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.
Excellent Hotel Off The Beaten Track
"Mara House is a beautiful hotel off the beaten track in Luxor. The owner, Mara, and her staff offer great service and are prepared to book all sorts of adventures. We stayed here for 4 nights and loved every minute. The rooms are spacious and well decorated. Our room had 3 twin/double bedrooms. A small kitchen area with drinks and snacks. A living/dining room and a wet room with toilet and shower. It was spotless and always clean.
Breakfast is served in an Arabic style, sat on chairs around small tables with strong coffee, juice, boiled eggs, bread and cheese. Excellent fayre all round. Evening meals are not really offered, but you'll want to stay out and eat at local restaurants, so this isn't really a problem.
Be aware that this hotel is located behind the station, a 5 minute walk through "real Luxor". Surrounded by residential housing and shops it was a great way to immerse yourself in Luxor beyond the tourist areas around the river and temple. If you are looking for something a little alternative to the big chain hotels this is the one for you. If you feel uncomfortable walking through the streets at night then take a taxi which are cheap and plentiful, although many taxis aren't aware of this jewel.
The roads around the hotel bustle with children playing games, mothers and grandmothers sitting on their doorstep chatting and watching the world go by. Shopkeepers sit outside their corner stores welcoming you to their business. Motorcycle riders beep as they ride past with father, mother and 2 children all lined up down the seat.
One thing to be aware or is that this hotel is located in an old building with no lift. To get to the top floor can be a bit of a struggle if you are not used to climbing stairs. Saying that, the roof terrace is a joy in the evening and worth the struggle. Mara's staff will also help you with your luggage or anything else you wish carried to and from your room.
All-in-all a wonderful stay with a witty, homely hotel owner."
"Mara House is a beautiful hotel off the beaten track in Luxor. The owner, Mara, and her staff offer great service and are prepared to book all sorts of adventures. We stayed here for 4 nights and loved every minute. The rooms are spacious and well decorated. Our room had 3 twin/double bedrooms. A small kitchen area with drinks and snacks. A living/dining room and a wet room with toilet and shower. It was spotless and always clean.
Breakfast is served in an Arabic style, sat on chairs around small tables with strong coffee, juice, boiled eggs, bread and cheese. Excellent fayre all round. Evening meals are not really offered, but you'll want to stay out and eat at local restaurants, so this isn't really a problem.
Be aware that this hotel is located behind the station, a 5 minute walk through "real Luxor". Surrounded by residential housing and shops it was a great way to immerse yourself in Luxor beyond the tourist areas around the river and temple. If you are looking for something a little alternative to the big chain hotels this is the one for you. If you feel uncomfortable walking through the streets at night then take a taxi which are cheap and plentiful, although many taxis aren't aware of this jewel.
The roads around the hotel bustle with children playing games, mothers and grandmothers sitting on their doorstep chatting and watching the world go by. Shopkeepers sit outside their corner stores welcoming you to their business. Motorcycle riders beep as they ride past with father, mother and 2 children all lined up down the seat.
One thing to be aware or is that this hotel is located in an old building with no lift. To get to the top floor can be a bit of a struggle if you are not used to climbing stairs. Saying that, the roof terrace is a joy in the evening and worth the struggle. Mara's staff will also help you with your luggage or anything else you wish carried to and from your room.
All-in-all a wonderful stay with a witty, homely hotel owner."
Perfect to see Luxor and Mara's advice on which temples to see was spot on
"This is a fantastic alternative to a hotel, you get plenty of room seperate lounge/kitchenette that is perfect for a stay.
Mara can advise on temples and local places to eat, I went with a friend and we had some of the best food on those two nights.
Very welcoming like a home from home."
"This is a fantastic alternative to a hotel, you get plenty of room seperate lounge/kitchenette that is perfect for a stay.
Mara can advise on temples and local places to eat, I went with a friend and we had some of the best food on those two nights.
Very welcoming like a home from home."
