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.
I loved it!
"This place was for me.
Arriving late at night I was greeted by Mara and I felt right at home. The room was LARGE and superclean, the air conditioner was on, the minibar had great chips and Coke, the bed was huge and comfy… I was happy.
Staying at Mara House you'll experience Luxor for real, pretty far from the plastic tourist version. Well, not that far, it's only a ten minute walk from the railway station, and walking home in the evening is an experience in itself. It's beautiful, it's dirty, it's Luxor. You will see some cool things that you will never forget. That's why I travel.
Mara's got her own taxi drivers and guides, all of whom are superb in every way (the guide, when going on the Westbank tour and the Abydos/Dendera tour, was especially amazing).
The rooftop terrace is a great place to just hang out, read a book and relax. If you haven't got any books, Mara's got a bunch of them for you to enjoy in the lobby. If you need your clothes washed, just leave them in a bag outside your door in the morning and you'll have them back all clean in the evening. And also, when you come back in the evening after a day in Luxor there will be tea or coffee for you to enjoy, free of charge.
And the room is always superclean.
For a special meal, make sure to try out the Salahadeen restaurant, also run by Mara and her friendly staff, located in the same house.
There's so much positive things to say, I could go on forever. But you must be aware of some things: the breakfast is simple, the shower might not have the best water pressure or the warmest water (depending on when you shower, you'll get the hang of it after a while), there will be power cuts, there might be an Arab wedding which will be LOUD, the guys in the mosques will start their chanting of prayers VERY early, the streets and the money are VERY dirty, the vendors might be tough to deal with, people drive like crazy…
However, if you adapt and take it easy, things will be perfectly fine. Mara will provide you with loads of useful info all collected in a binder. Read that and you will love Luxor, just like I did.
I totally enjoyed my stay at Mara House, I really can't find anything to complain about. Everything that happened was a part of the experience. I even learned to appreciate the early morning prayers from the mosque that woke me up at 05:30 every morning. No problem at all. It was almost like a dreamlike surreal experience after a while.
I loved it. I love Luxor. I will come back and I will stay at Mara House, for sure."
"This place was for me.
Arriving late at night I was greeted by Mara and I felt right at home. The room was LARGE and superclean, the air conditioner was on, the minibar had great chips and Coke, the bed was huge and comfy… I was happy.
Staying at Mara House you'll experience Luxor for real, pretty far from the plastic tourist version. Well, not that far, it's only a ten minute walk from the railway station, and walking home in the evening is an experience in itself. It's beautiful, it's dirty, it's Luxor. You will see some cool things that you will never forget. That's why I travel.
Mara's got her own taxi drivers and guides, all of whom are superb in every way (the guide, when going on the Westbank tour and the Abydos/Dendera tour, was especially amazing).
The rooftop terrace is a great place to just hang out, read a book and relax. If you haven't got any books, Mara's got a bunch of them for you to enjoy in the lobby. If you need your clothes washed, just leave them in a bag outside your door in the morning and you'll have them back all clean in the evening. And also, when you come back in the evening after a day in Luxor there will be tea or coffee for you to enjoy, free of charge.
And the room is always superclean.
For a special meal, make sure to try out the Salahadeen restaurant, also run by Mara and her friendly staff, located in the same house.
There's so much positive things to say, I could go on forever. But you must be aware of some things: the breakfast is simple, the shower might not have the best water pressure or the warmest water (depending on when you shower, you'll get the hang of it after a while), there will be power cuts, there might be an Arab wedding which will be LOUD, the guys in the mosques will start their chanting of prayers VERY early, the streets and the money are VERY dirty, the vendors might be tough to deal with, people drive like crazy…
However, if you adapt and take it easy, things will be perfectly fine. Mara will provide you with loads of useful info all collected in a binder. Read that and you will love Luxor, just like I did.
