the street from the new $1 billion Grand Egyptian Museum that’s opening next year and which is absolutely going to be the most modern and breathtaking museum in the entire world. No other hotel is as close to the site of the new Grand Egyptian Museum as this Steigenberger, and this property is certainly going to become one of the most booked -up hotels in Egypt starting next year because of its location.
While we’re on the topic of Steigenberger properties in Egypt, let’s move along to talk about another new Steigenberger property back in downtown Cairo and the #2 property on the Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019 – the Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir.
Tahrir Squre is the heart of downtown Cairo, and in many ways it is the town square for all of Egypt. It’s where the famous, century-old, current Egyptian Museum is located. It’s where the century-old American University in Cairo’s original campus is located. It’s where Egypt’s most famous administrative government building, the Mogamma, is located. It’s walking distance to the Egyptian Parliament, Abdeen Palace, Zamalek Island, and the Nile. And it was ground zero for the famous demonstrations televised live all of the world which toppled Egypt’s old dictator during the Arab Spring.
Real estate right on Tahrir Square is the most historic and valuable real estate in all of Cairo, and Steigenberger hotels has opened a brand new property – the Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir, right on this square. In fact, it’s the only hotel actually bordering Tahrir Square. There are a few others overlooking it from a block or two away (none I’d recommend) but the newly opened Steigenberger Hotel El Tahrir literally has the most prime downtown spot of any hotel in Cairo.
It’s location advantage aside, which is a huge one, let me tell you a little more about this property and why we like this property so much. Unlike some other swank hotels in downtown Cairo, the Steigenberger isn’t going to blow you away with a huge sweeping grand lobby with tall ceilings and wide open spaces. When you walk in it feels more like a boutique property, although it’s actually still pretty sizable overall. It’s rockstar location is already it’s #1, #2, and #3 prime feature, but given the quaintness, even coziness, of the lobby I was quite surprised to ride up the elevator and find the rooms to be quite spacious and super nice. Also, you don’t often see mentions of hallways in reviews, but I do have to say this one time that even this property’s hallways and public spaces on the room floors are really well done and posh. They just give you a good feeling of being surrounded by luxury right when I got off of the elevator.
And finally, the undisputed #1 property on the Egypt Travel Blog’s and the Egypt Travel Podcast’s list of Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019 in Cairo and Giza is the Sheraton Cairo Hotel and Casino, also known simply as the Cairo Sheraton. This hotel has been closed for quite a few years for extensive renovations and only recently re-opened as Cairo’s nicest, swankiest, poshest, most high-recommended hotel. It’s also one that’s honestly priced at a very very good value too for how nice it has become and for what you’re getting.
Now let me address what might be our readers’ and listeners’ first question about this new #1 recommended hotel in all of Cairo. You’re probably thinking, ok John… you’ve talked before about staying in two different Four Seasons properties in Cairo. Also, there’s a Ritz Carlton there too. And then you’ve raved about Kempinskis in the past before too. So how is a Sheraton now the best new property in Cairo? Well, let me tell you exactly how that’s the case.
I know that many people in North America and Europe see Sheraton as a nice but not usually super swank or posh hotel chain around the world. So just take my word on this – Sheratons in Asia and the Middle East are sometimes just as posh, if not posher, than brands you may think of as the king of posh like Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton. But posh brands in North America and Europe aren’t always managed the same in developing countries as they are where we’re from.
A perfect example is the Nile Ritz Carlton in Cairo. It’s nowhere near Ritz Carlton standards like you would be be used to. So brand name isn’t always a guarantee of quality in Egypt and other developing countries, despite what a brand is supposed to be by definition. Similarly, Four Seasons properties are generally supposed to be nicer than Sheraton properties, according to the common wisdom. But in Egypt, especially because the Cairo Sheraton has undergone a multi-gazillion dollar renovation and also has one of the most prime locations in all of Cairo, this is truly now the most spectacular hotel to stay in as a tourist visiting Egypt and especially when it comes to the value you get for your money.
