I have finally found a way to bring reviews and comments about Mara House and our Salahadeen Restaurant together within my own website. Sadly, I have been unable to find many about the Salahadeen because it has been open only to Mara House guests for some years now and Tripadvisor has deleted the reviews. The reviews here are gathered from sources such as Tripadvisor, Google Maps, guest blogs, letters from guests etc etc. I hope they give you a feeling for what Mara House and ourselves are all about. Enjoy – Mara
NOTE 8 Oct 2023. – you will find the latest guest comments for now at the end of the Mara House Page here
459 entries.
Amir is fantastic!
Hiiiii! Home away from Home in Luxor!
It was a pleasant surprise, fun, and the food was delicious! If you want to have an experience not in city center with an Egyptian family. This place is perfect. And it’s immaculate too!
Amir and his family became our friends. Every single thing we needed or wanted was there for because of Amir! He was the best!!!!! We even went shopping with him in town.
However, if you want to spend time with Mara bc you are interested in the mystical, mysterious part of Om Setty make sure she is there. She is not often there. That was my one disappointment.
Travelled as couple Feb 2023 Reviewed on TripAdvisor
Hiiiii! Home away from Home in Luxor!
It was a pleasant surprise, fun, and the food was delicious! If you want to have an experience not in city center with an Egyptian family. This place is perfect. And it’s immaculate too!
Amir and his family became our friends. Every single thing we needed or wanted was there for because of Amir! He was the best!!!!! We even went shopping with him in town.
However, if you want to spend time with Mara bc you are interested in the mystical, mysterious part of Om Setty make sure she is there. She is not often there. That was my one disappointment.
Travelled as couple Feb 2023 Reviewed on TripAdvisor
10 out of 10
by Caleb on
Hotels.com
Very comfortable with extra hospitality
Posted Apr 30, 2023
My family and I stayed at Mara House for 4 nights. The property is very comfortable and homey in the best way. Amr is a wonderful host, always available to assist in every way and went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. The neighborhood has no restaurants or really any amenities. I highly recommend asking Amr to cook you dinner. His meals were better than most dining options we discovered in Luxor.
by Caleb on
Hotels.com
Very comfortable with extra hospitality
Posted Apr 30, 2023
My family and I stayed at Mara House for 4 nights. The property is very comfortable and homey in the best way. Amr is a wonderful host, always available to assist in every way and went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable. The neighborhood has no restaurants or really any amenities. I highly recommend asking Amr to cook you dinner. His meals were better than most dining options we discovered in Luxor.
5 out of 5
by Reinhard on
Expedia
Posted Apr 16, 2023
Das Mara House hat sich stark von allen anderen Unterkünften, die wir in Ägypten hatten unterschieden. Dort gibt es kein Plastik und alles ist sehr sauber. Wir können es jedem nur empfehlen.
by Reinhard on
Expedia
Posted Apr 16, 2023
Das Mara House hat sich stark von allen anderen Unterkünften, die wir in Ägypten hatten unterschieden. Dort gibt es kein Plastik und alles ist sehr sauber. Wir können es jedem nur empfehlen.
Good place to stay
Mara house is a well maintained property with spacious rooms. Our unit was a two bedroom with a hall and a pantry . The house was neat and tidy with comfortable beds and furniture with a great artistic mind.
A well maintained terrace is available for all.
Breakfast was provided. The support staff is very good.
The location is very close to Luxor temple, railway station, Gobus station etc.Also Ms. Mara has arranged our Luxor tours at a competitive price.
The only disappointment was the price charged for dinner was exorbitantly high- on a comparable terms the value for the dinner was significantly higher than a Tier 1 Cairo restaurant; not sure an indirect way of charging .
Apart from this all positive for Mara house
Travelled Feb 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor
Mara house is a well maintained property with spacious rooms. Our unit was a two bedroom with a hall and a pantry . The house was neat and tidy with comfortable beds and furniture with a great artistic mind.
A well maintained terrace is available for all.
Breakfast was provided. The support staff is very good.
The location is very close to Luxor temple, railway station, Gobus station etc.Also Ms. Mara has arranged our Luxor tours at a competitive price.
The only disappointment was the price charged for dinner was exorbitantly high- on a comparable terms the value for the dinner was significantly higher than a Tier 1 Cairo restaurant; not sure an indirect way of charging .