I totally enjoyed my stay at Mara House, I really can't find anything to complain about. Everything that happened was a part of the experience. I even learned to appreciate the early morning prayers from the mosque that woke me up at 05:30 every morning. No problem at all. It was almost like a dreamlike surreal experience after a while.
I loved it. I love Luxor. I will come back and I will stay at Mara House, for sure."
A must stay place in Luxor..
"We have just returned from the most incredible holiday in Egypt but the highlight has to be having stayed at Mara House in Luxor. This is run by Mara, a lady from Ireland who has set up the most amazing hotel which demonstrates such attention to detail not only with regards to the set-up and provision with each of the rooms/apartments but with even greater respect to the support and advice that she and her staff provide to guests.
We travelled as a family of 4 and arrived at Mara House after a 3 day trip into the desert followed by an overnight train ride on the sleeper from Cairo so that on arrival we were pretty tired and grubby. Mara made us feel so welcome and we were all really pleased and impressed with the rooms we rented being large, spacious, cool and beautifully decorated. Heaven after the previous few days!
Information is clearly outlined about tours to take, places to visit and eat in so that we were assured of successful outcomes with whatever we decided to do. Two of Mara's staff members were particularly helpful throughout our stay. Mohammed who drove us to various chosen destinations in his taxi and was just superb by always waiting for us at the end of any visits that we made. Also Amr who helped us feel looked after at the house but also by coming with us on a trip into Luxor to go shopping in the Souk and advising us on fair prices to pay for goods. We expected to be hassled at every opportunity but Amr's presence meant we were not ripped off.
Mara House is also a restaurant and for 2 evenings we ate traditional Egyptian food sampling a range of the most delicious dishes that we are now keen to try making at home.
To top things off though Mara and Mohammed supported us even more after we had left the house to go to the train station for the return trip to Cairo on the sleeper train. After sad goodbyes we were at the station only to find that the train wasn't running due to strike action. Faced with a potential coach trip overnight instead, Mara advised us to try flying instead and both she and Mohammed taxied us to an Egypt Air office and managed to book flights for us all that evening. Time was tight but Mara and Mohammed were just incredibly helpful and we did get away by plane in good time in the end. We can't thank them enough for their help but above all we can not recommend Mara House highly enough as a place to stay in Luxor"
Reviewed on Tripadvisor
"We have just returned from the most incredible holiday in Egypt but the highlight has to be having stayed at Mara House in Luxor. This is run by Mara, a lady from Ireland who has set up the most amazing hotel which demonstrates such attention to detail not only with regards to the set-up and provision with each of the rooms/apartments but with even greater respect to the support and advice that she and her staff provide to guests.
We travelled as a family of 4 and arrived at Mara House after a 3 day trip into the desert followed by an overnight train ride on the sleeper from Cairo so that on arrival we were pretty tired and grubby. Mara made us feel so welcome and we were all really pleased and impressed with the rooms we rented being large, spacious, cool and beautifully decorated. Heaven after the previous few days!
Information is clearly outlined about tours to take, places to visit and eat in so that we were assured of successful outcomes with whatever we decided to do. Two of Mara's staff members were particularly helpful throughout our stay. Mohammed who drove us to various chosen destinations in his taxi and was just superb by always waiting for us at the end of any visits that we made. Also Amr who helped us feel looked after at the house but also by coming with us on a trip into Luxor to go shopping in the Souk and advising us on fair prices to pay for goods. We expected to be hassled at every opportunity but Amr's presence meant we were not ripped off.
Mara House is also a restaurant and for 2 evenings we ate traditional Egyptian food sampling a range of the most delicious dishes that we are now keen to try making at home.
To top things off though Mara and Mohammed supported us even more after we had left the house to go to the train station for the return trip to Cairo on the sleeper train. After sad goodbyes we were at the station only to find that the train wasn't running due to strike action. Faced with a potential coach trip overnight instead, Mara advised us to try flying instead and both she and Mohammed taxied us to an Egypt Air office and managed to book flights for us all that evening. Time was tight but Mara and Mohammed were just incredibly helpful and we did get away by plane in good time in the end. We can't thank them enough for their help but above all we can not recommend Mara House highly enough as a place to stay in Luxor"
Reviewed on Tripadvisor
Fantastic Stay!
