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
471 entries.
Best host you could hope for!
"Stayed at Mara's House in both Cairo and Luxor. Both Mara and Stephen were most helpful and welcoming to us, and kept us clear of the usual tourist traps that are rife in Egypt. They even recognised our food poisoning symptoms before we did and gave us special 'Egyptian grade' medication to prevent the onset, so we owe our whole trip to their helpfulness since it would've otherwise have been quite unpleasant.
They helped us organise tours, recommended restaurants, told us the do's and don'ts and generally gave us a lot of inside info that we would've never have found out ourselves. Accommodation was clean, tidy, comfortable and good value. Would not stay anywhere else and glad we found them.
You won't be disappointed!"
"Stayed at Mara's House in both Cairo and Luxor. Both Mara and Stephen were most helpful and welcoming to us, and kept us clear of the usual tourist traps that are rife in Egypt. They even recognised our food poisoning symptoms before we did and gave us special 'Egyptian grade' medication to prevent the onset, so we owe our whole trip to their helpfulness since it would've otherwise have been quite unpleasant.
They helped us organise tours, recommended restaurants, told us the do's and don'ts and generally gave us a lot of inside info that we would've never have found out ourselves. Accommodation was clean, tidy, comfortable and good value. Would not stay anywhere else and glad we found them.
You won't be disappointed!"
Friendly and comfortable
"My son and I really enjoyed our short one-night stay at the end of June 2013. We were the only guests at the time as tourism has suffered so much since the Revolution but verything was calm - too calm - Luxor was like a ghost town everywhere - apparently only a 3% occupancy rate these days. GO TO LUXOR!!!
Everything in Luxor was just a short and inexpensive taxi ride away. We had no time for tours when we were there, but when I asked for info about a massage, Mara appeared with her cell phone and a spa on the other end of the line, and had negotiated a discount. Everything was just so easy.
The room was huge and clean - the suite had a separate airconditioned bedroom off a main sitting room which had a small kitchen as well. The price of the room was incredibly good value. The fridge was stocked with an assortment of drinks and snacks at extremely reasonable prices.
Mara is very engaging, and we spent a good amount of time talking about Egyptian politics, which were heating up again when we were there. She also described a very interesting project she was working on with the Souk vendors for a No Hassle shopping experience for tourists - something which will be very welcome.
We could have stayed anywhere in Luxor, but I wouldn't have changed places for anything - it was much more interesting at Mara House."
"My son and I really enjoyed our short one-night stay at the end of June 2013. We were the only guests at the time as tourism has suffered so much since the Revolution but verything was calm - too calm - Luxor was like a ghost town everywhere - apparently only a 3% occupancy rate these days. GO TO LUXOR!!!
Everything in Luxor was just a short and inexpensive taxi ride away. We had no time for tours when we were there, but when I asked for info about a massage, Mara appeared with her cell phone and a spa on the other end of the line, and had negotiated a discount. Everything was just so easy.
The room was huge and clean - the suite had a separate airconditioned bedroom off a main sitting room which had a small kitchen as well. The price of the room was incredibly good value. The fridge was stocked with an assortment of drinks and snacks at extremely reasonable prices.
Mara is very engaging, and we spent a good amount of time talking about Egyptian politics, which were heating up again when we were there. She also described a very interesting project she was working on with the Souk vendors for a No Hassle shopping experience for tourists - something which will be very welcome.
We could have stayed anywhere in Luxor, but I wouldn't have changed places for anything - it was much more interesting at Mara House."
Hi John P.
Not in right mind to think about tours now - all here hoping for a new dawn sometime after the 30th - check out my blogs here
Not in right mind to think about tours now - all here hoping for a new dawn sometime after the 30th - check out my blogs here
Hi Mara, Have you thought about a day trip to Kharga? Great new temple there just re-opened and the best Roman mudbrick fort in the world. The little museum is fascinating as well.
We took two of these tours. Mohammed was excellent. Thoroughly recommended.
Mara arranges tours not only for her own guests, but she also arranges tours for others. Even some hotels ask her for her tour services. The tours are exhaustive and detailed. Mohammed, the Egyptologist and our guide was very knowledgeable and explained and pointed out the finer details of Egyptian archeology. We were a family of six and after spending so much money to come visit from Canada, it was well worth to spend a little extra and get a proper tour (sans shopping) arranged by Mara. Besides having an Egyptian guide beside you "shoos" off a lot of touts and peddlers that hassle you every step of the way.
