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.
A sanctuary of Peace & Tranquility
"We stayed with Mara for 3 nights and were looked after very well by Mara, Stephen & Sarah. When we arrived we had our first beer in 4 days – due to Ramadan, so we had the best welcome. Our room was a 2 bedroom suite, very spacious and comfortable with a small balcony and the bathroom was also spacious. We spent more time at the bar/lounge area, chatting with Mara & Sarah who were very informative. Mara House is a little off the beaten track – hence one of it’s positives. When you have been out and about all day, you are hot and bothered & tired of noise and hassle – then Mara’s is the best place to return to. An oases of calm & quiet. Nothing was too much trouble for these guys and I can’t thank them enough for their words of wisdom & advice. I would recommend the tour with Ali to Dendera & Abydos – well worth it and recommend dining in the restaurant for their awesome feast!"
"We stayed with Mara for 3 nights and were looked after very well by Mara, Stephen & Sarah. When we arrived we had our first beer in 4 days – due to Ramadan, so we had the best welcome. Our room was a 2 bedroom suite, very spacious and comfortable with a small balcony and the bathroom was also spacious. We spent more time at the bar/lounge area, chatting with Mara & Sarah who were very informative. Mara House is a little off the beaten track – hence one of it’s positives. When you have been out and about all day, you are hot and bothered & tired of noise and hassle – then Mara’s is the best place to return to. An oases of calm & quiet. Nothing was too much trouble for these guys and I can’t thank them enough for their words of wisdom & advice. I would recommend the tour with Ali to Dendera & Abydos – well worth it and recommend dining in the restaurant for their awesome feast!"
The Best Part of Our Trip
"My wife and I recently spent 10 days in Egypt, and the four days we spent at Mara House were easily the best part of our trip. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there, and would recommend Mara House to anyone who is visiting Egypt to see the ancient culture.
ADVANTAGES: Mara House is very quiet. Mara and her staff are very friendly. They all helped out a great deal when I needed to contact the Marriott in Cairo. You can avail yourself of Mara's tours or not. We did, and we felt it was worth the money. Ali, Mara's tourguide, is very knowledgeable and friendly. He also did not try to steer us to the nearest "Papyrus Museum" or "Carpet School," two of the scams in Egypt. We also traveled in a very comfortable minivan, with AC, and believe me, that was a huge plus. Mara provides a free cold breakfast in the morning, but we found it very tasty. The coffee was very good. Mara also provides free wifi, though I could only get my smartphone to connect on the main floor. Still, this was another plus. I get so tired of paying more to a big hotel, and then they nickel and dime you for every little thing, include the internet. When I'm on vacation, I want to stay connected, but not have to worry about how many minutes I have left, or turning off my phone so it doesn't connect on its own. Also, Mara seems to have her own special cadre of trusted taxi drivers, so getting around carries a little less anxiety. The rooms were very large and comfortable.
DISADVANTAGES: Mara House is not in the center of town. It's "behind" the train station in a neighborhood that, at first glance, causes concern. (We learned later that the neighborhood is actually quite safe.) My wife and I, both 55, were easily able to walk to Mara House from the train station, with our luggage, on a hot afternoon. But, if walking is a problem for you, this could be a drawback.
Mara House has no pool, hot tub, fitness center, or TV. We didn't miss any of those features. Mara House also has no elevator. We were two flights up, which was just about our limit. Our bathroom did not have a shower stall, just a shower head on the wall and a drain in the corner. I had never used this arrangement before, so I had my apprehension, but it worked well. It helped that there was good water pressure and ample hot water.
CONCLUSION: I don't think I had ever gotten a hug from a hotel operator before, but that's the way our stay at Mara House ended. Traveling can be very stressful, especially to a foreign country. We found Mara House to be very comfortable, very friendly, and most importantly, very relaxing. I think we were both a little sad to leave."