Seriously, the new Cairo Sheraton is far nicer than any of the posher branded hotels in downtown Cairo, but the price is still what you would expect from a Sheraton. It’s unbelievable. They should be charging more, and the Four Seasons and especially the Ritz Carlton should be charging less. But the Sheraton is affordable and it’s a lot nicer now. Plus it’s walking distance to places like the Cairo Opera house, Zamalek Island, and Tahrir Square, so I just can’t help but consider it to be our #1 recommendation for anyone visiting Cairo in 2019.
Now the Cairo Sheraton property actually consists of two towers, but the north tower is still under renovation this year. So in the next year or so the hotel’s capacity to host guests is going to double with the reopening of the second tower, which will be a really great thing for visitors to Egypt. The rooms here are obviously very nice, but I really want to focus on what I believe is most spectacular about this property – the new restaurants and entertainment venues that have opened up within it.
When most of us think of hotel restaurants, we think of bland generic food serving business travelers who are starving and overworked and desperate for anything with a smidgen of flavor, right? Think half-warm paninis or rubbery pasta dishes. But not in the new Cairo Sheraton! I was a little skeptical of trying yet another set of new hotel restaurants at the Cairo Sheraton when I visited after it reopened, but I remembered that the old Cairo Sheraton did have nice restaurants that I used to go to over a decade and a half ago. I also knew that some of Cairo’s best restaurants elsewhere are in hotels, unlike in many other cities. So I just gave them a shot, and I’m so glad I did.
Ok, let’s start with the Egyptian restaurant in there – El Mawardia. Now an Egyptian restaurant in an Egyptian hotel to me says overpriced street food. And ok, the prices for some of the dishes that you can find on the street are higher, but here’s the thing – the atmosphere is nice, the quality is good, and it’s very relaxing in there, unlike street kiosks and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. I have to say, of all the restaurants in the new Sheraton, I was the most skeptical of this one. I probably even rolled my eyes a time or two when it was suggested that I try it. But I did, and I’m very glad I did. I even went back a second time with another set of friends on another trip there and thoroughly enjoyed that dining experience too.
Alright so what was so good there? Two thinks stick out to me – the pumpkin hummus and the koshari. Now koshari is an Egyptian street food and it’s definitely best at a hole-in-the-wall restaurants out in real Cairo. But I ordered koshari at El Mawardia in the Cairo Sheraton precisely because I wanted to compare it to street koshari. I was honestly ready to rip it to shreds in this review, but it was actually very very good. It’s overpriced for koshari, but I literally remarked to my friends who were with me that I wonder if they just went down the street to Koshari el Tahrir and ordered some real koshari from them, put it on a nicer plate, and brought it to my table. I’m still wondering if that’s what they did because it tasted surprisingly authentic.
Ok, now the pumpkin hummus. First of all, the first time I stayed in this hotel it was Halloween and I thought they only had pumpkin hummus as a theme food, which I also thought was pretty creative and clever. But I stayed there again later when it wasn’t Halloween and they still had the pumpkin hummus on the menu. It was quite tasty and unique.
There are more unique and traditional dishes on the menu at El Mawardia, but we need to move on because there’s a lot more than I’d recommend you try here. Even if you’re not staying at the Cairo Sheraton, you should seriously come here just to try not only the restaurants but also the nightlife if you want to experience some of that in Egypt too.
The Italian restaurant in the Cairo Sheraton is called Giannini’s, and this place is seriously fantastic too. I’ve been here a couple of times and I’ve had a number of dishes here and they’ve all been superb. Also worth noting is that I’ve been here before when they knew who I was and I’ve also “secret shopped” it with friends when they didn’t know who I was. The food is always excellent and the service is top notch.
There is another small restaurant in the bar/lounge area just off the lobby and check-in area too, but honestly it’s not my favorite. The options are limited and it’s basically just a bar with a small kitchen. With so many other good food options in the hotel, trust me that you’ll want to save your appetite for those. But if you want a drink in a chill atmosphere before bed or while waiting on someone to arrive or check in, this cafe is ok.