"When my mother and brother visited from America, I wanted to provide them with a smaller, more "Egyptian" experience than they could get by staying a big hotel chain. Mara House fit the bill perfectly, and we all had a wonderful stay.
Mara and her staff are attentive and always smiling. They were able to arrange everything we needed -- transfers from/to the airport, taxi to dinner, etc. We really enjoyed the full dinner one evening, and when we asked for a local restaurant for dinner or cafe for shisha, Mara's recommendations were spot-on.
The entire hotel is beautifully appointed, comfortable, and VERY clean. While it is off the beaten track in a neighborhood under construction
I will absolutely stay here when I am in Luxor again, and have already recommended it to friends. If you're looking for a big, generic, American-style hotel -- this isn't the place. However, if you want to feel like you are actually experiencing Egypt -- this IS the place."
"When my mother and brother visited from America, I wanted to provide them with a smaller, more "Egyptian" experience than they could get by staying a big hotel chain. Mara House fit the bill perfectly, and we all had a wonderful stay.
Mara and her staff are attentive and always smiling. They were able to arrange everything we needed -- transfers from/to the airport, taxi to dinner, etc. We really enjoyed the full dinner one evening, and when we asked for a local restaurant for dinner or cafe for shisha, Mara's recommendations were spot-on.
The entire hotel is beautifully appointed, comfortable, and VERY clean. While it is off the beaten track in a neighborhood under construction
I will absolutely stay here when I am in Luxor again, and have already recommended it to friends. If you're looking for a big, generic, American-style hotel -- this isn't the place. However, if you want to feel like you are actually experiencing Egypt -- this IS the place."
The best place to stay in Luxor
"We are a mid 30's couple and we spent 3 nights at Mara House. I initially found Mara House on Tripadvisor when looking for a place to stay in Luxor.We had the best time ever thanks to Mara and her friendly staff.
Location
The house is located behind the train station, about 15 minutes easy walk to Luxor temple. Dont let this deter you from staying at Mara House because it is really just a short stroll away.
Accommodation
The house is on many levels with a large terrasse on top which is perfect for an afternoon beer and chill out moment. Overall it is a familly/home atmosphere that you can't find in a hotel.
Our apartment (#2) had a large bedroom, a living room with kitchen, terrasse..just like being at home. On our first night the house restaurant was offering a 15 courses dinner which we highly recommend. The breakfast in the morning is also perfect with coffee/tea, juices, bread, chees, jam, and local sweetbreads.
Let's not forget
Mara is an invaluable source of knowledge, and she will do everything to make your stay perfect, from organising tours, to booking taxi and restaurants. Mara is also happy to share her stories and local knowledge as you wish, she made our stay even more memorable.
We both gladly recommend Mara House, feel free to PM me if you have questions. Otherwise dont hesitate to contact Mara directly as she is always in touch on emails."
"We are a mid 30's couple and we spent 3 nights at Mara House. I initially found Mara House on Tripadvisor when looking for a place to stay in Luxor.We had the best time ever thanks to Mara and her friendly staff.
Location
The house is located behind the train station, about 15 minutes easy walk to Luxor temple. Dont let this deter you from staying at Mara House because it is really just a short stroll away.
Accommodation
The house is on many levels with a large terrasse on top which is perfect for an afternoon beer and chill out moment. Overall it is a familly/home atmosphere that you can't find in a hotel.
Our apartment (#2) had a large bedroom, a living room with kitchen, terrasse..just like being at home. On our first night the house restaurant was offering a 15 courses dinner which we highly recommend. The breakfast in the morning is also perfect with coffee/tea, juices, bread, chees, jam, and local sweetbreads.