"My wife and I recently spent 10 days in Egypt, and the four days we spent at Mara House were easily the best part of our trip. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there, and would recommend Mara House to anyone who is visiting Egypt to see the ancient culture.
ADVANTAGES: Mara House is very quiet. Mara and her staff are very friendly. They all helped out a great deal when I needed to contact the Marriott in Cairo. You can avail yourself of Mara's tours or not. We did, and we felt it was worth the money. Ali, Mara's tourguide, is very knowledgeable and friendly. He also did not try to steer us to the nearest "Papyrus Museum" or "Carpet School," two of the scams in Egypt. We also traveled in a very comfortable minivan, with AC, and believe me, that was a huge plus. Mara provides a free cold breakfast in the morning, but we found it very tasty. The coffee was very good. Mara also provides free wifi, though I could only get my smartphone to connect on the main floor. Still, this was another plus. I get so tired of paying more to a big hotel, and then they nickel and dime you for every little thing, include the internet. When I'm on vacation, I want to stay connected, but not have to worry about how many minutes I have left, or turning off my phone so it doesn't connect on its own. Also, Mara seems to have her own special cadre of trusted taxi drivers, so getting around carries a little less anxiety. The rooms were very large and comfortable.
DISADVANTAGES: Mara House is not in the center of town. It's "behind" the train station in a neighborhood that, at first glance, causes concern. (We learned later that the neighborhood is actually quite safe.) My wife and I, both 55, were easily able to walk to Mara House from the train station, with our luggage, on a hot afternoon. But, if walking is a problem for you, this could be a drawback.
Mara House has no pool, hot tub, fitness center, or TV. We didn't miss any of those features. Mara House also has no elevator. We were two flights up, which was just about our limit. Our bathroom did not have a shower stall, just a shower head on the wall and a drain in the corner. I had never used this arrangement before, so I had my apprehension, but it worked well. It helped that there was good water pressure and ample hot water.
CONCLUSION: I don't think I had ever gotten a hug from a hotel operator before, but that's the way our stay at Mara House ended. Traveling can be very stressful, especially to a foreign country. We found Mara House to be very comfortable, very friendly, and most importantly, very relaxing. I think we were both a little sad to leave."
Individuality, charming and hands-on owner; simply superb
"We had the most lovely time staying with Mara. I cannot recommend our time staying with her highly enough. Friendly and hospitable, charming, interesting, full of useful tips and recommendations both to Luxor and to surrounding sites. It was just the right type of personal attention. She built the house herself and the attention to detail is remarkable, from the gates she designed herself to the hand-picked Egyptian silks. She has everything you could need for a stay in Luxor - taxi numbers, shop recommendations, restaurant suggestions (if you don't eat with her - see below) and her own detailed guide to sites from her fascination with Egypt.
As to meals, breakfast was a simple and satisfying contintental spread served on a platter, but dinner was ultra-special. Her son oversees the evening kitchen, and most evenings they serve an Egyptian feast in their dedicated restaurant (about 10 - 15 dishes) - easily the best food we had our whole time in Egypt, and thoroughly to be recommended. I'm vegetarian (my boyfriend is not!) and neither of us had any difficulties whatsoever in selecting from amongst the 15 dishes. Think Lebanese/Greek/Turkish and you get the general idea.
As to the rooms, the room we stayed in was a small suite, albeit that we never used the sitting room and kitchenette area and only used the bedroom (the only room with aircon). I think all the rooms are small suites, but I'm not sure about that. What makes this place special is Mara, and if you're looking for the souless attention of a large chain 5* hotel, this place won't suit you. But if you're looking for a boutique-type experience that is for the independent traveller who doesn't particularly want the spa & Italian furnishings and likes the individuality of meeting owners (& who probably used to be a backpacker when they were in their early 20s!) this place is simply superb. It was my favourite place we stayed at in the whole of Egypt and I would thoroughly recommend it.
PS. Location; it's about 5 mins walk from the main railway station, and about 15 mins walk to Luxor Temple. Even shorter in a cab!"