Apart from this all positive for Mara house
Travelled Feb 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor
5 out of 5
by Thomas on
Expedia
Posted Mar 22, 2023
Great place to stay! Amr was amazing and took the time to show us some amazing sites around town and great information to navigate through your trip to Egypt. Would absolutely stay here again. Room was very large and clean. Food was great, I would recommend having dinner there for a homemade local feel. 5/5 for the experience. Thank you!
by Thomas on
Expedia
Posted Mar 22, 2023
Great place to stay! Amr was amazing and took the time to show us some amazing sites around town and great information to navigate through your trip to Egypt. Would absolutely stay here again. Room was very large and clean. Food was great, I would recommend having dinner there for a homemade local feel. 5/5 for the experience. Thank you!
A Lovely Stay
We were looking forward to our visit to Luxor and Mara House ever since we first contacted Mara by email in September 2022 and it did not disappoint. Despite booking international hotels in Cairo, our experience with Mara was much more personalized and that was reassuring. Mara was not only wonderfully responsive and very generous with tips and advice, her website is also packed with great information which was of immense help during our entire Egypt trip.
As expected, our family of 3 thoroughly enjoyed our three nights at Mara House. Amr took such good care of us, making sure my husband, who was coming down with a cold, always had a hot cup of tea on hand. Amr and his lovely wife were also such innovative and excellent cooks, we enjoyed breakfast and dinner at Mara House each day and loved all our delicious meals.
The house itself has such an original and Old World feel. One can imagine one is in old Luxor of the past and that adds to the charm. Add to that the wonderful service (last minute taxis that Amr arranged to drop us off and pick us up at Luxor Temple one night and Karnak Temple the next, packed lunches ordered the night before for our day trips, super early hot breakfasts to get us going before the 7am pick-up by our cruise operator) and you can't beat the experience!
Travelled Dec 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor
We were looking forward to our visit to Luxor and Mara House ever since we first contacted Mara by email in September 2022 and it did not disappoint. Despite booking international hotels in Cairo, our experience with Mara was much more personalized and that was reassuring. Mara was not only wonderfully responsive and very generous with tips and advice, her website is also packed with great information which was of immense help during our entire Egypt trip.
As expected, our family of 3 thoroughly enjoyed our three nights at Mara House. Amr took such good care of us, making sure my husband, who was coming down with a cold, always had a hot cup of tea on hand. Amr and his lovely wife were also such innovative and excellent cooks, we enjoyed breakfast and dinner at Mara House each day and loved all our delicious meals.
The house itself has such an original and Old World feel. One can imagine one is in old Luxor of the past and that adds to the charm. Add to that the wonderful service (last minute taxis that Amr arranged to drop us off and pick us up at Luxor Temple one night and Karnak Temple the next, packed lunches ordered the night before for our day trips, super early hot breakfasts to get us going before the 7am pick-up by our cruise operator) and you can't beat the experience!
Travelled Dec 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor
Charming hotel and great hospitality
My family and I recently stayed at Mara House and all the credit of our enjoyable stay goes to Amr. Amr, who did everything from taking our bags up three flights of stairs, made us hot tea to welcome us, ordered pizza for our lunch, arranged a taxi to take us to the sites we wanted to see, and, with his wife, made us an amazing dinner and breakfast, is really what made Mara House worth the visit.
I will admit that I had trepidations prior to arriving at Mara House. Mara, the owner, does not come off the best during text exchanges and made me curious as to how she has managed to stay in the hospitality business. I was genuinely worried about how our stay was going to go and if we were to be treated well once we arrived.
Thankfully, Amr more than made up for any hesitation that I had and truly made us feel welcome and taken care of.
As for Mara House itself, it is a very charming place albeit not in the best location. We stayed in many different hotels during our Egypt trip, including The Fairmont in Cairo and The Four Seasons in Alexandria, however Mara House definitely stands out as a unique and wonderful memory in our travels. I would highly recommend staying there, especially for those who enjoy more intimate experiences in their travels.
Travelled with family Dec 2022 Reviewed on TripAdvisor Jan 2023
My family and I recently stayed at Mara House and all the credit of our enjoyable stay goes to Amr. Amr, who did everything from taking our bags up three flights of stairs, made us hot tea to welcome us, ordered pizza for our lunch, arranged a taxi to take us to the sites we wanted to see, and, with his wife, made us an amazing dinner and breakfast, is really what made Mara House worth the visit.
