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.
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.
I am 63 years old and Egypt has been on my bucket list for long time. We only had 12 days to see as many sites in Egypt as possible so we made the decision to hire Mara and her team in Luxor and we were very very happy we did. Her team (Mohamad and Mohamad) made the most of our time there and toured us through all the most important sites with their knowledge, ease and grace. Mohamad's tours were informative and comfortable and adapted to our particular interests. I highly recommend Mara’s team's tour services!
In regards to her hotel, it was as expected - very nice. Mara's manager, Amr, accommodated all our special requests and he even arranged and joined us on a feluca sailboat ride on the Nile. The one downside of her hotel is it is located probably 15 minutes walking distance from downtown. Amr solved that problem with several $1-2 taxi rides with his favorite taxi person.
Travelled Oct 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor Nov 2022
In regards to her hotel, it was as expected - very nice. Mara's manager, Amr, accommodated all our special requests and he even arranged and joined us on a feluca sailboat ride on the Nile. The one downside of her hotel is it is located probably 15 minutes walking distance from downtown. Amr solved that problem with several $1-2 taxi rides with his favorite taxi person.
Travelled Oct 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor Nov 2022
We first read about Mara and Mara House in an Egypt guidebook when we we’re looking for someone to manage some tours for us.
We had a lovely suite and stayed for 4 nights. Breakfasts are included and wonderful. The hotel manager Amr is charming and very helpful. We had dinner in the hotel a couple nights after long days sightseeing and the food is as good as or better than anything else we had eaten in Egypt.
Mara arranged tours for us and we were joined by two, sometimes 3, other guests. The guide, Mohammed “Moh” and the tours were good. They’ll manage the driver. They even managed a day seeing sights in Aswan before we arrived in Luxor.
We highly recommend Mara House and the tours she offers. Couldn’t be happier.
We had a lovely suite and stayed for 4 nights. Breakfasts are included and wonderful. The hotel manager Amr is charming and very helpful. We had dinner in the hotel a couple nights after long days sightseeing and the food is as good as or better than anything else we had eaten in Egypt.
Mara arranged tours for us and we were joined by two, sometimes 3, other guests. The guide, Mohammed “Moh” and the tours were good. They’ll manage the driver. They even managed a day seeing sights in Aswan before we arrived in Luxor.
We highly recommend Mara House and the tours she offers. Couldn’t be happier.
5 out of 5
by Whitney on
Expedia
Posted Nov 22, 2022
If you're coming to Luxor do yourself a favor and stay at Mara's. Beautiful property, wonderful staff, delicious food. We had a seamless pick up from the airport (including a return trip to pick up lost luggage that Amr helped track down), on time pick up each day and an enthusiastic and knowledgable guide.
Amr and his family are fantastic hosts, kindly asking about our day and welcoming us into the space. Food was incredible.
My favorite day was the second, with the trip to Dendera. While the ride was long, it was comfortable and intriguing to see what life in Egypt is like outside of Cairo and Luxor proper. On my last day I had 12 hours in Cairo before flying out and Mara arranged a whirlwind visit to the pyramids, sphinx and Cairo Museum. Our guide had a PhD in Hieroglyphics and was extremely valuable in navigating all three locations.
by Whitney on
Expedia
Posted Nov 22, 2022
If you're coming to Luxor do yourself a favor and stay at Mara's. Beautiful property, wonderful staff, delicious food. We had a seamless pick up from the airport (including a return trip to pick up lost luggage that Amr helped track down), on time pick up each day and an enthusiastic and knowledgable guide.
Amr and his family are fantastic hosts, kindly asking about our day and welcoming us into the space. Food was incredible.
My favorite day was the second, with the trip to Dendera. While the ride was long, it was comfortable and intriguing to see what life in Egypt is like outside of Cairo and Luxor proper. On my last day I had 12 hours in Cairo before flying out and Mara arranged a whirlwind visit to the pyramids, sphinx and Cairo Museum. Our guide had a PhD in Hieroglyphics and was extremely valuable in navigating all three locations.
