Sofitel Winter Palace – Luxor, Egypt

Arrival

Check in was done by Ahmed 2 but took longer due to Jon realising he had lost his phone. I do not think there was any welcome drink but we were in a bit of panic at this point but there was definitely no credit card swipe. First impressions were an impressive building on arrival, reception area is classic but faded but this is the place Carter announced finding the Tomb of Tutankhamen.  Classed as a 5 star hotel with a great location I would have to say the bedrooms are appalling, well the bedrooms they put us in.  I am sorry I did not take any photos but I suspect they may have broke the camera anyway.

Room

Taken to the room and honestly did not register it very much as we just wanted to try and find the phone, made a cup of tea and sat baking on the very tiny balcony overlooking the Nile, it is a great view!

I had booked the Classic room on the basis of being here only two nights, days spent sightseeing and that we wanted the Nile view...okay I was trying to save a few bob to justify the boat cost!

On closer inspection it was so tiny with a high ceiling, stained carpets and the bathroom was dirty.  There was not enough room for suitcases or for more than one person to walk in front of the bed.  To cut a very long story short we were offered an upgrade free of charge to a larger room which was in exactly the same condition but it did have the added benefit of a larger terrace to bake on.  Do not expect any modern conveniences, the TV rarely worked.

Winter Palace Room Facilities

• Toiletries provided but not ones you would want to pinch
• Tea and coffee - kettle and packets only - wash the cups before use
• International TV Channels if it works
• Hangers - opened the wardrobe and shut it again - clothes stayed in the case
• Safe
• Slippers which you need so you don't stick to the floor

Dining

We ate at the poolside restaurant both nights as it is fairly modern and nice location.  First meal was very good but the second had to sent back and this was the one that was on the house.

Breakfast was actually good, eggs cooked to order and usual selections of fruits, yoghurts and pastries. The restaurant itself, La Corniche is classic but nice, only issue was being followed out on the last morning by a fawning waiter seeking a tip as he knew it was out last day.

Amenities

The gardens are really lovely and the pool area large and looks fairly modern. The pool actually has a lot of cracked and missing tiles and many of the umbrellas are broken but even so it is nice area to spend a few hours relaxing after sightseeing.

Very few hotel amenities, no gym but there is supposed to be a Beauty Salon somewhere.

Restaurants / Bar

L’Oasis - lunch and light dinner menu by the pool

1886 - French restaurant - dress code

La Corniche - breakfast or dinner international

Victorian Lounge - afternoon tea

Royal Bar

Conclusion

A stunning building in a perfect location but it is sadly neglected and needs a total refurbishment, the outside paint is peeling and the lift is dangerous so good exercise using the stairs. Plumbing and electrics need upgrading, there are only very old sockets, the TV needed constant resetting and there was no hot water for 10 minutes in the morning. The service is fair considering what they are working with, staff are generally friendly and the manager was fairly understanding and you can easily live with the public spaces but the rooms are appalling.

We named it The Dump and I truly cannot understand why it gets good reviews, people must be blind….if you can splash out for the top suite then maybe stay here otherwise avoid like the plague. We were so happy to leave.

We were told that that although Sofitel put their name on it they have no control, the staff are employed by the Egyptian government, whether this is true or not?

 

TIP -

Don’t use the lift.

The two water Nestle water bottles in the fridge are chargeable, putting the free Nestle ones in there confuses them and you will be charged on check out.

Do not ask them to get you a taxi, you will pay three times the actual cost.

There is no currency exchange, the ATM down the road they sent you to is card only and the nearest one we found to change notes is opposite The Steinberger Hotel, a 15 minute walk

Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor, Egypt

An iconic and classic Hotel we were very much looking forward to visiting but cannot recommend a stay unless you wish to visit purely for historical purposes or tell Agatha Christie fans you've been there!. Click the logo to visit their website