I’ve finally gathered reviews and comments about Mara House and our Salahadeen Restaurant here on my own website. There aren’t many for Salahadeen, as it’s been open only to Mara House guests for years and TripAdvisor has since removed those reviews. These come from TripAdvisor, Google Maps, guest blogs, letters, and other kind words shared over time. Some are missing, as I hadn’t realized TripAdvisor began deleting reviews from tour guests who did their tours with us but who didn’t stay at Mara House. I hope these words give you a true sense of who we are and what Mara House is all about. Enjoy, Mara
A different hotel experience with top notch service
This was quite different for us, in the sense that we were the only people in the hotel. So my daughter and I had a large family room, but with only one bedroom. It has a huge living area with a fridge and sink. It's very clean and well maintained and while the bathroom is different than most Westerners are used to (no shower stall), it is scrupulously clean, no mold, nothing. No elevator so be prepared to get a leg work-out on the stairs.
The location is in a residential neighborhood. No, you can't just walk to restaurants or shops and yes, there is major construction all around (including the city which was ripping up streets to replace gas lines, nothing the hotel had any control over) but while the views from the roof top terrace might not have been stellar it was lovely up there in the sun.
The breakfast is basic but fresh and prepared whenever you want it. 7:00, 10:30, complete flexibility. We found this hotel through a package. We got 3 nights and 3 days and it included tours on each day, a carriage ride, boat ride, etc. The best part was the flexibility. Because we were leaving at midnight on day 4, they completely arranged the tour so that we didn't end up having a whole day with nothing to do and made another suggestion to keep us busy. There was no pressure to follow the schedule, it was completely at our desire.
We had the same guide for all three days. His name was Mohammed (not sure last name) and he was great. He spoke perfect English, was pleasant and knowledgeable and it was great to have the same guide with only 2 of us (1 extra the last day but not an issue) and I would highly recommend him. He also didn't try to force us to take extra tours on the side for more money, was very helpful in letting us know who we had to tip where and how to avoid tipping if we didn't want assistance and never once pressured us to stop at a tourist shop or buy anything. It was refreshing to have a guide who was focused on guiding and not getting a cut from a friend's shop.
Our main driver was Ahmed Modi. He had a taxi and except for one big tour out of town, was our driver for all tours and when we wanted to go out in the evening for dinner. He spoke great English, was charming, always made sure we got where we were going, we were again never "suggested" we go to X or Y, and went out of his way to help us out. It was like having a personal driver and while you are not downtown, it is fairly inexpensive to take a taxi there.
The crown jewel though was Ahmed, the manager of the hotel for lack of a better word. When we would return from dinner or a tour they would phone and tell him we were coming and it was like having your mom waiting for you at the door. He arranged everything for us, made sure we knew what was going on, ordered food for us when we were too tired to go out, my daughter sprained her ankle on the second last day and he went to the pharmacy and got her cream to ease the pain, he was just a really pleasant fellow who spoke perfect English. He was just tops with customer service.
So if you like typical anonymous hotels (I usually do) and want to stay right on the Nile or right in the heart of the action (such as it is, Luxor is a small town) this is probably not for you, but if you like to feel that you are not just a number on a tour and arrangements taken care of for you, it's ideal. We were two women traveling and it was nice to not have to deal with some of the less savory sides of things (not that we don't have extensive experience traveling together and solo - but Egypt is a completely different environment). So if you are looking for a slightly more non-commercial experience and it was really a great price for hotel with all tours included.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor - travelled Jan 2018 - Family.
This was quite different for us, in the sense that we were the only people in the hotel. So my daughter and I had a large family room, but with only one bedroom. It has a huge living area with a fridge and sink. It's very clean and well maintained and while the bathroom is different than most Westerners are used to (no shower stall), it is scrupulously clean, no mold, nothing. No elevator so be prepared to get a leg work-out on the stairs.
The location is in a residential neighborhood. No, you can't just walk to restaurants or shops and yes, there is major construction all around (including the city which was ripping up streets to replace gas lines, nothing the hotel had any control over) but while the views from the roof top terrace might not have been stellar it was lovely up there in the sun.
The breakfast is basic but fresh and prepared whenever you want it. 7:00, 10:30, complete flexibility. We found this hotel through a package. We got 3 nights and 3 days and it included tours on each day, a carriage ride, boat ride, etc. The best part was the flexibility. Because we were leaving at midnight on day 4, they completely arranged the tour so that we didn't end up having a whole day with nothing to do and made another suggestion to keep us busy. There was no pressure to follow the schedule, it was completely at our desire.
We had the same guide for all three days. His name was Mohammed (not sure last name) and he was great. He spoke perfect English, was pleasant and knowledgeable and it was great to have the same guide with only 2 of us (1 extra the last day but not an issue) and I would highly recommend him. He also didn't try to force us to take extra tours on the side for more money, was very helpful in letting us know who we had to tip where and how to avoid tipping if we didn't want assistance and never once pressured us to stop at a tourist shop or buy anything. It was refreshing to have a guide who was focused on guiding and not getting a cut from a friend's shop.
Our main driver was Ahmed Modi. He had a taxi and except for one big tour out of town, was our driver for all tours and when we wanted to go out in the evening for dinner. He spoke great English, was charming, always made sure we got where we were going, we were again never "suggested" we go to X or Y, and went out of his way to help us out. It was like having a personal driver and while you are not downtown, it is fairly inexpensive to take a taxi there.
The crown jewel though was Ahmed, the manager of the hotel for lack of a better word. When we would return from dinner or a tour they would phone and tell him we were coming and it was like having your mom waiting for you at the door. He arranged everything for us, made sure we knew what was going on, ordered food for us when we were too tired to go out, my daughter sprained her ankle on the second last day and he went to the pharmacy and got her cream to ease the pain, he was just a really pleasant fellow who spoke perfect English. He was just tops with customer service.
So if you like typical anonymous hotels (I usually do) and want to stay right on the Nile or right in the heart of the action (such as it is, Luxor is a small town) this is probably not for you, but if you like to feel that you are not just a number on a tour and arrangements taken care of for you, it's ideal. We were two women traveling and it was nice to not have to deal with some of the less savory sides of things (not that we don't have extensive experience traveling together and solo - but Egypt is a completely different environment). So if you are looking for a slightly more non-commercial experience and it was really a great price for hotel with all tours included.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor - travelled Jan 2018 - Family.
See More
- Mara House Luxor – your home away from home
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Photos of Our Suites – Take a look at the rooms you’ll call home.
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Mara House Guest Gallery – Faces and memories from over the years.
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Salahadeen Restaurant & Feast – The story behind our restaurant and its exclusive menu.
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(Coming Soon: Photo Journal of Mara House – from the first brick to today.)