Let's not forget
Mara is an invaluable source of knowledge, and she will do everything to make your stay perfect, from organising tours, to booking taxi and restaurants. Mara is also happy to share her stories and local knowledge as you wish, she made our stay even more memorable.
We both gladly recommend Mara House, feel free to PM me if you have questions. Otherwise dont hesitate to contact Mara directly as she is always in touch on emails."
Terrific!
"We picked Mara based on the TA reviews (read them - they're spot on - but expectations will be exceeded!) and on the helpful advice Mara provided via email when we were planning the trip. The three of us (parents and one daughter) were indulged in a three bedroom suite, beautifully decorated. We came on the overnight train from Cairo/Giza, to be met at the station and checked in right away so we could freshen up for the first of two days sight-seeing (Abydos/Dendera the first day, Karnak/Valley of the Kings/Luxor the next). We picked the room/tour package, which is the best value approach, and Mohammad adjusted the itinerary a bit as our energy flagged the first day. Of course we were spoiled by the attention we could be afforded because of the low tourist numbers - all the more reason for you to visit now - there are really no safety concerns in Luxor or even in Cairo if you are sensible.
Other aspects to highlight: the lovely roof garden; a location that gives you a feel of actually living in the city; chatting with Mara about ancient and modern Egypt. Also, there were not enough guests for Mara to open her restaurant, but she pointed us in the direction of Sofra Restaurant, which was wonderful.
One thought - the dirver meeting the train was at the main entrance although we thought we would be smart and go out on the other side of the tracks where Mara House is (and where it is much less frantic). Maybe Mara could make the choice explicit."
"We picked Mara based on the TA reviews (read them - they're spot on - but expectations will be exceeded!) and on the helpful advice Mara provided via email when we were planning the trip. The three of us (parents and one daughter) were indulged in a three bedroom suite, beautifully decorated. We came on the overnight train from Cairo/Giza, to be met at the station and checked in right away so we could freshen up for the first of two days sight-seeing (Abydos/Dendera the first day, Karnak/Valley of the Kings/Luxor the next). We picked the room/tour package, which is the best value approach, and Mohammad adjusted the itinerary a bit as our energy flagged the first day. Of course we were spoiled by the attention we could be afforded because of the low tourist numbers - all the more reason for you to visit now - there are really no safety concerns in Luxor or even in Cairo if you are sensible.
Other aspects to highlight: the lovely roof garden; a location that gives you a feel of actually living in the city; chatting with Mara about ancient and modern Egypt. Also, there were not enough guests for Mara to open her restaurant, but she pointed us in the direction of Sofra Restaurant, which was wonderful.
One thought - the dirver meeting the train was at the main entrance although we thought we would be smart and go out on the other side of the tracks where Mara House is (and where it is much less frantic). Maybe Mara could make the choice explicit."
Irish hospitality in Luxor - the amazing Mara!
"Stayed at Mara House 11-16 Feb 2013. Chosen because we felt we would be happier staying with a woman who spoke English! On arrival at the airport we were met by one of Mara's drivers who took care of our visas etc and guided us through the airport to the waiting car and driver. On arrival at Mara House the lady herself was on the steps to greet us in person. A member of her team took our luggage while another made us a very welcome cup of tea. Within minutes we felt completely at home. Our apartment was spotlessly clean and well appointed.
We'd pre-booked some of Mara's trips but late one night we wondered, rather hopelessly, if we could also squeeze in a hot air balloon flight for the following morning. A quick call from Mara to one of her contacts and it was done. Egypt could have been a chaotic and daunting experience, especially when one doesn't speak the language. Mara's expertise and knowledge of Egypt took all the hassle away - leaving us to have an amazing, carefree, wonderful holiday. Thank you so much Mara."
