Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor

We stayed at the Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor during our holiday in Egypt. Having read the reviews on Tripadvisor, we booked rooms at the Winter Pavillion. We'd booked two rooms and as I am a Diamond ALL member, one of the rooms was upgraded to a suite.

The location of the hotel on the bank of the river is quite convenient. There are plenty of travel agents and a bank to exchange money to the left of the hotel. Across the hotel, along the promenade are a variety of restaurants (surprisingly, a few restaurants have the exact same menu leading us to think that there is perhaps a central kitchen) as well as the requisite overpriced with questionable quality souvenir shops. On the right of the hotel is a market area about 5 minutes away. There is McDonalds and some more restaurants as well as shopping (including gold pendants) and small convenience stores where the prices are unmarked on the products and depend on the shopkeeper's assessment of your ability to pay. If you want to pick up some local beers, there is a store in the market. Note that you will be accompanied and offered multiple services every single step of your walk but while it does not get aggressive, it is extremely persistent and annoying.

The hotel itself has two sections, the original building and the Winter Pavillion. The original building is worth a visit for the atmosphere but not where I'd stay. The Winter Pavillion is a bit more modern and I emphasize a bit. The grounds of the hotel are lovely to walk through and we saw flamingos.

The rooms in the Winter Pavillion are decently sized but old. The TVs are small and are the very old LCD type. The bathrooms are average. Fortunately, there is a bidet. The shower area is extremely old fashioned. The bathtub has been repurposed into a shower area with absolutely no paneling on the side. The result, every shower leads to a pool of water outside the tub, which is a huge safety hazard due to the risk of slipping on the tiles. We had the housekeeping staff install shower curtains in both the bathrooms. The rooms again due to their age, do not have multi plug sockets and you will need to request an adaptor using the show and tell method. The rooms also do not have heating, and the air conditioning controls are a placebo in that they are controlled centrally. In December, it means either switching off the air condition and getting stuffy or double blankets. The staff offered a heater but looking at the age of the hotel and the equipment, we did not feel it would be a safe option.

We had breakfast every day at the restaurant next to the Winter Pavillion. The variety was average, but the quality was very mediocre. For instance, a decaf latte was hot milk with two sachets of Nescafe decaf powder. The preserves, the bread selection etc were very average in type and quality. The fresh fruits and hummus were great though. There was a live egg/waffle/crepe station and the omelets were decent, however the hygiene was a bit suspect. Whenever the staff left the station, the birds would make a feast of the condiments as very often the staff forgot to cover them.

What makes this hotel not worthy of the Sofitel brand name is the dismal quality of the service. The front desk staff are perpetually disinterested and or they do not follow simple questions. It took us forever to check out as the desk staff were unable to operate the credit card machine correctly. The worst service was at the restaurant where we had breakfast every morning. With the exception of the gentleman at the egg station and the one who served coffee, every single staff member had a perpetually sullen look and were extremely curt while speaking. This made for a rather irritating start of the day. They did brighten up considerably to specific nationalities.

In summary, average rooms, good location, terrible service but with the extremely limited options of global hotels in Luxor, we didn't have too many options.

Le cadre, le lieu mythique et l'histoire de cet hôtel. Hôtel plein de charme avec un côté désuet (positif) que j'apprécie et qui nous rappelle une période de la belle époque.
Le jardin est splendide et est un véritable havre de paix.

Superbe hôtel avec un emplacement idéal pour découvrir Louxor et la richesse de ses sites.
Le jardin est un havre de paix au milieu du tumulte de la ville.
L'hôtel présente un charme suranné qui est digne des histoires d'Agatha Christies.

le jardina piscine

Hat ein tolles Flair mit wunderschönen Räumen und einem phantastischen Garten. Sehr freundliches Personal und sehr Gutes Frühstück.

Honestly, everything was great

History, beautiful garden, helpful staff, lovely pool

The hotel needs to be renovated. When renovated it would look as good as any majestic hotel in the world though and probably be out of my price range. If you get past that, it’s a magnificent old hotel, like an old aristocratic house in need of updating. It’s spotlessly clean thanks to an array of staff, who are always on hand to help you with a smile. The garden area is beautiful and the pool, lovely and warm - you can lap or just relax as there are separate areas. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff. Particular about out to Sara , Meret and Sally who were on reception and in guest relations. They made you feel so welcome when you arrived and whenever you passed them or needed something.