Staying at Mara House in Luxor and also working with Mara to book tours throughout Egypt was one of the best decisions we could have made. Upon arriving in Luxor, we were provided with a free airport transfer to Mara House, where we were warmly greeted by Amr, which set the tone for the rest of our stay. Tastefully decorated and inviting, our suite included a kitchen, a large sitting area, clean bathroom, and comfortable beds. It was the people of Mara House, however, that truly made our time unforgettable. Amr is an excellent chef and served us some of the best food that we had in Egypt. Amr also helped us with many other things, such as answering complicated questions, arranging transportation, ordering takeout food, and even taking care of our laundry
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Prior to arriving, we worked extensively with Mara to arrange tours not only in Luxor, but also in Giza, Aswan, and beyond. In Giza (as well as Memphis, Saqqara, and Dashur), we were escorted in private car by Mara’s incredibly knowledgeable Giza-based guide, Mohammed. Having a doctorate in Egyptology with an emphasis in hieroglyphics, Mohammed was able to accurately and concisely explain the many things we were seeing.
Much of our time in Luxor and Aswan was spent with Mara’s very capable and thoughtful Luxor-based guide, Mohammed (Mo for short). Along with providing interesting information on Ancient Egypt, Mo ensured we always had enough water and also had time to explore the many sites that we visited. Additionally, Mo made sure that we visited sites at times of day when crowds were at their lowest, which made our experiences more relaxing and enjoyable.
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Prior to arriving, we worked extensively with Mara to arrange tours not only in Luxor, but also in Giza, Aswan, and beyond. In Giza (as well as Memphis, Saqqara, and Dashur), we were escorted in private car by Mara’s incredibly knowledgeable Giza-based guide, Mohammed. Having a doctorate in Egyptology with an emphasis in hieroglyphics, Mohammed was able to accurately and concisely explain the many things we were seeing.
Much of our time in Luxor and Aswan was spent with Mara’s very capable and thoughtful Luxor-based guide, Mohammed (Mo for short). Along with providing interesting information on Ancient Egypt, Mo ensured we always had enough water and also had time to explore the many sites that we visited. Additionally, Mo made sure that we visited sites at times of day when crowds were at their lowest, which made our experiences more relaxing and enjoyable.
I chose Mara House because of her helpful and informative blog. I found Mara herself to be equally helpful and informative at all stages of my travel planning. She knows Egypt well and was invaluable at helping us to prioritise what we could do during our short stay.
For us, the highlight of the trip was Cairo. Mara's guide Suzy was excellent--knowledgeable, friendly, and overall a complete delight. She helped us negotiate our camel ride at Giza and buy things at the grocery store without getting ripped off, and she directed us to restaurants with prices printed on the menus so we didn't have to negotiate the price of dinner. She made visiting Cairo completely hassle-free, which was just wonderful for us.
We also enjoyed staying at Hotel Steigenberger in Cairo, which booked through Mara. She was able to match the price of booking.com but threw in free breakfast for the 5 of us (and the breakfast was excellent!).
In Luxor itself, we had a nice stay too. Mara House is a B&B off the beaten path. Our room was very spacious--more room than we needed for our family of 5, which was a surprise and delight. Amr was friendly and hospitable and a great home cook. We were surprised to have our sleep disturbed at dawn by the call to prayer, but in retrospect we shouldn't have been--that's just life in an Islamic country! I think we would have preferred to stay closer to downtown Luxor, but again, in the context of a comprehensive travel solution that included a chauffeur for anywhere we wanted to go, it was not a deal-breaker.
Mohamed, our guide in Luxor, was also very knowledgeable and personable, and did his job as a tour guide well. However, I found him less assertive than Suzy at protecting us from the hassle of street vendors and unwanted "helpers" at various points along the way (especially on the Valley of Kings tour). I think Mohamed is empathetically looking out for the livelihoods of the people whose economic circumstances are regrettably not great by not denying them opportunities to earn tips--and I understand and even respect that (even though it feels a bit like emotional extortion to have to tip for a service that was neither desired nor useful). But I was a bit disappointed at the level of hassle for me while touring Luxor, especially after a perfect trip to Cairo with Suzy.