"Stayed at Mara House 11-16 Feb 2013. Chosen because we felt we would be happier staying with a woman who spoke English! On arrival at the airport we were met by one of Mara's drivers who took care of our visas etc and guided us through the airport to the waiting car and driver. On arrival at Mara House the lady herself was on the steps to greet us in person. A member of her team took our luggage while another made us a very welcome cup of tea. Within minutes we felt completely at home. Our apartment was spotlessly clean and well appointed.
We'd pre-booked some of Mara's trips but late one night we wondered, rather hopelessly, if we could also squeeze in a hot air balloon flight for the following morning. A quick call from Mara to one of her contacts and it was done. Egypt could have been a chaotic and daunting experience, especially when one doesn't speak the language. Mara's expertise and knowledge of Egypt took all the hassle away - leaving us to have an amazing, carefree, wonderful holiday. Thank you so much Mara."
Your practically a local now
"Luxor makes a good base from which to explore pretty much the whole of Upper Egypt - that's from Abydos to Aswan - and more. Mara House became my little home from home from which I ventured out, mainly across the river to the west bank, where I walked, cycled, motorcycled, bused and taxied all over the place visiting temples and my friends in Qurna, the community of people whose villages ring the ancient Theban necropolis on its eastern flank. (visit www.mandoxegypt.wordpress.com for more stories about all that.) One could also ride (horses or camels but that ain't really my thing)
Whereas West Bank and Qurna is a very much more rural, very quiet experience. Mara House is situated in the Inner City right behind the very busy railway station and just 15minutes walk up El Nozri to Luxor temple and the lively area around the souk where little restaurants like Ali Baba offer has nice food (Egyptian or International) and beer plus one of the best views of any restaurant.
So I lodged my entire two weeks at Mara's where they looked after me very well. I was in room 4 - one floor up on last time - very nice quiet room - with a large glass topped dinning table on which i could lay out my books and laptop. Very comfortable there.
I also had the opportunity to go on one of the longer day trips to Abydos in the company of Mara, Mohammed and Amr. There should be links to some film of this on the mandoxegypt site or youtube. Journeying to this famous pilgrimage site has long been one of my ambitions. The journey on this new desert road was fantastic - desert scenery all the way then a gem of a temple - with not one but two guides to show me the special bits. We had a lot of fun and even managed to step briefly onto the Osireion, which was dry.
Several hours there wasn't enough enough and I must go back - if only for more gossip from Mara (but I am a nerd). We then got to Dendara for last two hours - which is best time to see it - more than enough there to keep one busy for the day.
Coming back in rush hour I think on reflection I'd get off at Jazeera on the west back and catch the public ferry over and walk back to Mara's rather than spend an hour via Luxor Bridge which is quite far upstream. Even so its probably a detour one should make at least once - just to see the bridge and uptown or is it downtown Luxor.
Many thanks to Noor, Asdar and Sahry for looking after me so well in the Hotel. Keeping my room looking so fresh and providing such nice breakfasts every morning and tea whenever I needed it. Coming back late I'd often get a call from Sahry just to make sure I was OK - which is nice really - people in Egypt really do go the extra mile ... thank you - hope to see you all on my next expedition."
"Luxor makes a good base from which to explore pretty much the whole of Upper Egypt - that's from Abydos to Aswan - and more. Mara House became my little home from home from which I ventured out, mainly across the river to the west bank, where I walked, cycled, motorcycled, bused and taxied all over the place visiting temples and my friends in Qurna, the community of people whose villages ring the ancient Theban necropolis on its eastern flank. (visit www.mandoxegypt.wordpress.com for more stories about all that.) One could also ride (horses or camels but that ain't really my thing)
Whereas West Bank and Qurna is a very much more rural, very quiet experience. Mara House is situated in the Inner City right behind the very busy railway station and just 15minutes walk up El Nozri to Luxor temple and the lively area around the souk where little restaurants like Ali Baba offer has nice food (Egyptian or International) and beer plus one of the best views of any restaurant.