"We had the most lovely time staying with Mara. I cannot recommend our time staying with her highly enough. Friendly and hospitable, charming, interesting, full of useful tips and recommendations both to Luxor and to surrounding sites. It was just the right type of personal attention. She built the house herself and the attention to detail is remarkable, from the gates she designed herself to the hand-picked Egyptian silks. She has everything you could need for a stay in Luxor - taxi numbers, shop recommendations, restaurant suggestions (if you don't eat with her - see below) and her own detailed guide to sites from her fascination with Egypt.
As to meals, breakfast was a simple and satisfying contintental spread served on a platter, but dinner was ultra-special. Her son oversees the evening kitchen, and most evenings they serve an Egyptian feast in their dedicated restaurant (about 10 - 15 dishes) - easily the best food we had our whole time in Egypt, and thoroughly to be recommended. I'm vegetarian (my boyfriend is not!) and neither of us had any difficulties whatsoever in selecting from amongst the 15 dishes. Think Lebanese/Greek/Turkish and you get the general idea.
As to the rooms, the room we stayed in was a small suite, albeit that we never used the sitting room and kitchenette area and only used the bedroom (the only room with aircon). I think all the rooms are small suites, but I'm not sure about that. What makes this place special is Mara, and if you're looking for the souless attention of a large chain 5* hotel, this place won't suit you. But if you're looking for a boutique-type experience that is for the independent traveller who doesn't particularly want the spa & Italian furnishings and likes the individuality of meeting owners (& who probably used to be a backpacker when they were in their early 20s!) this place is simply superb. It was my favourite place we stayed at in the whole of Egypt and I would thoroughly recommend it.
PS. Location; it's about 5 mins walk from the main railway station, and about 15 mins walk to Luxor Temple. Even shorter in a cab!"
absolutely wonderful, our favorite place to rest in Egypt
"Mara's house is clean, beautiful and my favorite place to stay in Egypt. I have stayed in 5 star hotels around the world and Mara's house is better than any Ritz (especially the one in Sharm). The tasting dinner was our best meal during our two week trip throughout Egypt. If you are looking for a taste of the real Egypt in terms of the location with the comfort of a great small, quiet hotel then Mara's House is for you. If you are afraid of walking and talking with the local Egyptians then you might want to stay in one of the fancy hotels along the Nile with the other tourists."
"Mara's house is clean, beautiful and my favorite place to stay in Egypt. I have stayed in 5 star hotels around the world and Mara's house is better than any Ritz (especially the one in Sharm). The tasting dinner was our best meal during our two week trip throughout Egypt. If you are looking for a taste of the real Egypt in terms of the location with the comfort of a great small, quiet hotel then Mara's House is for you. If you are afraid of walking and talking with the local Egyptians then you might want to stay in one of the fancy hotels along the Nile with the other tourists."
Simply Wonderful
"A huge thanks to Mara, Stephen, Sarah and the team who put so much effort in to making your stay as enjoyable as possible. We arrived from Hurghada after a 7 hour bus trip and after a shaky start a quick phone call to Mara saw a taxi arrive to pick us up from the train station to take us to the hotel. The hotel is in a residential area about a 10 min walk from the Luxor Temple, we had a huge room, seperate living room and bathroom. Mara is a wealth of knowledge on Egypt and the history and clearly has a passion for her subject, which she was willing to share over breakfast. Mara arranged a full day's sightseeing to the West Bank with our own guide and driver (big thanks to Ali our guide) which was very reasonable and meant that we could stay as long as we liked in each place.
A must is eating in the resturant, Stephen's egyptian family feast is fantastic with approx. 10 different traditional taster dishes, food was wonderful, it was just a shame we couldn't eat it all!
Luxor itself is a lovely small city, we did Karnac and the Luxor Temple on our own, yes you get hassled but either smile politely and move on or better engage with people, they are not all out to rip you off and the Egyptians are very friendly with a good sense of humour, we met some great people.
