THE OLD CATARACT HOTEL, ASWAN

Egypt’s Old Cataract Hotel is without doubt one of our favourite places we have ever been lucky enough to stay in. We stayed at this grand old hotel before setting off on our Nile cruise on the glorious Steam Ship Sudan. It is undeniably charming, and its status as a piece of history is almost as well cemented as the ancient temples it is surrounded by. 

It has been one of the most well known hotels in Egypt for well over a century, thanks in part to its famous former guests. Built in 1899 by the Thomas Cook & Son travel company, it sits on the First Cataract – or granite rapids – of the Nile. This marks the historic border between Egypt, and Sudan to the south. It is now owned and run by the Sofitel Legends brand. Famous former guests include Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Howard Carter, Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill (and now the illustrious Faraway Dispatches…). 

BOOK YOUR STAY

“‘That’s Hercule Poirot, the detective,’ said Mrs Allerton. 

She and her son were sitting in brightly painted scarlet basket chairs outside the Cataract hotel in Assouan. They were watching the retreating figures of two people – a short man dressed in a white silk suit and a tall slim girl. 

Tim Allerton sat up in an unusually alert fashion. 

‘That funny little man?’ he asked incredulously.”

Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile

THE LOCATION

The Old Cataract has one of the prettiest settings of any hotels I have stayed at. With its breathtakingly views of the Nile, the rocks of Elephantine Island, and the feluccas sailing past, it is an idyllically peaceful on the banks of the Nile. It was a convenient five minute walk to the excellent Nubian Museum, and only a short taxi ride to the Aswan Corniche. 

Aswan itself is a 90-minute flight from Cairo, and a common starting or finishing point (along with Luxor) for Nile cruises such as that we did aboard the SS Sudan.  The hotel can arrange transfers to and from the airport/your ship – although it will be much cheaper to just book your own taxi. 

THE ROOM

The hotel is divided into two buildings, separated by an outdoor swimming pool: the historical Palace Wing and the contemporary Nile Wing. The newer block was built to house Soviet workmen involved in the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1961. French hotel group Accor took over the Old Cataract in 2011 and embarked on a considerable restoration, before reopening the hotel as part of its Sofitel Legend brand. 

I was initially very disappointed that our room was in the newer Nile Wing, as I had hoped to soak up the history in the original building. However, I actually ended up glad we were in the new block as the views from our 8^th floor suite were unparalleled. It is higher than the Palace Wing, and allows you to look out onto the elegant hotel building rather than the (considerably) less aesthetically pleasing Nile Wing. To be fair, the Nile Wing is not entirely without history. In 1973 US Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger stayed here during negotiations to end the Yom Kippur War. 

Our Nile view suite was very spacious, with a sitting area, king-size bed and really gorgeous, private double balcony with uninterrupted views of the Nile and Elephantine Island. The bathroom was luxurious – and possibly bigger than my entire London flat – with a separate bath, walk-in shower and toilet behind another door.

THE EXTRAS

There are four restaurants at the Old Cataract Hotel. The pick of the bunch in the lovely Terrace, which offers breakfast (for Palace Wing guests only), lunch, high tea and dinner. The views over the First Cataract and Elephantine Island are simply idyllic. The other eateries offer all day dining at Saraya, oriental grills at Kebabgy and the fine dining 1902 Restaurant. The 1902 Restaurant has a dress code – gentlemen must wear jackets, which the hotel can provide if you haven’t packed one. 

Food was good, although nothing exceptional. Breakfast however, was particularly tasty and had an excellent selection of Egyptian dishes as well as more recognisable international choices. For those staying in the new block, breakfast is served at Kebabgy, not on the terrace. 

In addition to the Terrace, the Bar is the other highlight of the communal areas. Deep mahogany walls and colonial era furniture give it an exotic feel. The cocktail menu was good, and staff happy to make classics not on the list. 

There is a small spa in the Nile Wing, offering locally inspired treatments. There is also a rather beautiful Moorish inspired indoor pool, free to use for all hotel guests. Thankfully this was much warmer than the outdoor pool on the cool afternoons of the Egyptian winter. During the hot summer, the outdoor pool would be a lovely space to lounge in. It is very spacious and the views are lovely. At one end, there is an infinity, jacuzzi style pool looking out directly out onto the Nile. I liked the fact that there were plenty of loungers, but as they were arranged in small groups it felt more intimate and exclusive than a big resort layout. 

Agatha Christie stayed at the Old Cataract Hotel in sometime in the 1930s – possibly more than once. The writer’s desk is on display in the lobby. The small plaque might rather stretch the truth slightly by claiming it to be where she wrote Death on the Nile, but the hotel does feature in her famous book and given the scale of her output, I am sure some elements that made it into the later novel were drafted at the desk.  

If the rooms are unoccupied, the hotel runs tours daily at 5pm, to the Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill suites. It was interesting to hear a bit more about history of the hotel, and some of its most famous residents. But it is worth noting that the suites have been expanded and extensively remodelled with modern décor. There is nothing that historic left about them, meaning it is essentially a tour to see the most expensive rooms! However, it’s only a fifteen minute distraction and if you want a glimpse of an astronomically expensive room – $8k per night!! – then this is as close as most of us are likely to get! 

THE LESS LOVEABLE

The Old Cataract was the most expensive hotel we stayed at in Egypt. Although the price tag reflects the history and appeal of the place, and we felt it more than worth the splurge to stay somewhere so iconic. 

Less brilliant was the meal we had at the 1902 Restaurant. I wanted to love it, as the thought of getting dressed up and having a special meal on a special trip was so appealing. The meal was fine, but it – and the whole atmosphere – simply didn’t live up to the fine dining billing. The food was very similar to the meals we had in the hotel’s other restaurants, which given the inflated prices on the menu, was disappointing. The room itself is cavernous, and I can’t image that it is ever full. It therefore felt a bit awkward that we were just a handful of occupied tables, sat in the middle of an echoing room (oddly accompanied by piped Andrew Lloyd Webber music). Service was friendly, but nothing exceptional. Instead, I recommend sitting out on the lovely terrace for dinner. The views are simply gorgeous and Nubian musicians play live music later in the evening. 

There are plenty more Egypt guides on the blog to help you plan your trip. Don’t forget to check out my advice on travelling across the wider Middle East and North Africa for more ideas on where to go next. You might also want to have a look at my literary inspired guides – more Queen of Crime inspired travel coming soon!