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.
Great place to come home to after a busy day of sightseeing
"When we first arrived at Mara House we were immediately put off by the slightly asymmetrical pattern in the reception area. But apart from that we couldn’t fault our stay with Mara. The place is away from the main tourist area so our taxi driver had some trouble finding it, but once you know where it is it’s easy enough to direct other drivers. The walk to the Nile isn’t too bad, but taxis are cheap as chips and Mara has good drivers she can call if you don’t feel like walking. The rooms/suites are nice and large with plenty of extra space. Since we were there in the quiet season we got 2 suites between 5 people. Each suite has a large living area/kitchen, bathroom and 3 bedrooms. There was far more space than we could possibly use. The hot water came on quickly which isn’t that common in Egypt. The shower is located in front of the toilet so it gets wet after a shower, but it’s not really an issue and there’s an extra toilet in the bar you can use. The air-con works well, albeit a bit rattly. Mara was a great host and she always had plenty of stories to tell us, we could’ve sat around talking for hours. The staff were all very friendly and helpful too. Mara gave us lots of advice on what to see, do and eat while we were there and we had a great time. We booked our tours with her, and our guide Ali who was well versed in ancient Egyptian history taught us a lot. I’m not sure how the prices compare to other companies, but we got a private car and good guide for the whole day who doesn’t take you on those dreaded ‘shopping trips’.
So in summary, we very much enjoyed our stay at Mara House and would definitely stay there again."
"When we first arrived at Mara House we were immediately put off by the slightly asymmetrical pattern in the reception area. But apart from that we couldn’t fault our stay with Mara. The place is away from the main tourist area so our taxi driver had some trouble finding it, but once you know where it is it’s easy enough to direct other drivers. The walk to the Nile isn’t too bad, but taxis are cheap as chips and Mara has good drivers she can call if you don’t feel like walking. The rooms/suites are nice and large with plenty of extra space. Since we were there in the quiet season we got 2 suites between 5 people. Each suite has a large living area/kitchen, bathroom and 3 bedrooms. There was far more space than we could possibly use. The hot water came on quickly which isn’t that common in Egypt. The shower is located in front of the toilet so it gets wet after a shower, but it’s not really an issue and there’s an extra toilet in the bar you can use. The air-con works well, albeit a bit rattly. Mara was a great host and she always had plenty of stories to tell us, we could’ve sat around talking for hours. The staff were all very friendly and helpful too. Mara gave us lots of advice on what to see, do and eat while we were there and we had a great time. We booked our tours with her, and our guide Ali who was well versed in ancient Egyptian history taught us a lot. I’m not sure how the prices compare to other companies, but we got a private car and good guide for the whole day who doesn’t take you on those dreaded ‘shopping trips’.
So in summary, we very much enjoyed our stay at Mara House and would definitely stay there again."
Beautiful rooms, great place to stay
"You won't be disappointed by Mara House. My husband and I based our exploration of Luxor here. The rooms are large and elegantly decorated, and Mara is a fantastic host!
It is located a little out of central Luxor, but it is only a 10-15 min walk into town, and quite a nice walk through a local area. We actually preferred staying a bit out of town, as the centre is pretty chaotic, and taxi fares are so cheap you can always get a taxi back at night. It is also possible to book trips to various sites which are good value, and Mara provides a nice packed lunch. Would definately stay there again!"
"You won't be disappointed by Mara House. My husband and I based our exploration of Luxor here. The rooms are large and elegantly decorated, and Mara is a fantastic host!
It is located a little out of central Luxor, but it is only a 10-15 min walk into town, and quite a nice walk through a local area. We actually preferred staying a bit out of town, as the centre is pretty chaotic, and taxi fares are so cheap you can always get a taxi back at night. It is also possible to book trips to various sites which are good value, and Mara provides a nice packed lunch. Would definately stay there again!"
My saving grace in Egypt.
"After an absolutely horrid time in Cairo, I spent 4 days in Luxor at Mara's. The service I (my group of 4, that is) received was simply unprecedented.
First, I will start with the fact that Mara opened her doors for us as soon as we arrived in Luxor at 08:00. If you have done much traveling, you know what a pain it is to arrive that early only to wait until 11:30 to check in. We were taken care of 100% from the first minute we walked into the door. We were able to book all of the trips we wanted to do through Mara, at a MUCH lower rate than what competitors were offering online. My group did the West Bank tour and the Abydos tour. To make things even more of a treat, Mara took us on the Abydos tour herself! What a fountain of knowledge this woman is!