Can't recommend Luxor and Mara House enough."
"A huge thanks to Mara, Stephen, Sarah and the team who put so much effort in to making your stay as enjoyable as possible. We arrived from Hurghada after a 7 hour bus trip and after a shaky start a quick phone call to Mara saw a taxi arrive to pick us up from the train station to take us to the hotel. The hotel is in a residential area about a 10 min walk from the Luxor Temple, we had a huge room, seperate living room and bathroom. Mara is a wealth of knowledge on Egypt and the history and clearly has a passion for her subject, which she was willing to share over breakfast. Mara arranged a full day's sightseeing to the West Bank with our own guide and driver (big thanks to Ali our guide) which was very reasonable and meant that we could stay as long as we liked in each place.
A must is eating in the resturant, Stephen's egyptian family feast is fantastic with approx. 10 different traditional taster dishes, food was wonderful, it was just a shame we couldn't eat it all!
Luxor itself is a lovely small city, we did Karnac and the Luxor Temple on our own, yes you get hassled but either smile politely and move on or better engage with people, they are not all out to rip you off and the Egyptians are very friendly with a good sense of humour, we met some great people.
Can't recommend Luxor and Mara House enough."
Totally Amazing, relaxed, fun place to stay
"I was in Mara's house less than five minutes when i had a cup of tea in hand, sitting on a sofa, chatting with Mara and being introduce to the staff. She, and her staff, are friendly and relaxed which made the stay the same.
I stayed for 6 nights in a fantastic suite (Suite! I thought I'd just booked a room!) with the bed the size of Yorkshire. I made this place my home, something encouraged by Mara. She also gave me hours of her time talking about the sites, the history and the myths of luxor.
From the outset Mara's communications were excellent, she organised an airport pickup at a very good rate well in advance. The suite was large, clean, with airconditioned bedroom and a balcony. The house has 9 apartments and is situated about 10 min walk from the shopping centre of town, another 2-3 mins to the Nile itself. The rooms come with a "briefing pack": services provided by the hotel (no surprise), guide to getting round Luxor (nice), guide to prices, tipping, negotiation etc (very useful) and some history around Abydos and Dendara (very nice).
The tours offered are excellent: high quality airco'd busses, EXCELLENT guides, no stopping at "papyrus factories", "alabaster factories", "my cousin's emproium of finest imported Dirt in the mountains" etc. This was refreshing. Something else refreshing was that the descriptions of time was accurate - you know exactly when you'd be home, how long each leg would take and what to expect - very jolly.
The resteraunt is, again, excellent. It does not open every day, but most days when the house is busy. The only food provided is a mini banquet of a variety of Egyptian dishes: 2 soups, 9-11 various dishes of meat and vegetarian, a desert (these all changed each day). All brought to your table and the staff exlpain what each dish is, how it's made and what from. And one cannot, physically, eat all of it. There was loads, and very fresh and tasty.
In summary: Highlight of my holiday: I am looking for a reason to return."
Our Favourite Hotel Stay in Egypt
"Mara House was fully booked the 1st night we were to spend in Luxor, so we spent that night at the Sheraton. It was comfortable and we considered extending our stay at the Sheraton itself, but we are so glad we stuck to our original plan.
Our subsequent nights at the Mara House were amazing. We often walked to town or back. It is a bit of a distance from the touristic part of town, but it is definitely worth staying at. The rooms are large and tastefully done up. It has a very homely feel about the place. Breakfast is simple, but served with warmth.
Guests get to know each other really well and exchange stories and experiences and advice freely without any awkwardness.
I'd highly recommend staying here if you don't mind being a little bit away from the town center."
"Mara House was fully booked the 1st night we were to spend in Luxor, so we spent that night at the Sheraton. It was comfortable and we considered extending our stay at the Sheraton itself, but we are so glad we stuck to our original plan.