So I lodged my entire two weeks at Mara's where they looked after me very well. I was in room 4 - one floor up on last time - very nice quiet room - with a large glass topped dinning table on which i could lay out my books and laptop. Very comfortable there.
I also had the opportunity to go on one of the longer day trips to Abydos in the company of Mara, Mohammed and Amr. There should be links to some film of this on the mandoxegypt site or youtube. Journeying to this famous pilgrimage site has long been one of my ambitions. The journey on this new desert road was fantastic - desert scenery all the way then a gem of a temple - with not one but two guides to show me the special bits. We had a lot of fun and even managed to step briefly onto the Osireion, which was dry.
Several hours there wasn't enough enough and I must go back - if only for more gossip from Mara (but I am a nerd). We then got to Dendara for last two hours - which is best time to see it - more than enough there to keep one busy for the day.
Coming back in rush hour I think on reflection I'd get off at Jazeera on the west back and catch the public ferry over and walk back to Mara's rather than spend an hour via Luxor Bridge which is quite far upstream. Even so its probably a detour one should make at least once - just to see the bridge and uptown or is it downtown Luxor.
Many thanks to Noor, Asdar and Sahry for looking after me so well in the Hotel. Keeping my room looking so fresh and providing such nice breakfasts every morning and tea whenever I needed it. Coming back late I'd often get a call from Sahry just to make sure I was OK - which is nice really - people in Egypt really do go the extra mile ... thank you - hope to see you all on my next expedition."
A unique experience
"It was through tripadvisor that I found out about Mara House when I was looking for accommodation in Luxor for the final part of a family holiday that took us from Jordan to Egypt.
My wife and our two kids stayed 3 days in Luxor and Mara House was the perfect place to base ourselves. Mara was excellent in helping with our arrangements, including excursions, before we set off on holiday. She provided a level of support you simply won't get from the usual hotel chains. The hotel itself is full of character and the rooms are lovely. It is very much 'off the beaten track' and those of you more used to Hiltons and Marriotts (I include myself here!) will find this a very different kind of experience. Mara House is in a regular Luxor neighbourhood nowhere near the tourist spots (although you can easily walk downtown).
The highlight for us were:
1. Great help in organising tours, which will include guides who take you a bit more off the beaten track and show you aspects of ancient Egypt that the river cruise brigades won't see.
2. If rooms are free, Mara will be happy to check you in early (our flight got in at 0830) and let you check out late (our room was needed by another family but Mara provided a different one in which we could shower and freshen up before our flight home).
3. The experience itself. Yes, you're still a tourist, but you will see a side of Egypt that is both friendly and fascinating.
If you are looking for a place to stay in Luxor I wholeheartly recommend Mara House."
"It was through tripadvisor that I found out about Mara House when I was looking for accommodation in Luxor for the final part of a family holiday that took us from Jordan to Egypt.
My wife and our two kids stayed 3 days in Luxor and Mara House was the perfect place to base ourselves. Mara was excellent in helping with our arrangements, including excursions, before we set off on holiday. She provided a level of support you simply won't get from the usual hotel chains. The hotel itself is full of character and the rooms are lovely. It is very much 'off the beaten track' and those of you more used to Hiltons and Marriotts (I include myself here!) will find this a very different kind of experience. Mara House is in a regular Luxor neighbourhood nowhere near the tourist spots (although you can easily walk downtown).
The highlight for us were:
1. Great help in organising tours, which will include guides who take you a bit more off the beaten track and show you aspects of ancient Egypt that the river cruise brigades won't see.
2. If rooms are free, Mara will be happy to check you in early (our flight got in at 0830) and let you check out late (our room was needed by another family but Mara provided a different one in which we could shower and freshen up before our flight home).
3. The experience itself. Yes, you're still a tourist, but you will see a side of Egypt that is both friendly and fascinating.
If you are looking for a place to stay in Luxor I wholeheartly recommend Mara House."