But all in all, I would recommend Mara House as a travel agency as well as a B&B. We had a great trip and the level of hassle was lower than it would have been without the presence of our guides and drivers in both destinations. And I very much appreciated Mara's help as a travel planner--she saved me from several potential pitfalls and guided me towards a vacation we will always remember
Traveled as family of 5 Feb 2022. Reviewed on Tripadvisor April 2022
Booked 3 nights in Luxor and 3 nights in Cairo with tours
For us, the highlight of the trip was Cairo. Mara's guide Suzy was excellent--knowledgeable, friendly, and overall a complete delight. She helped us negotiate our camel ride at Giza and buy things at the grocery store without getting ripped off, and she directed us to restaurants with prices printed on the menus so we didn't have to negotiate the price of dinner. She made visiting Cairo completely hassle-free, which was just wonderful for us.
We also enjoyed staying at Hotel Steigenberger in Cairo, which booked through Mara. She was able to match the price of booking.com but threw in free breakfast for the 5 of us (and the breakfast was excellent!).
In Luxor itself, we had a nice stay too. Mara House is a B&B off the beaten path. Our room was very spacious--more room than we needed for our family of 5, which was a surprise and delight. Amr was friendly and hospitable and a great home cook. We were surprised to have our sleep disturbed at dawn by the call to prayer, but in retrospect we shouldn't have been--that's just life in an Islamic country! I think we would have preferred to stay closer to downtown Luxor, but again, in the context of a comprehensive travel solution that included a chauffeur for anywhere we wanted to go, it was not a deal-breaker.
Mohamed, our guide in Luxor, was also very knowledgeable and personable, and did his job as a tour guide well. However, I found him less assertive than Suzy at protecting us from the hassle of street vendors and unwanted "helpers" at various points along the way (especially on the Valley of Kings tour). I think Mohamed is empathetically looking out for the livelihoods of the people whose economic circumstances are regrettably not great by not denying them opportunities to earn tips--and I understand and even respect that (even though it feels a bit like emotional extortion to have to tip for a service that was neither desired nor useful). But I was a bit disappointed at the level of hassle for me while touring Luxor, especially after a perfect trip to Cairo with Suzy.
But all in all, I would recommend Mara House as a travel agency as well as a B&B. We had a great trip and the level of hassle was lower than it would have been without the presence of our guides and drivers in both destinations. And I very much appreciated Mara's help as a travel planner--she saved me from several potential pitfalls and guided me towards a vacation we will always remember
Traveled as family of 5 Feb 2022. Reviewed on Tripadvisor April 2022
Booked 3 nights in Luxor and 3 nights in Cairo with tours
We had a great stay. We were very comfortable in our suite and were extremely well looked after by Anr and the team. The guided tours worked out perfectly. And we found getting in and out of central Luxor quite easy. A great opportunity to see an area of the city that’s untouristed.
Thank you Mara
Traveled as couple. Reviewed on Tripadvisor March 2022 Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package
Thank you Mara
Traveled as couple. Reviewed on Tripadvisor March 2022 Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package
I have recently stayed at Mara House in Luxor Egypt and thoroughly enjoyed my time here!
I opted for a three night stay and the three day tour of Luxor.
The accommodations are incredible! The room really blew me away. It doesn’t feel like a hotel, it feels like someone’s home. The location is in a residential area but a short walk to downtown Luxor and the Nile. The staff are amazing. Amr, the property manager, literally went above and beyond to make sure the trip was perfect. I cannot speak more highly of someone who just wanted to actually make my stay nice! The room is immaculate, the showers are awesome, air conditioning is cols, internet is fast, and the breakfast was delicious.
Staying at Mara House was was highlight of my trip. Definitely recommend.
– Reviewed on TripAdvisor 14 Oct 2021 – booked Luxor 3 Nights Package
I opted for a three night stay and the three day tour of Luxor.
The accommodations are incredible! The room really blew me away. It doesn’t feel like a hotel, it feels like someone’s home. The location is in a residential area but a short walk to downtown Luxor and the Nile. The staff are amazing. Amr, the property manager, literally went above and beyond to make sure the trip was perfect. I cannot speak more highly of someone who just wanted to actually make my stay nice! The room is immaculate, the showers are awesome, air conditioning is cols, internet is fast, and the breakfast was delicious.
Staying at Mara House was was highlight of my trip. Definitely recommend.