If you are looking for a comfortable place to hang your hat for a while, I highly recommend Mara House. From helping a sick member of the group with medicine to sitting up at night, drinking beer at the front desk sharing stories, Mara made us all feel right at home.
The rooms were spotless with very modern decor and working utilities, which is more than I can say about the 4 star hotel in Cairo I visited... As a special treat, Mara opened the restaurant for our first evening (they normally close in the summer.) Our group of 4 was joined by a British couple that had booked their Luxor trips through Mara. We were all exhausted by the time we were brought out the final course of the meal. Every single item on the menu was simply superb!
Maybe it does not matter to some, but the availability of alcohol meant a lot to me as well 🙂 Mara has a full stocked cooler of Stella and a bar with the main brand spirits as well. Some are not that big of drinkers, but I found it very difficult to find a decent hotel that actually had alcohol.
I am currently writing this review from the Hilton in Alexandria (btw, we would never have made it to Alexandria without Mara's helping us arrange last minute tickets after previous plans fell through) and each and every one of us is missing the comfort of home that Mara provided.
The hug as we were leaving was the ultimate kicker. Where else do you get such friendly service? If you want impersonal staff and melancholy service, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you want to feel like you truly belong where you are staying and have intelligent conversations with all of the staff and guests, I can do nothing more than HIGHLY recommend Mara House to anyone traveling to Luxor!"
"After an absolutely horrid time in Cairo, I spent 4 days in Luxor at Mara's. The service I (my group of 4, that is) received was simply unprecedented.
First, I will start with the fact that Mara opened her doors for us as soon as we arrived in Luxor at 08:00. If you have done much traveling, you know what a pain it is to arrive that early only to wait until 11:30 to check in. We were taken care of 100% from the first minute we walked into the door. We were able to book all of the trips we wanted to do through Mara, at a MUCH lower rate than what competitors were offering online. My group did the West Bank tour and the Abydos tour. To make things even more of a treat, Mara took us on the Abydos tour herself! What a fountain of knowledge this woman is!
If you are looking for a comfortable place to hang your hat for a while, I highly recommend Mara House. From helping a sick member of the group with medicine to sitting up at night, drinking beer at the front desk sharing stories, Mara made us all feel right at home.
The rooms were spotless with very modern decor and working utilities, which is more than I can say about the 4 star hotel in Cairo I visited... As a special treat, Mara opened the restaurant for our first evening (they normally close in the summer.) Our group of 4 was joined by a British couple that had booked their Luxor trips through Mara. We were all exhausted by the time we were brought out the final course of the meal. Every single item on the menu was simply superb!
Maybe it does not matter to some, but the availability of alcohol meant a lot to me as well 🙂 Mara has a full stocked cooler of Stella and a bar with the main brand spirits as well. Some are not that big of drinkers, but I found it very difficult to find a decent hotel that actually had alcohol.
I am currently writing this review from the Hilton in Alexandria (btw, we would never have made it to Alexandria without Mara's helping us arrange last minute tickets after previous plans fell through) and each and every one of us is missing the comfort of home that Mara provided.
The hug as we were leaving was the ultimate kicker. Where else do you get such friendly service? If you want impersonal staff and melancholy service, you might want to look elsewhere, but if you want to feel like you truly belong where you are staying and have intelligent conversations with all of the staff and guests, I can do nothing more than HIGHLY recommend Mara House to anyone traveling to Luxor!"
Clean, friendly oasis in a non-touristy neighborhood
"Clean, quiet, and friendly are important attributes in Luxor. Mara House feels like a B&B. It is located about 10 minutes walk from the train station in a quiet neighborhood. It was nice to show up without day plans and simply join up with whatever small tours were going out that week. We took two tours with Hady, who is both informative and entertaining. I highly recommend going to Abydos/Dendara with him to see temples in a good state of preservation. Mara has good advice on prices and independent sight-seeing as well. Luxor and Karnac temples are a short taxi ride away. Since touts are everywhere, you need to know in advance what to expect to pay and what all the scams are. (If anyone asks you, "Where are you from?", you can bet that person is a tout.)
Be aware that the rooms do not have phone or TV and that internet is available only via the "office" computer on the first floor (and in nearby internet cafes). This was not a problem for us and we were always able to use the internet when we needed to but if you plan to use it a lot, this could be a concern. Showers without shower curtains surprised us at first, but we quickly adjusted.