Great Stay in Luxor
"Our 3 generation extended family spent two nights at Mara House in January and the only problem we had was that we couldn't stay longer! Mara communicated well with us as we were making our arrangements prior to our visit, and everything came together as we hoped. Her staff, namely Amr and Sahry, were exceptionally attentive and helpful. They were always ready with a cup of tea and good advice. All the arrangements they made for us, from the hot air balloon ride to the tours to the calesh ride through Luxor, worked perfectly. Our tour guide, Mohammad, was interesting, patient and knowledgeable. The apartments were spacious, comfortable and clean and the rooftop terrace was lovely and relaxing. All nine of us would highly recommend Mara House."
"Our 3 generation extended family spent two nights at Mara House in January and the only problem we had was that we couldn't stay longer! Mara communicated well with us as we were making our arrangements prior to our visit, and everything came together as we hoped. Her staff, namely Amr and Sahry, were exceptionally attentive and helpful. They were always ready with a cup of tea and good advice. All the arrangements they made for us, from the hot air balloon ride to the tours to the calesh ride through Luxor, worked perfectly. Our tour guide, Mohammad, was interesting, patient and knowledgeable. The apartments were spacious, comfortable and clean and the rooftop terrace was lovely and relaxing. All nine of us would highly recommend Mara House."
Mara House-Irish hospitality in the heart of Egypt
"My friend and I stayed at Mara House for five nights in February 2013. We chose Mara House because of Mara being english- spoken and because of her expertise and vast knowledge of Egypt.
Right from the off, when we were emailing Mara back and forth with our ever-changing itinerary, we knew that we were making the right decision to stay with Mara. Mara's prompt replies (always within 24 hours) reassured us that we would always be in good hands. That was so true, from the moment our plane touched down in Egypt. Mara had one of her drivers meet us and take care of our visas before taking us to Mara House.
It was lovely to be greeted by Mara at the door of the residence. Right away she made us a very welcome cup of tea and had our luggage taken to our room. We felt straight away that we had been friends with Mara for years! She was so welcoming and her Irish hospitality was second to none. Nothing was too much trouble for Mara. She organised all our tours to Tombs and Temples and even packed a breakfast and/or lunch for us. At very short notice, she helped organise (through her many contacts) a hot air balloon ride over Luxor.
Our suite was spotlessly clean. We couldn't fault it in any way. The fridge was well stocked with water, soft drinks, wine, beer, chocolate bars and crisps, all of which were replenished each day.
Staying with Mara made our trip so enjoyable and took all the hassle away. She's a remarkable lady! Thank you Mara for making or trip so exciting."
"My friend and I stayed at Mara House for five nights in February 2013. We chose Mara House because of Mara being english- spoken and because of her expertise and vast knowledge of Egypt.
Right from the off, when we were emailing Mara back and forth with our ever-changing itinerary, we knew that we were making the right decision to stay with Mara. Mara's prompt replies (always within 24 hours) reassured us that we would always be in good hands. That was so true, from the moment our plane touched down in Egypt. Mara had one of her drivers meet us and take care of our visas before taking us to Mara House.
It was lovely to be greeted by Mara at the door of the residence. Right away she made us a very welcome cup of tea and had our luggage taken to our room. We felt straight away that we had been friends with Mara for years! She was so welcoming and her Irish hospitality was second to none. Nothing was too much trouble for Mara. She organised all our tours to Tombs and Temples and even packed a breakfast and/or lunch for us. At very short notice, she helped organise (through her many contacts) a hot air balloon ride over Luxor.
Our suite was spotlessly clean. We couldn't fault it in any way. The fridge was well stocked with water, soft drinks, wine, beer, chocolate bars and crisps, all of which were replenished each day.
Staying with Mara made our trip so enjoyable and took all the hassle away. She's a remarkable lady! Thank you Mara for making or trip so exciting."
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.)