– Reviewed on TripAdvisor 14 Oct 2021 – booked Luxor 3 Nights Package
"My wife, grown daughter, and I came to Egypt on Mara’s 9 day tour. As you know, the sights and food in Egypt are wonderful; this review will focus on post-Covid concerns you might have. We decided to come despite Covid because we are all vaccinated and Egypt has a low covid prevalence."
We almost missed our flight out of the US because they said our Covid test done on Saturday was too old for our flight on Monday. We had a rapid re-test on Monday am. I would suggest getting tests two days before your flight and then the day before your flight. Get the tests late in the day; for example if your flight leaves at 4pm, get swabbed at 4:30 pm. You want your tests to be as “fresh” as possible.
Mara made sure the Egyptian logistics were all very smooth. The guides (Mohammed Hedar and Mohammed Ahmed) were both very friendly, knowledgeable, and vaccinated. Most of the drivers were also vaccinated. I encouraged the hotel staff to get vaccinated also. We were touring from 9am to 3-5pm every day, after which we were tired and happy.
The Steigenberger hotel in Tahrir Square was modern and clean. It was near great restaurants including Felfala, Abou Tarek (khosary), and El Abd Pastry. The Old Cairo Museum was directly across the street. We walked 20 minutes to the Cairo tower.
We were the first group at Mara House since the pandemic began. As others have noted, the House is not in a scenic or walk-friendly area, but the rooms are huge, comfortable and cool. The chef, Amr, prepares very nice meals. On our free evening Amr arranged a car to take us to the Luxor museum and to watch the sunset from the waterfront.
The Nile cruise was on the Steigenberger Royale ship. It appeared to be the cleanest and newest boat in operation. It was limited to 50% occupancy. The staff did temperature checks, wore masks, etc. I don’t know whether they were vaccinated.
Our family was required to have a new Covid pcr test prior to departure due to regulations in Jordan, our next destination. The guide was very helpful in organizing this. It was pretty expensive but the nice printed documents were helpful in getting through the international flights.
Overall it was a great trip. We had Egypt basically to ourselves! What a great opportunity. I encourage you to email Mara and set up a trip soon before the crowds return.
Travelled as Family. Reviewed on TripAdvisor May 2021 – booked Egypt 9 Nighta Package
We almost missed our flight out of the US because they said our Covid test done on Saturday was too old for our flight on Monday. We had a rapid re-test on Monday am. I would suggest getting tests two days before your flight and then the day before your flight. Get the tests late in the day; for example if your flight leaves at 4pm, get swabbed at 4:30 pm. You want your tests to be as “fresh” as possible.
Mara made sure the Egyptian logistics were all very smooth. The guides (Mohammed Hedar and Mohammed Ahmed) were both very friendly, knowledgeable, and vaccinated. Most of the drivers were also vaccinated. I encouraged the hotel staff to get vaccinated also. We were touring from 9am to 3-5pm every day, after which we were tired and happy.
The Steigenberger hotel in Tahrir Square was modern and clean. It was near great restaurants including Felfala, Abou Tarek (khosary), and El Abd Pastry. The Old Cairo Museum was directly across the street. We walked 20 minutes to the Cairo tower.
We were the first group at Mara House since the pandemic began. As others have noted, the House is not in a scenic or walk-friendly area, but the rooms are huge, comfortable and cool. The chef, Amr, prepares very nice meals. On our free evening Amr arranged a car to take us to the Luxor museum and to watch the sunset from the waterfront.
The Nile cruise was on the Steigenberger Royale ship. It appeared to be the cleanest and newest boat in operation. It was limited to 50% occupancy. The staff did temperature checks, wore masks, etc. I don’t know whether they were vaccinated.
Our family was required to have a new Covid pcr test prior to departure due to regulations in Jordan, our next destination. The guide was very helpful in organizing this. It was pretty expensive but the nice printed documents were helpful in getting through the international flights.
Overall it was a great trip. We had Egypt basically to ourselves! What a great opportunity. I encourage you to email Mara and set up a trip soon before the crowds return.
Travelled as Family. Reviewed on TripAdvisor May 2021 – booked Egypt 9 Nighta Package
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.)