So unless you are looking for a hotel with all amenities right in the middle of the hustle and bustle, Mara House is a great value. Friendly staff, trustworthy advice, good tours on offer."
"Clean, quiet, and friendly are important attributes in Luxor. Mara House feels like a B&B. It is located about 10 minutes walk from the train station in a quiet neighborhood. It was nice to show up without day plans and simply join up with whatever small tours were going out that week. We took two tours with Hady, who is both informative and entertaining. I highly recommend going to Abydos/Dendara with him to see temples in a good state of preservation. Mara has good advice on prices and independent sight-seeing as well. Luxor and Karnac temples are a short taxi ride away. Since touts are everywhere, you need to know in advance what to expect to pay and what all the scams are. (If anyone asks you, "Where are you from?", you can bet that person is a tout.)
Be aware that the rooms do not have phone or TV and that internet is available only via the "office" computer on the first floor (and in nearby internet cafes). This was not a problem for us and we were always able to use the internet when we needed to but if you plan to use it a lot, this could be a concern. Showers without shower curtains surprised us at first, but we quickly adjusted.
So unless you are looking for a hotel with all amenities right in the middle of the hustle and bustle, Mara House is a great value. Friendly staff, trustworthy advice, good tours on offer."
NUMBER 1 in LUXOR Felt like we were staying with friends
"Travel would be unbelievable if everywhere was like Mara's. Imagine a MARA house in every city and town you visited?
Stayed at MARA's 3 nights June 2009, and we must say we echo the hundreds of positive comments on Tripadvisor.
Room the biggest you'll ever find.
Bed the most comfortable.
Cleanliness impeccable.
Everyone friendly and helpful beyond our expectations.
Mara's great advice on tours and what to see, and the great Egyptologist DR HADY who was our guide, and the driver Mahoud made our touring memorable.
Thankyou MARA you fully deserve the NUMBER ONE title."
"Travel would be unbelievable if everywhere was like Mara's. Imagine a MARA house in every city and town you visited?
Stayed at MARA's 3 nights June 2009, and we must say we echo the hundreds of positive comments on Tripadvisor.
Room the biggest you'll ever find.
Bed the most comfortable.
Cleanliness impeccable.
Everyone friendly and helpful beyond our expectations.
Mara's great advice on tours and what to see, and the great Egyptologist DR HADY who was our guide, and the driver Mahoud made our touring memorable.
Thankyou MARA you fully deserve the NUMBER ONE title."
A wonderful stay!
"I spent a couple of nights at Mara's at the beginning of May and, to reiterate the other reviews, it was absolutely lovely! Mara swiftly responded to any queries, via email, before our arrival. She happily arranged for someone to pick us up from the airport and greeted us with complimentary welcome drinks (and her enthusiasm for ancient Egyptian history!)
I'd booked a twin room, which actually turned out to be a beautifully decorated apartment with three bedrooms! The first night we enjoyed a wide range of Egyptian dishes, having a fantastic three course meal (organised by Mara's son, Stephen) at the onsite Salahadeen restaurant.
We arranged a reasonably priced, West Bank tour through Mara. Yousseri was our driver and provided us with pleasant conversation and local knowledge.
Overall, Mara and her family were very hospitable and genuinely helpful (recommending a good local restaurant when we were craving Indian food). We particularly appreciated this when we'd experienced other people in Luxor trying to rip us off."
"I spent a couple of nights at Mara's at the beginning of May and, to reiterate the other reviews, it was absolutely lovely! Mara swiftly responded to any queries, via email, before our arrival. She happily arranged for someone to pick us up from the airport and greeted us with complimentary welcome drinks (and her enthusiasm for ancient Egyptian history!)
I'd booked a twin room, which actually turned out to be a beautifully decorated apartment with three bedrooms! The first night we enjoyed a wide range of Egyptian dishes, having a fantastic three course meal (organised by Mara's son, Stephen) at the onsite Salahadeen restaurant.
We arranged a reasonably priced, West Bank tour through Mara. Yousseri was our driver and provided us with pleasant conversation and local knowledge.
Overall, Mara and her family were very hospitable and genuinely helpful (recommending a good local restaurant when we were craving Indian food). We particularly appreciated this when we'd experienced other people in Luxor trying to rip us off."
Marvellous Mara's house.