Located across the road from the Nile, a magnificant building steeped in history. Atmosphere inside is quiet, very Victorian. We had a room overlooking the garden which we prefer as it is quieter. Nile view rooms can be noisy with all the hussle and bussle of the busy street. We have stayed here twice before but this time we did notice that it needs some TLC. Our room was so dark we had to ask for extra lighting. It seems quite run down at the moment and in need of some refurbishment. However the service as always is excellent. Our room was always spotlessly clean and little touches like the posy of flowers in the room and the towels arranged in different shapes, made it special. Room service was excellent. The staff in the Corniche Restaurant were all amazing, service excellent. Food very good but could be a little more choice on the menu, maybe a different dish of the day or similar. Later in the week we were told by other guests that there was a barbque every evening in the garden but no one told us at reception when we checked in. That would have been a nice change but we were told too late to try it. Reception staff were (apart from this omission) very good and very helpful. Nice restaurant by the pool where we had lunch most days. All the staff at the pool and poolside restaurant again very pleasant and can't do enough for you.
I would definitely return and in fact we tried to book for next year but were told the hotel had been sold and they were not taking any bookings until possibly May

Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor stands out as a historic property beautifully set along the Nile River. The hotel is conveniently located within walking distance of the train station, Luxor Temple, and the local bazaar, and is only about a 10-minute drive from the airport.

Our room overlooked the garden and was well appointed with all necessary amenities. The hotel’s interior is particularly impressive, featuring high ceilings and wide hallways—architectural details that are rarely found in modern buildings and that truly enhance the sense of grandeur.

The service throughout the hotel made us feel genuinely welcome. The staff were consistently friendly, kind, and accommodating, whether greeting guests in the hallways, arranging tours, or handling special requests. I would especially like to recognize Mohammed Ali, the hotel’s chief concierge, who went above and beyond by arranging to ship a pill box my partner accidentally left behind to Cairo, even covering the shipping expense himself.

The hotel grounds include a beautiful garden, a pool area, and several restaurants. The garden and pool provide a perfect place to unwind after a full day of exploring Luxor’s historic sites. Breakfasts were very good, offering a nice mix of continental and local options. The local fruits and juices were excellent—even in mid-winter—and are an absolute must-try.

We did not have lunch at the hotel but tried the outdoor BBQ once. While it was decent overall, I expected better seasoning and marination of the meats. Additionally, the first batch was served slightly warm, and we requested a freshly prepared batch.

One important note for travelers: Egypt imposes very high taxes and duties on alcohol, particularly imported wines and spirits, which is reflected in menu prices. It’s advisable to review prices before ordering to avoid surprises. Local beer and wine are more reasonable alternatives. I had Cape Bay wine several times, and it paired well with both meat and fish dishes at a fair price.

Overall, Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor offers a unique combination of history, location, comfort, and outstanding service, making it a memorable place to stay in Luxor.

Just love our three nights … we adore the faded glory of the past meeting the present … our room over looked the Nile and so we enjoyed the movement of the day and night Nile activity we also loved the location right next to the temple of Luxor …the garden and pool were dreamy …

It was a fabulous to stay in Winter Palace. We felt like royalty living in an old palace :) the hotel personnel was very friendly and always at our service. We completely recommend the hotel and we hope to come back.

Great location, close to temples and in front of the Nile. Beautiful old building which would require renovation.
Food: Breakfast does not fit for a Sofitel class as one would see in Asia (pastry such as croissant and salmon are not tasty ; muesli was great though). Lunch near the pool was ok but not Sofitel level. Dinner was really great (both inside restaurant and outside BBQ).
From web site we had read that smart casual or even a tie was requested for dining and the bar. We played the game and dressed up.... to notice that we were one of the few who did as most guests did not dress up and were lower than smart casual.

Personnel: Personnel was overall good and supportive.
I felt that the Reception could make a better introduction to the hotel (and not just the robotic: breakfast is from 6 to 10 etc...) - for example, we were not made aware that there was a coffee terrace in front of the hotel and found it in the middle of our stay. That's typically something to share with guests.

Bar - Cocktails were extremely low in alcohol content. I never had a Margarita which tasted like lemonade before...

Rooms: Beds were very comfortable, but rooms were in poor condition. Starting from room and bathroom doors that were not closing well, leaking water from bathtub, extension cords for socket on the nightstand.

Garden: Garden was beautiful, very well maintained. Nice place to walk.

Shops: Shops within hotel grounds did not reflect Sofitel class.

All in all it is a nice place but the price-quality ratio was not satisfactory.

The Winter Palace is a magnificent hotel in Luxor with beautiful views over the Nile. It takes you back in time. The staff are extremely kind, and the breakfast is excellent. The rooms are not very large but are comfortable and nicely appointed. The gardens are amazing.

The only drawback is that smoking is allowed in the bar and lounge areas, so if you are unlucky, it can be difficult to find a place to enjoy a drink without smoke.

The hotel also organized a wonderful tour to Dendera with an excellent guide from Nasco Tours — she was great.

The room view is amazing, The service is great, the pool is so clean and refreshing , the staff is so helpful and friendly.