Great place, Great people, Great service
"My family of six stayed at Mara House for four nights. I am glad we took the tour package because other tour operators charge more or less the same, and they take you shopping and you probably get suckered into buying some thing or the other. The rooms are large, comfortable and clean with an included sitting area. The breakfast was simple and adequate.
There is an informational booklet in the room that gives you valuable advice and has a price list of items found in the fridge which we found fair and reasonable.
Mara and her crew - Amr the manager, Mohammed the excellent Egyptologist guide, Mahmood our taxi driver (his car can accommodate 6 pax) made us feel at home. Mahmood would change his music from Arabic to Celine Dion all four nights we took his cab to keep us entertained - which was nice of him 🙂 Cost of taxi was about LE 25 per trip. Mara and her team can arrange and take care of anything that you need and this is what sets Mara House apart from the rest. Overall we had a great, great, great time!!"
"My family of six stayed at Mara House for four nights. I am glad we took the tour package because other tour operators charge more or less the same, and they take you shopping and you probably get suckered into buying some thing or the other. The rooms are large, comfortable and clean with an included sitting area. The breakfast was simple and adequate.
There is an informational booklet in the room that gives you valuable advice and has a price list of items found in the fridge which we found fair and reasonable.
Mara and her crew - Amr the manager, Mohammed the excellent Egyptologist guide, Mahmood our taxi driver (his car can accommodate 6 pax) made us feel at home. Mahmood would change his music from Arabic to Celine Dion all four nights we took his cab to keep us entertained - which was nice of him 🙂 Cost of taxi was about LE 25 per trip. Mara and her team can arrange and take care of anything that you need and this is what sets Mara House apart from the rest. Overall we had a great, great, great time!!"
Highly Recommended!
"On arriving in Luxor, Mara had arranged a taxi which took us directly the Mara House; a hidden gem in a residential part of city. My boyfriend and I were warmly greeted by Mara and her staff and the hotel offered an exceedingly large and clean room (living, bedroom, bathroom and balcony area). Mara offered countless advice over our 3 days stay from being streetwise to the kind of temples we HAD to visit, (this is all organised as part of our payment) and she wasn't wrong! The temples were breath-taking and we found the people across luxor to be friendly and happy to help regardless of the unfair negative media press in the west.
All in all, i can't recommend Mara House enough, her generosity and personality exceeded our expectations. I genuinely felt touched and honoured to have spent time with her in her oasis enjoying and listening to story upon story.
I can only hope we will see each other again."
"On arriving in Luxor, Mara had arranged a taxi which took us directly the Mara House; a hidden gem in a residential part of city. My boyfriend and I were warmly greeted by Mara and her staff and the hotel offered an exceedingly large and clean room (living, bedroom, bathroom and balcony area). Mara offered countless advice over our 3 days stay from being streetwise to the kind of temples we HAD to visit, (this is all organised as part of our payment) and she wasn't wrong! The temples were breath-taking and we found the people across luxor to be friendly and happy to help regardless of the unfair negative media press in the west.
All in all, i can't recommend Mara House enough, her generosity and personality exceeded our expectations. I genuinely felt touched and honoured to have spent time with her in her oasis enjoying and listening to story upon story.
I can only hope we will see each other again."
Way more than we bargained for!
"We arrived at Mara House after travelling throughout the Middle East for over two months. During that time our accommodation had included top hotels, guest houses and serviced apartments. None came close to the treat that awaited us at Mara House in Luxor.
Words could never convey the warm personal welcome and generosity that Mara and her staff bestowed on us (and all their guests for that matter).
This is one of Luxor’s greatest gems tucked away in a typical yet unremarkable residential street.
The décor of the hotel is rich, eclectic and breathtakingly beautiful. The rooms are spotlessly clean and generous. The food in general is absolutely delicious and the friendly service is unsurpassed.
The feast hosted in the Salahadeen Restaurant on the premises is legendary. The food is scrumptious, authentic, exciting and filling. The restaurant itself is a real treat for all the senses over and above the gastronomical.
Nothing is ever too much trouble for Mara or the charming and shy Amr.
Mara is amazing and intuitively seems to know and precisely understand what to offer her guests at any time, how to keep a perpetual smile on her guests’ lips and how and when to dispense her awesome Irish wit, humour and wisdom.
All you have to is ask and Mara and her staff bend over backwards in a timely manner to ensure all is taken care of.
Mara’s tour guides, taxi and calesh drivers are so friendly, fun and genuine they make getting around easy and enjoyable. She definitely is the ultimate ‘conscious hostess’.