There are two other places in the new Cairo Sheraton that I know do have great food and even better entertainment because I’ve personally had so much fun there already. The first is right off the lobby and it’s a really neat bar and lounge called Studio 70. It starts off pretty chill when it opens in the late afternoon, but it really gets going with the music later in the night. Studio 70 is supposed to be 1970s themed, but the decor honesty looks more modern than I think they intended. However, I like it that way, so I hope they keep it just as it is because it’s very chic. The music can be a little too loud at night sometimes, but I went when it was very new so hopefully they’ve gotten the memo about that by now.
Speaking of nightlife, the best bars, clubs, and other entertainment venues in Egypt are usually inside of the huge hotels, not out in the city. The reason for that I think (and this is only my theory) is because places outside of major hotels would have to pay a lot of extra money for security costs for the venue, whereas the hotels already have top notch security. So opening nice lounges and night clubs within hotel real estate cuts security costs drastically for club owners and party promoters because the space is already secure.
In a lot of other countries, hotel bars and clubs are filled with, well mainly hotel guests. But not in Egypt. Like I said, the best entertainment venues in the city are in the biggest and nicest hotels, so the party class of Egypt will pack these places and let their hair down – literally – while partying it up well into the night.
My absolute favorite place now for a fun night out in Cairo is also a new place in the Cairo Sheraton called Rawi. It’s a combination of a huge bar, a club, a lounge, and a performance venue with really amazing and exotic (to us) shows and entertainment. The night I discovered this place with a few friends, there were three amazing belly dancing shows and the place was packed full of trendy young Egyptians. In fact, I think we might have been the only foreigners in there. The music was a mix of popular American and Arab music, and the Arab songs were so good that I whipped out my phone quite a bit to Shazam the song and create a playlist of Arabic music that I liked.
If you want to check out Rawi though, do for sure make a reservation. I had never even heard of this place even after having stayed at the Cairo Sheraton on a previous trip, but on my most recent trip back a friend of mine had a reservation there and I tagged along with her and her guy and I was really blown away by how much fun it was.
There is one more thing about the new Cairo Sheraton that I absolutely must mention before I wrap up and that’s their club lounge. If you have a high enough status with Marriott, which owns all Sheratons now, that can give you access to club lounges when you stay at their network properties and you definitely want to take advantage of that if you stay here.
If you don’t already have access, consider splurging a little on the extra cost to book a room on the club floor so that you get access to the club lounge with your room. It’s totally worth it because they have free breakfast and dinner daily, free beer and wine for happy hour daily, check-in and check-out can be done in there and you don’t have to wait, and the panoramic views from the floor to ceiling glass windows on the top floor of the building where it’s located are literally the most spectacular views in all of Cairo.
Watching the sunset from up there is just magical, especially while sipping a glass of wine and enjoying the complimentary dinner buffet. If you take advantage of the Cairo Sheraton’s club lounge, I promise you’re going to email me after your trip and tell me how right I was about it being so amazing – that and the rest of this top-ranked property on the Egypt Travel Blog’s and the Egypt Travel Podcast’s list of Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019.
Luxor
The only property in Luxor to make the Egypt Travel Blog’s and the Egypt Travel Podcast’s list of Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019 is the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa. In previous years the Sofitel’s Winter Palace property has been at the top of our recommendations list in Luxor because of its central location in the center of town and because of it’s historic ambiance. However, the wear and tear on this property have continued to advance over the past few years and it is now due for a serious overhaul.
Supposedly Sofitel and Accor Hotels are planning to close part or all of this property at some point soon in order to finally undertake some much needed renovations. But the Sofitel’s management and public relations staff in Egypt have not been communicating very well at all with travel media for the past year so we are unable to recommend this property anymore until we know more and are able to better assess when it will be returned to a recommendable condition.
One hotel property in Luxor that did renovate itself into one of the top hotels and resorts in all of Egypt, however, is the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa. This property is exquisite from the moment you step into its lobby and I am 100% confident that you’ll be thoroughly impressed by and happy with a stay here. The decor in both the public spaces and in the rooms is very posh and elegant, and the staff have been very obviously well trained to provide among the best customer service in Egypt.