I will admit that I had trepidations prior to arriving at Mara House. Mara, the owner, does not come off the best during text exchanges and made me curious as to how she has managed to stay in the hospitality business. I was genuinely worried about how our stay was going to go and if we were to be treated well once we arrived.
Thankfully, Amr more than made up for any hesitation that I had and truly made us feel welcome and taken care of.
As for Mara House itself, it is a very charming place albeit not in the best location. We stayed in many different hotels during our Egypt trip, including The Fairmont in Cairo and The Four Seasons in Alexandria, however Mara House definitely stands out as a unique and wonderful memory in our travels. I would highly recommend staying there, especially for those who enjoy more intimate experiences in their travels.
Travelled with family Dec 2022 Reviewed on TripAdvisor Jan 2023
The most memorable and special part of Egypt for us was Mara House!
I read Mara's blog for a couple of years, always thinking "someday, when we go to Egypt, I want to stay at Mara House!" And even with all of that buildup of anticipation, she did not disappoint - in fact, our experience surpassed expectations! Mara was so kind and so helpful as we were planning our trip. She found a guide for us in Cairo when our initial plans unexpectedly fell through, and she arranged an awesome guide and driver in Luxor who took my husband and I, and a couple of other charming Mara House guests, to see as many temples and tombs as we could pack in.
But the real treat for me was coming back to Mara House each evening to a home-cooked dinner by Amr, the house manager. So delicious, so healthy - it was food for the soul. We didn't want to eat anywhere else - we were hooked! And being greeted with sweet mint tea... aaaah. Heaven!
My only wish is to meet Mara in person someday (she was out of Egypt at the time, but still so responsive to questions!) and say how much we appreciate what she does and the care with which she does it. Mara House is magical.
Also, special thanks to Amr and his family for all the little touches that make this place feel like visiting a friend's home.
Travelled as couple Dec 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor Dec 2022
I read Mara's blog for a couple of years, always thinking "someday, when we go to Egypt, I want to stay at Mara House!" And even with all of that buildup of anticipation, she did not disappoint - in fact, our experience surpassed expectations! Mara was so kind and so helpful as we were planning our trip. She found a guide for us in Cairo when our initial plans unexpectedly fell through, and she arranged an awesome guide and driver in Luxor who took my husband and I, and a couple of other charming Mara House guests, to see as many temples and tombs as we could pack in.
But the real treat for me was coming back to Mara House each evening to a home-cooked dinner by Amr, the house manager. So delicious, so healthy - it was food for the soul. We didn't want to eat anywhere else - we were hooked! And being greeted with sweet mint tea... aaaah. Heaven!
My only wish is to meet Mara in person someday (she was out of Egypt at the time, but still so responsive to questions!) and say how much we appreciate what she does and the care with which she does it. Mara House is magical.
Also, special thanks to Amr and his family for all the little touches that make this place feel like visiting a friend's home.
Travelled as couple Dec 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor Dec 2022
This is the PLACE to stay to be welcome and personal and not being just one more tourist in Luxor
AMAZING, words cannot describe how welcome and cosy my family felt while staying at Mara House!. The site is a true oasis in the middle of Luxor, and I am not only talking about the house itself but also about the cherished service we were provided by Amr and his family who is the house manager; we never felt like one more guest in hotel chain but rather we felt like friends or family invited to stay and it that way you get a perspective of how Egyptians live by staying in a real Egyptian house rather than a hotel. With that in mind Mara House is not for you if you are looking for a big hotel chain with restaurants, buffet, swimming pool, luxury, lots of tourists, big reception desk and people working around in suits; Mara House is about being independent, free spirits, and have different points of view of Egypt; and YES you should order The Salahadeen Feast dinner because I can guarantee you that it will be the best meal you will have in your Egyptian vacation because it is cooked with love like your granny will do and it taste delicious.
Apart from staying at Mara House we also booked our entire Egypt tours with her, from Cairo to Luxor, including the Nile Cruise and some add on sites we wanted to see; Mara did a pristine job on coordinating everything and providing information along the way (both at the time of booking but also when we were in Egypt) and despite we had an issue with a driver pick up at the airport in Cairo; Mara quickly corrected it and even reimburse us for that pick up without having to ask her to do it.