Friendly and personal
"Mara is a lovely Irish lady and within minutes it seemed that we'd been friends for years. It may be an "interesting" walk to the tourist areas, but the individual attention and the ample size of the flat more than makes up for it"
"Mara is a lovely Irish lady and within minutes it seemed that we'd been friends for years. It may be an "interesting" walk to the tourist areas, but the individual attention and the ample size of the flat more than makes up for it"
Mara House is very well
"The stay at Mara was very well. We crossed an excellent sejour in this guest house which looks like a small palace of the thousand one at nights. Rooms are very pleasant and the decoration is a good mixture of style egyptien and European. Mara is very helpful and can organize you exits towards sites. It is a pity the restaurant is closed, because the cooking was to be famous..."
"The stay at Mara was very well. We crossed an excellent sejour in this guest house which looks like a small palace of the thousand one at nights. Rooms are very pleasant and the decoration is a good mixture of style egyptien and European. Mara is very helpful and can organize you exits towards sites. It is a pity the restaurant is closed, because the cooking was to be famous..."
a great place with an excellent hotelier
"Mara house is in an interesting location near the railroad station. While the location may appear somewhat rough it provides an opportunity to become part of a Luxor community. Everyone at the hotel and neighborhood is friendly and welcoming. The hotel is very comfortable, the rooms spacious. Mara and her staff are always available with tea and local information."
"Mara house is in an interesting location near the railroad station. While the location may appear somewhat rough it provides an opportunity to become part of a Luxor community. Everyone at the hotel and neighborhood is friendly and welcoming. The hotel is very comfortable, the rooms spacious. Mara and her staff are always available with tea and local information."
Very good and friendly service
"Our daughter fell ill while we were in Egypt and we needed a different antibiotic from the one which the Egyptian doctor had prescribed a few days earlier. We were supposed to be leaving early that morning at 8am for our day tour to the Valley of the Kings and other places. As the pharmacy only opened at 10am, Mara very kindly went and got the antibiotics for us when it opened and had it brought out to us (in a cooler bag, as we requested) in the Valley of the Kings which was some distance away. This was key for us as we were able to continue our tour without disruption and our daughter got the necessary medication and was also able to tour the tombs with us in the Valley of the Kings.
Mara was very friendly and definitely did her best to accommodate our requests. She would often give us her friendly tips and insights into temples in Luxor.
Dinner at the house was very good and we only wished it was available every night. Also very useful to have WiFi in the downstairs sitting area.
Comfortable rooms although the airconditioning could be a bit noisy and too cold if the bedroom door was shut completely. We had an upper floor flat that was spacious, with 2 bedrooms and it was nice having that space when you have children."
Far away from the madding crowd
"My family and I stayed at Mara's House for 4 nights and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
Mara was a very obliging host and we all enjoyed our breakfast chats with her. Our family suite was very comfortable and clean with lots of room for all four of us. Mara also arranged a trip to Abydos and Dendera for us which was well worth every penny.
If you want to find a quiet and comfortable place to stay in Luxor far away from all the hassle and noise of the Corniche then Mara House certainly fits the bill. I'd recommend it to anyone."
"My family and I stayed at Mara's House for 4 nights and thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
Mara was a very obliging host and we all enjoyed our breakfast chats with her. Our family suite was very comfortable and clean with lots of room for all four of us. Mara also arranged a trip to Abydos and Dendera for us which was well worth every penny.
If you want to find a quiet and comfortable place to stay in Luxor far away from all the hassle and noise of the Corniche then Mara House certainly fits the bill. I'd recommend it to anyone."
A brilliant alternative to big hotels!
"Mara is a fund of practical advice and support. She will spare no energy in solving her guests problems and helping them to get the most out of their trip. We loved our room - very large and full of Egyptian character. Breakfast was terrific.