Our subsequent nights at the Mara House were amazing. We often walked to town or back. It is a bit of a distance from the touristic part of town, but it is definitely worth staying at. The rooms are large and tastefully done up. It has a very homely feel about the place. Breakfast is simple, but served with warmth.
Guests get to know each other really well and exchange stories and experiences and advice freely without any awkwardness.
I'd highly recommend staying here if you don't mind being a little bit away from the town center."
A great find in a busy city
"This place is an extension of Mara and she is quite a character. It's some distance from the sites and the river but if you don't mind walking you go through some of the residential parts of Luxor which as a tourist you often don't experience. The apartments are great - very spacious and can easily accommodate 6 and the roof terrace is a real bonus. Dont stay there without experiencing the Egyptian feast in the restaurant run by Mara's son and daughter in law."
"This place is an extension of Mara and she is quite a character. It's some distance from the sites and the river but if you don't mind walking you go through some of the residential parts of Luxor which as a tourist you often don't experience. The apartments are great - very spacious and can easily accommodate 6 and the roof terrace is a real bonus. Dont stay there without experiencing the Egyptian feast in the restaurant run by Mara's son and daughter in law."
Fantastic Trip
"Beautifully decorated house based in the more residential area of Luxor. Can be a little difficult to find since most taxi drivers haven't heard of it! However, is only 10min walk from the main train station.
We arrived early in the morning after having taken the night train from Cairo and Mara took us straight to our room without any check-in after 2pm so we could sleep and recover from the "luxury" train!
The room was off a large living/dining/kitchen which was all beautifully decorated that we had to ourselves. Bathroom was basic but clean.
Mara was very helpful, giving us tips for our sightseeing and she even provided us with a shower and towels to use after we had checked out on our last day.
The breakfast was very tasty and nicely presented.
Real value for money and highly recommended."
"Beautifully decorated house based in the more residential area of Luxor. Can be a little difficult to find since most taxi drivers haven't heard of it! However, is only 10min walk from the main train station.
We arrived early in the morning after having taken the night train from Cairo and Mara took us straight to our room without any check-in after 2pm so we could sleep and recover from the "luxury" train!
The room was off a large living/dining/kitchen which was all beautifully decorated that we had to ourselves. Bathroom was basic but clean.
Mara was very helpful, giving us tips for our sightseeing and she even provided us with a shower and towels to use after we had checked out on our last day.
The breakfast was very tasty and nicely presented.
Real value for money and highly recommended."
Do not stay anywhere else in Luxor
"I was very dubious to start with as we had booked the Cairo Marriott and the Sheraton Miramar in El Gouna. I knew that this was not 5 stars and Mara made this clear to me before arriving as she saw my itinerary. However it was the nicest place we stayed and what we liked best was that it was safe. You can walk around the streets at any hour, local children are saying hello, elders are saying welcome, it was a great experience. The apartment was beautiful and clean, I would highly suggest it.
I just read the previous negative post and would like to say that it is nonsense. Mara's is a the only boutique hotel I can find in Egypt and I would return in a heart beat.
One of the nicest things I liked was Mara is there to help and make sure you do not get ripped off or taken advantage of.
While Egypt is a nice country, no Egyptian is your friend."
"I was very dubious to start with as we had booked the Cairo Marriott and the Sheraton Miramar in El Gouna. I knew that this was not 5 stars and Mara made this clear to me before arriving as she saw my itinerary. However it was the nicest place we stayed and what we liked best was that it was safe. You can walk around the streets at any hour, local children are saying hello, elders are saying welcome, it was a great experience. The apartment was beautiful and clean, I would highly suggest it.
I just read the previous negative post and would like to say that it is nonsense. Mara's is a the only boutique hotel I can find in Egypt and I would return in a heart beat.
One of the nicest things I liked was Mara is there to help and make sure you do not get ripped off or taken advantage of.
While Egypt is a nice country, no Egyptian is your friend."
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.)