CHECK IN: THE WINTER PALACE, LUXOR

Given the romance of early 20^thC Egyptian travel, it is not surprising that there are a few establishments that have become a part of history themselves. If Cairo has Mena House and Aswan has The Old Cataract, Luxor has the Winter Palace. 

Thomas Cook & Son was responsible for turning this 19^thC palace into a hotel. Built in 1886, it was originally the winter retreat for the Egyptian royal family. After opening in 1907 it quickly became a “must do” on wealthy travellers’ Egyptian itineraries, and a convenient, and comfortable, base for the hordes of archaeologists running excavations across the other side of the Nile. But it wasn’t until 1922 that it really found itself on the map, as it was from the hotel’s main staircase that Howard Carter announced his discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. The inundation of visitors, swept up by the Tut fever that gripped much of the world, was such that the hotel had to set up canvas tents on the grounds filled with army cots simply to accommodate their numbers! Extensive restorations in 1994 and 2004 by the Sofitel Group have sought to return the Winter Palace to its former glamour. 

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“At Luxor nearly everyone who can afford it goes to the Winter Palace. The winding white terraces stretching out in front of it, as they do in front of the Chateaux of French kings, are such fascinating places for tete-a-tete teas, and strolling in the moonlight, or the after-breakfast sunshine, on the rare days when you can spare the cool of the morning for anything but expeditions. While you are at tea, you look across the Nile to see the sun setting on the ruins of Thebes, and the afterglow firing the Sahara. In the moonlight you look at the silver mirror of the immortal river, the transparent silver of the Theban hills, the black ghosts of Arabs on the land, and gyassas on the face of the waters.”

Douglas Sladen, Queer Things About Egypt (1911)

THE LOCATION

The Winter Palace is ideally suited to explore Luxor on foot. It is steps away from the Luxor Temple complex, less than a half mile to the main ferry crossing and just under a mile to the Luxor Museum. The only annoyance is that the street sellers are well aware of this, and therefore camp outside the hotel to accost any emerging tourist. A few firm no thanks yous and la shukrans meant they eventually gave up, but it can be tiring to tackle this each time you leave the hotel. 

THE ROOM

There are three main categories of rooms at the Winter Palace. Those with a garden view, the more expensive (and slightly nosier) rooms looking out on to the Nile, and the cheaper rooms in the adjoining Pavilion Winter Palace. 

As the hotel was fairly empty when we arrived, we were upgraded to a top floor, Nile View room. Given that this was one of the most expensive rooms in the hotel, I felt it was slightly lacking. There was a very comfortable king size bed, a vast bathroom with huge shower and separate bath, and two armchairs arranged around a fire place. It was just simply so huge it felt a bit empty and lacking that sumptuous comfort I hope for in a luxury, historic hotel. The balcony and tall French doors opening out onto the Nile however, were a total and utter delight. The glow of the evening sun streaming in in the late afternoon made for an utterly idyllic vista. 

THE EXTRAS

The communal areas are the jewel of the Winter Palace, seemingly frozen in an earlier – and somewhat more glamourous – time period. A sweeping staircase, colonial era bar, vast gleaming corridors and brightly patterned Persian rugs are the order of the day. 

The peaceful, mature garden at the back offers a tranquil place to sit and relax after a day of hectic sightseeing and pounding the floors of the city’s many temples. The full length heated pool, and smaller children’s pool, are excellent. 

There are three restaurants to choose from on site. French fine dining at the 1886 restaurant (dress code applies), more relaxed French fare at La Corniche and at El Nakhl by the pool. Afternoon tea is also served on the terrace out the front of the hotel. 

THE LESS LOVEABLE

Food was unfortunately pretty average and service fairly slow. Definitely not awful, but average, given the inflated hotel prices. Instead, I would recommend heading out into bustling Luxor to eat. 

The Winter Palace is without doubt a little bit worn around the edges. Furniture is a little tattered and the general atmosphere it a bit tired. Although in some ways this slightly faded grandeur adds to the hotel’s appeal – it feels somewhat more authentic than a pristine restoration. However, it does mean the price tag will likely make you wince, as you are paying for the chance to stay in a slice of history rather than true five star luxury. 

On balance, unless you really want to complete the historic hotels Egyptian hat trick, I would recommend coming to the Winter Palace for a drink and to soak up the atmosphere, and instead staying at one of the lower priced, excellent hotels Luxor has to offer. When we return, I plan to book us into the beautiful Al Mourdira Hotel. Fellow travelers aboard our Nile Cruise also raved about the pool at the Hilton Luxor. 

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!