The main restaurant for the property is called Rosetta and is located in a spacious area one level below the lobby with enormous floor-to-ceiling glass windows looking out over the pool. Breakfast and dinner buffets in this main restaurant are enormous and absolutely phenomenal, and I could seriously eat here for every meal every day that I’m in Luxor. Another nice restaurant encircling the pool area is called Olives, whose menu is Mediterranean-themed with a wide variety on its menu. Most notable about this restaurant is that they can set up an candle-lit intimate, romantic, or just quietly private dining experience out on the terrace overlooking the Nile for an amazingly memorable meal in the best location in Luxor. Another of the Hilton Luxor’s fine-dining restaurants is Silk Road, which serves south and south-east Asian food, although I didn’t have an opportunity to personally try this one. But given how much the other restaurants here blew me away, I feel confident that this one will as well.
No review of the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa would be complete without telling you about the property’s ultra-posh, and often under-utilized, spa facility. In most hotels, spa facilities are designed around the provision of paid spa services and reserved for guests who book these high-priced services. However at the Hilton Luxor, the spa is open to all guests of the hotel and free to use. While they do offer paid spa services and packages, use of the enormous spa area is completely free, including the steam rooms, dry saunas, relaxation rooms, foot baths, and the separate infinity pool overlooking the Nile. For me, this amenity alone makes staying here completely worth the already modest and affordable price, and the rest of the luxurious resort and amazing restaurants are just a series of major bonuses.
Without a doubt, this is seriously the nicest hotel in Luxor and one of all of Egypt’s best resort properties. And with such reasonable rates, the Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa is without a doubt take the #1 spot on the Egypt Travel Podcast’s list of Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019.
Aswan
Similarly in Aswan, we’ve only chosen to highlight one property here on our list of the Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019. In cities like Aswan, which is basically a large village but which still sees high numbers of tourists because of its proximity to some of Egypt’s most famous ancient temples, finding more than one property or business to feature on any “best of” list can be challenging.
Indeed, in Aswan there are two major hotels that attract the attention and tourist dollars of most visitors who stay overnight there. One of these is the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract. However, we have thus far been unable to obtain updated information on this property and verify several key points of information of critical interest to visitors and guests. Therefore, we were unfortunately not able to consider this property for our Best Hotels of Egypt for 2019 in Aswan.
This competition aside, we feel abundantly comfortable awarding Aswan’s second major hotel property the #1 spot on our list this year, and that hotel is the Movenpick Resort Aswan. The really unique feature of this resort property is that it’s located on an island in the middle of the Nile in Aswan called Elephantine Island. This separation from mainland Aswan not only ensures greater privacy and security for guests, but it is especially convenient for families who may want the children to have some freedom to explore outside without worrying that they may get lost or bothered. Since you’re on a small island, it’s virtually impossible to wander off of it.
Guests of the Movenpick Resort Aswan take a very brief motorized ferry ride from a dock in the center of Aswan to get out to Elephantine Island in the middle of the river. From the island’s dock, golf carts are available to shuttle guests up to the main entrance to one of the two main buildings of the resort for check-in. The rooms are spacious and modern, and the views can be particularly great for Aswan.
Hotels that are located ashore in Aswan proper only have a view across to the Movenpick property on the island. But since the resort sits on the island, Movenpick rooms actually have views back across the river to downtown Aswan and across the other side of the river out over the desert sand dunes. The dune views are particularly beautiful from the enormous pool area, which many rooms overlook as well, and the sunset views from there are truly incredible.
Wrap Up
This year’s inaugural Best Hotels of Egypt list covered Egypt’s top three destinations for tourism along the country’s tomb, temple, and monument-heavy Nile Valley, including Cairo/Giza, Luxor, and Aswan. But readers and listeners can expect hotel scene reviews and rankings for more regions of Egypt to be added to the list with each subsequent annual update.
In the meantime, anyone with questions about these or any other hotel or resort properties or destinations in Egypt can as always feel welcome to email John at Egypt Travel Blog .com for trusted information, insights, recommendations, reviews, tips, and advice on travel to and around Egypt.