The location is a bit of a hike from the Nile but Mara provides a map and written info including what to pay the taxi driver, etc. We printed some of Mara's blogs which were really helpful especially amounts to tip throughout Egypt, arrival visas, etc. We would highly recommend Mara House and we are booked to go back ourselves."
"Mara is a fund of practical advice and support. She will spare no energy in solving her guests problems and helping them to get the most out of their trip. We loved our room - very large and full of Egyptian character. Breakfast was terrific.
The location is a bit of a hike from the Nile but Mara provides a map and written info including what to pay the taxi driver, etc. We printed some of Mara's blogs which were really helpful especially amounts to tip throughout Egypt, arrival visas, etc. We would highly recommend Mara House and we are booked to go back ourselves."
A treasure off the beaten path
"My wife and I stayed with our boys, ages 7 and 3, for several days. Mara House is located in the residential area of Luxor about a 15-20 minute walk from Luxor Temple and the Nile. If you want a more adventurous, personal experience than you'd get staying at one of the large tourist hotels, I recommend it.
Her building is at the end of a street next to other residential buildings, small shops, etc. The rooms are well-decorated in a traditional style (area rugs, wooden furniture, etc.) and laid out as a large living room / sitting room with a kitchenette, bathroom and bedrooms off the main room.
Our main room did not have air conditioning, so it was hot (we visited in July) even with the fans running. The bedrooms, however, each had AC units which kept it cool enough to sleep.
Also, the main downstairs sitting room for Mara House was large and had AC and was pretty empty the whole time we were there. The TV has only local stations, but we were not there to watch TV! The restaurant was undergoing renovation so we didn't get to try it.
The roof deck / garden was a nice place to have the quality breakfast (great local bread!) that we enjoyed each day.
The absolute best part of Mara House, however, are Mara and her "boys". She provided lots of valuable information about sightseeing and dining in Luxor, sent a taxi for us whenever we called (it is always nice to have a driver you can trust), arranged a day trip to Abydos and Dendera for us (certainly worthwhile), provided advice on tipping, told us what hotel to go to for a swimming pool, and even picked up milk for our younger son without us needing to ask.
Luxor can be a place that makes you, as a tourist, feel like a commodity. Mara House was our oasis."
"My wife and I stayed with our boys, ages 7 and 3, for several days. Mara House is located in the residential area of Luxor about a 15-20 minute walk from Luxor Temple and the Nile. If you want a more adventurous, personal experience than you'd get staying at one of the large tourist hotels, I recommend it.
Her building is at the end of a street next to other residential buildings, small shops, etc. The rooms are well-decorated in a traditional style (area rugs, wooden furniture, etc.) and laid out as a large living room / sitting room with a kitchenette, bathroom and bedrooms off the main room.
Our main room did not have air conditioning, so it was hot (we visited in July) even with the fans running. The bedrooms, however, each had AC units which kept it cool enough to sleep.
Also, the main downstairs sitting room for Mara House was large and had AC and was pretty empty the whole time we were there. The TV has only local stations, but we were not there to watch TV! The restaurant was undergoing renovation so we didn't get to try it.
The roof deck / garden was a nice place to have the quality breakfast (great local bread!) that we enjoyed each day.
The absolute best part of Mara House, however, are Mara and her "boys". She provided lots of valuable information about sightseeing and dining in Luxor, sent a taxi for us whenever we called (it is always nice to have a driver you can trust), arranged a day trip to Abydos and Dendera for us (certainly worthwhile), provided advice on tipping, told us what hotel to go to for a swimming pool, and even picked up milk for our younger son without us needing to ask.
Luxor can be a place that makes you, as a tourist, feel like a commodity. Mara House was our oasis."
Priceworth and adequate hotel with excellent tour arrangement services
"Mara helped us to plan our visit to Luxor, West Bank, Abydos, and Dendera in a very flexible and optimum way, and made our long week-end a very good memory."
"Mara helped us to plan our visit to Luxor, West Bank, Abydos, and Dendera in a very flexible and optimum way, and made our long week-end a very good memory."
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.)