I would truthy recommend Mara and her team for your Egyptian adventures.
Travelled with family Dec 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvsor
AMAZING, words cannot describe how welcome and cosy my family felt while staying at Mara House!. The site is a true oasis in the middle of Luxor, and I am not only talking about the house itself but also about the cherished service we were provided by Amr and his family who is the house manager; we never felt like one more guest in hotel chain but rather we felt like friends or family invited to stay and it that way you get a perspective of how Egyptians live by staying in a real Egyptian house rather than a hotel. With that in mind Mara House is not for you if you are looking for a big hotel chain with restaurants, buffet, swimming pool, luxury, lots of tourists, big reception desk and people working around in suits; Mara House is about being independent, free spirits, and have different points of view of Egypt; and YES you should order The Salahadeen Feast dinner because I can guarantee you that it will be the best meal you will have in your Egyptian vacation because it is cooked with love like your granny will do and it taste delicious.
Apart from staying at Mara House we also booked our entire Egypt tours with her, from Cairo to Luxor, including the Nile Cruise and some add on sites we wanted to see; Mara did a pristine job on coordinating everything and providing information along the way (both at the time of booking but also when we were in Egypt) and despite we had an issue with a driver pick up at the airport in Cairo; Mara quickly corrected it and even reimburse us for that pick up without having to ask her to do it.
I would truthy recommend Mara and her team for your Egyptian adventures.
Travelled with family Dec 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvsor
We decided to visit Egypt at short notice and started organising it ourselves. When it came to organising the details of the Luxor section it became even more difficult and complicated. Luckily we found Mara's blog and website. We liked her style and approach and booked both accommodation at Mara's House and tours with a guide. All organised by Mara, who is a great communicator.
Arriving in Luxor by train we were met by Mara's driver (the train was 2 hours late) and comfortably driven to Mara's House and met by Amr ( the housekeeper). It was like a breath of fresh air. The house is lovely and feels very Egyptian with large, clean and comfortable suites. It is in a local, residential area of Luxor. All the transport was provided by Mara's driver.
Amr and his wife are excellent cooks so the food was extremely good ( with wine and beer available if required). More importantly Amr obviously cares deeply about his guests and went out of his way to make sure their stay was an enjoyable experience.
Our guide to the many sites of Luxor was Mohamed (Mo). He is extremely knowledgeable with good English and just as importantly very personable. The tours we went on were recommended by Mara and provided an excellent introduction to this historic ( and complex) area. The temples and tombs are obviously very impressive but were brought to life by Mohamed's detailed explanations , observations and historical context.
Mara's House is a great place to stay in Luxor but what makes it so special is the team of dedicated and caring people she has assembled to make your visit special. We thoroughly recommend using Mara. Egypt is a unique and special place but can be challenging for an independent tourist, made worse by the country trying to recover from the economic effects of COVID. We wish we had found Mara sooner for other parts of our Egyptian experience.
Arriving in Luxor by train we were met by Mara's driver (the train was 2 hours late) and comfortably driven to Mara's House and met by Amr ( the housekeeper). It was like a breath of fresh air. The house is lovely and feels very Egyptian with large, clean and comfortable suites. It is in a local, residential area of Luxor. All the transport was provided by Mara's driver.
Amr and his wife are excellent cooks so the food was extremely good ( with wine and beer available if required). More importantly Amr obviously cares deeply about his guests and went out of his way to make sure their stay was an enjoyable experience.
Our guide to the many sites of Luxor was Mohamed (Mo). He is extremely knowledgeable with good English and just as importantly very personable. The tours we went on were recommended by Mara and provided an excellent introduction to this historic ( and complex) area. The temples and tombs are obviously very impressive but were brought to life by Mohamed's detailed explanations , observations and historical context.
Mara's House is a great place to stay in Luxor but what makes it so special is the team of dedicated and caring people she has assembled to make your visit special. We thoroughly recommend using Mara. Egypt is a unique and special place but can be challenging for an independent tourist, made worse by the country trying to recover from the economic effects of COVID. We wish we had found Mara sooner for other parts of our Egyptian experience.