We will never forget the wonderful nine days we spent with Mara and we truly feel we have made a lifelong friend in her. We cannot recommend Mara House in Luxor highly enough!"
"We arrived at Mara House after travelling throughout the Middle East for over two months. During that time our accommodation had included top hotels, guest houses and serviced apartments. None came close to the treat that awaited us at Mara House in Luxor.
Words could never convey the warm personal welcome and generosity that Mara and her staff bestowed on us (and all their guests for that matter).
This is one of Luxor’s greatest gems tucked away in a typical yet unremarkable residential street.
The décor of the hotel is rich, eclectic and breathtakingly beautiful. The rooms are spotlessly clean and generous. The food in general is absolutely delicious and the friendly service is unsurpassed.
The feast hosted in the Salahadeen Restaurant on the premises is legendary. The food is scrumptious, authentic, exciting and filling. The restaurant itself is a real treat for all the senses over and above the gastronomical.
Nothing is ever too much trouble for Mara or the charming and shy Amr.
Mara is amazing and intuitively seems to know and precisely understand what to offer her guests at any time, how to keep a perpetual smile on her guests’ lips and how and when to dispense her awesome Irish wit, humour and wisdom.
All you have to is ask and Mara and her staff bend over backwards in a timely manner to ensure all is taken care of.
Mara’s tour guides, taxi and calesh drivers are so friendly, fun and genuine they make getting around easy and enjoyable. She definitely is the ultimate ‘conscious hostess’.
We will never forget the wonderful nine days we spent with Mara and we truly feel we have made a lifelong friend in her. We cannot recommend Mara House in Luxor highly enough!"
Salahadeen Restaurant
Here’s one of those hidden gems you might be looking for.
First, you get to experience the real Luxor as you by taxi or calesh ride to where the locals live. It’s only a five minute ride from the trainstation, but still an experience in itself. I’m sure Mara, who runs this place, can arrange that for you as she has her own drivers who knows how to get there smoothly. As you arrive you’re in a dark and dusty alley, but as soon as the gates of Salahadeen swings open the magic begins.
The decor is lovely, like you’d imagine it’d be in One Thousand and One Nights or something. The music is setting the mood (even though I’d prefer some more “magical”, mysterious music) and the staff will take very, very good care of you.
The thing is, this restaurant is only open when there’s a worthwhile number to open to, so it’s very exclusive. You really need to call or mail in advance, probably several days, maybe even weeks, to make sure it is open (might be different on bigger holidays, like Easter). And there’s only a few tables, although I’m sure they can make room for more if needed. A quick call or email is all it takes, Mara will respond immediately.
I’m not a big eater, I get full very quickly, but wow… The food was so good I just had to dig deeper. 15 dishes cooked, served and eaten in true traditional Egyptian fashion with the dishes served on one large tray that you spin around. You’ll be instructed how to get the most out of the food as well, combining different dishes to make it even more delicious.
I’ve been in Luxor for five days, and this is easily the best food I’ve tasted so far. Highly recommended for that extra memorable experience.
IndyGrinder, Stockholm, Sweden –Visited March 2013 (Reviewed on TripAdvisor)
Here’s one of those hidden gems you might be looking for.
First, you get to experience the real Luxor as you by taxi or calesh ride to where the locals live. It’s only a five minute ride from the trainstation, but still an experience in itself. I’m sure Mara, who runs this place, can arrange that for you as she has her own drivers who knows how to get there smoothly. As you arrive you’re in a dark and dusty alley, but as soon as the gates of Salahadeen swings open the magic begins.
The decor is lovely, like you’d imagine it’d be in One Thousand and One Nights or something. The music is setting the mood (even though I’d prefer some more “magical”, mysterious music) and the staff will take very, very good care of you.
The thing is, this restaurant is only open when there’s a worthwhile number to open to, so it’s very exclusive. You really need to call or mail in advance, probably several days, maybe even weeks, to make sure it is open (might be different on bigger holidays, like Easter). And there’s only a few tables, although I’m sure they can make room for more if needed. A quick call or email is all it takes, Mara will respond immediately.
I’m not a big eater, I get full very quickly, but wow… The food was so good I just had to dig deeper. 15 dishes cooked, served and eaten in true traditional Egyptian fashion with the dishes served on one large tray that you spin around. You’ll be instructed how to get the most out of the food as well, combining different dishes to make it even more delicious.
I’ve been in Luxor for five days, and this is easily the best food I’ve tasted so far. Highly recommended for that extra memorable experience.
IndyGrinder, Stockholm, Sweden –Visited March 2013 (Reviewed on TripAdvisor)
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.)