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
Incomparable Service In A Great Place To Stay
"Don't even think about it. Just book a stay here. From the get go, Mara not only helped me book a stay in her lovely hotel, but gave invaluable help in planning our whole trip to Egypt. She gave us great advice on how many days to spend in each of the three locations that we were staying plus helped me book very nice guides in both Luxor and Cairo. She also helped us book a hot air balloon ride of the Valley of the Kings that was really unforgettable and one of the highlights of our trip. She organized pick ups for us at the airport (even though our party of four had two separate arrival times) and her staff is probably one of the most accommodating I have ever run across.
Due to a slight delay (and some lost luggage) we arrived past midnight and not only did her crew give us a warm greeting upon arrival but let us know that they were available to us 24/7. Think you will get that kind of attention at the bigger name hotels? No way.
The rooms were very comfortable and our two rooms were connected by a living room area, great for lounging around and chilling out.
The next 3 days were filled with so much sightseeing at the Luxor and Karnak temples, a day trip to Abydos and Dendara, the aforementioned balloon ride before the tour through the Valley of the Kings, and the temples and tombs surrounding the area.
All through it, Mohammed our guide, gave us very knowledgeable, pertinent information but also gave us time to explore on our own. He was a pretty cool guy. One night, in asking for a taxi to get a dinner in town, the staff suggested a calesh ride for the same price. What a cool experience. Being driven around in a carriage by donkey and getting to see some of the city was definitely worthwhile.
The staff will always let you know how much the taxis will cost so there is no haggling or surprised with the drivers. I found the prices quoted were more than fair.
The last day though is when the staff and Mohammed really shined in helping us over some bumps. One of my friends space out and forgot to buy his ticket from Luxor to Cairo so that necessitated a sort of complex departure that involved having our driver take him to the ferry form where we were on the tour, to another taxi that would take him to the airport. That latter taxi stopped at Mara house to collect my friend's luggage first so that we wouldn't have to bring it with us during the day. One of the staff from the hotel came with the taxi to make sure my friend would meet up with the taxi driver and get to the airport in time.
The level of service continued in Cairo as the people Mara arranged to take us to our hotel from the airport had to first negotiate the red tape in getting my other friend's luggage out of storage that the airline had lost and refused to deliver to Luxor. The gentleman was with my friend for an hour and a half before he finally was able to get it and we were able to leave for our hotel.
Our guide in Cairo, also arranged by Mara was excellent and I have to agree with her advice that if there is one place in all of Egypt to have a guide, it is at Giza. The level of hassle and aggressiveness by the vendors and touts there was really hard to watch. Without a guide, we would definitely would have been followed around relentlessly like I witnessed other tourists there experiencing.
All in all, I recommend Mara's hotel and her staff and indispensable advice with all my heart. I have traveled to over 40 countries in the world (even though I usual don't write reviews, I felt compelled to do so for her and her staff) and while I may have stayed in more posh hotels, none have had the level of service she and her staff provided.
We stayed at the Hilton in both Cairo and Sharm-el-Shiek and while the staff there was competent and nice, there was no comparison in the attention to detail and willingness to help Mara and her crew showered upon us.
As I said in the beginning, don't hesitate to make a booking with her. In fact, don't hesitate to come to Egypt. We had one of the best trips ever here."
Reviewed on Tripavisor
"Don't even think about it. Just book a stay here. From the get go, Mara not only helped me book a stay in her lovely hotel, but gave invaluable help in planning our whole trip to Egypt. She gave us great advice on how many days to spend in each of the three locations that we were staying plus helped me book very nice guides in both Luxor and Cairo. She also helped us book a hot air balloon ride of the Valley of the Kings that was really unforgettable and one of the highlights of our trip. She organized pick ups for us at the airport (even though our party of four had two separate arrival times) and her staff is probably one of the most accommodating I have ever run across.
Due to a slight delay (and some lost luggage) we arrived past midnight and not only did her crew give us a warm greeting upon arrival but let us know that they were available to us 24/7. Think you will get that kind of attention at the bigger name hotels? No way.
The rooms were very comfortable and our two rooms were connected by a living room area, great for lounging around and chilling out.
The next 3 days were filled with so much sightseeing at the Luxor and Karnak temples, a day trip to Abydos and Dendara, the aforementioned balloon ride before the tour through the Valley of the Kings, and the temples and tombs surrounding the area.
All through it, Mohammed our guide, gave us very knowledgeable, pertinent information but also gave us time to explore on our own. He was a pretty cool guy. One night, in asking for a taxi to get a dinner in town, the staff suggested a calesh ride for the same price. What a cool experience. Being driven around in a carriage by donkey and getting to see some of the city was definitely worthwhile.
The staff will always let you know how much the taxis will cost so there is no haggling or surprised with the drivers. I found the prices quoted were more than fair.
The last day though is when the staff and Mohammed really shined in helping us over some bumps. One of my friends space out and forgot to buy his ticket from Luxor to Cairo so that necessitated a sort of complex departure that involved having our driver take him to the ferry form where we were on the tour, to another taxi that would take him to the airport. That latter taxi stopped at Mara house to collect my friend's luggage first so that we wouldn't have to bring it with us during the day. One of the staff from the hotel came with the taxi to make sure my friend would meet up with the taxi driver and get to the airport in time.
The level of service continued in Cairo as the people Mara arranged to take us to our hotel from the airport had to first negotiate the red tape in getting my other friend's luggage out of storage that the airline had lost and refused to deliver to Luxor. The gentleman was with my friend for an hour and a half before he finally was able to get it and we were able to leave for our hotel.
Our guide in Cairo, also arranged by Mara was excellent and I have to agree with her advice that if there is one place in all of Egypt to have a guide, it is at Giza. The level of hassle and aggressiveness by the vendors and touts there was really hard to watch. Without a guide, we would definitely would have been followed around relentlessly like I witnessed other tourists there experiencing.
All in all, I recommend Mara's hotel and her staff and indispensable advice with all my heart. I have traveled to over 40 countries in the world (even though I usual don't write reviews, I felt compelled to do so for her and her staff) and while I may have stayed in more posh hotels, none have had the level of service she and her staff provided.
We stayed at the Hilton in both Cairo and Sharm-el-Shiek and while the staff there was competent and nice, there was no comparison in the attention to detail and willingness to help Mara and her crew showered upon us.
As I said in the beginning, don't hesitate to make a booking with her. In fact, don't hesitate to come to Egypt. We had one of the best trips ever here."
Reviewed on Tripavisor
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.)