"We spent only one night here before going on a Nile cruise.We arrived very late it must have been almost 2.00am! we were greeted by her son who was still up waiting for us. Our room was absolutely enormous, and we had a great nights sleep.We met mara at breakfast after a timely wakeup call and had a great old chat. We learnt a lot about Egypt from her over a great breakfast before being transferred through the back streets of Luxor to the port."
"We spent only one night here before going on a Nile cruise.We arrived very late it must have been almost 2.00am! we were greeted by her son who was still up waiting for us. Our room was absolutely enormous, and we had a great nights sleep.We met mara at breakfast after a timely wakeup call and had a great old chat. We learnt a lot about Egypt from her over a great breakfast before being transferred through the back streets of Luxor to the port."
Simply the Best:
I have lived in Egypt and have visited Luxor before but I had never experienced Egypt with Mara until my recent visit. Returning home to Mara House after a full day of running around Luxor was really very much like going home. My room was spacious, spotless, quiet, and a haven of comfort after trekking around all day. The rooftop patio is a wonderful place to read, have a drink, snooze, or just relax while looking out over the green fields of Upper Egypt framed by the stunning mountain scenery beyond. Staying with Mara meant that I was able to enjoy many conversations with her, Stephen and Sara, about so many fascinating aspects of Egypt. The advice I received about the sights, day trips outside Luxor, and restaurants, made my stay all the more enjoyable. And the dinner in the Salahadeen restaurant on the premises was without doubt the best meal I had in Egypt. If you get a chance, let Mara organize a day visit to Abydos and Dendera with Dr. Hadi who knows his Egyptian history and is passionate about sharing it with others. It was such a pleasure to be with someone with a great sense of humor, having insight into both ancient and modern Egyptian life. Thank you Mara, Stephen, Sara, and Dr. Hadi. You all made my week a memorable one indeed.
I have lived in Egypt and have visited Luxor before but I had never experienced Egypt with Mara until my recent visit. Returning home to Mara House after a full day of running around Luxor was really very much like going home. My room was spacious, spotless, quiet, and a haven of comfort after trekking around all day. The rooftop patio is a wonderful place to read, have a drink, snooze, or just relax while looking out over the green fields of Upper Egypt framed by the stunning mountain scenery beyond. Staying with Mara meant that I was able to enjoy many conversations with her, Stephen and Sara, about so many fascinating aspects of Egypt. The advice I received about the sights, day trips outside Luxor, and restaurants, made my stay all the more enjoyable. And the dinner in the Salahadeen restaurant on the premises was without doubt the best meal I had in Egypt. If you get a chance, let Mara organize a day visit to Abydos and Dendera with Dr. Hadi who knows his Egyptian history and is passionate about sharing it with others. It was such a pleasure to be with someone with a great sense of humor, having insight into both ancient and modern Egyptian life. Thank you Mara, Stephen, Sara, and Dr. Hadi. You all made my week a memorable one indeed.
Experience the real Luxor - great value for money.
"Mara, Stephen and Sara were very helpful throughout our stay. Mara particularly was very knowledgeable about the area and gave us lots of help and advice about where to go and was able to arrange tours, taxis and a minibus on demand. She has an excellent Egyptologist who again can be booked as required.
The restaurant is currently open to hotel residents every other night, serving up traditional Egyptian dishes along the lines of homecooked food. We ate there three nights during our stay and the dishes were varied, starting with two different soups, a platter of approximately thirteen dishes to try and a dessert served with hibiscus tea. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated and makes for a good dining experience.
The hotel is situated in a residential area meaning you are literally living with the locals and not in the protection of a five star resort. The Corniche is a ten minute taxi journey away (an experience in itself) or a thirty minute walk (if you are brave enough). We walked out one night for the experience, a must for the adventurous - not dangerous, merely eye opening.
The rooms are basic, with a seating area and mostly air conditioned bedrooms. The bathroom is a wetroom shower with toilet and sink. Not the Ritz but great value for money."
"Mara, Stephen and Sara were very helpful throughout our stay. Mara particularly was very knowledgeable about the area and gave us lots of help and advice about where to go and was able to arrange tours, taxis and a minibus on demand. She has an excellent Egyptologist who again can be booked as required.
The restaurant is currently open to hotel residents every other night, serving up traditional Egyptian dishes along the lines of homecooked food. We ate there three nights during our stay and the dishes were varied, starting with two different soups, a platter of approximately thirteen dishes to try and a dessert served with hibiscus tea. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated and makes for a good dining experience.
The hotel is situated in a residential area meaning you are literally living with the locals and not in the protection of a five star resort. The Corniche is a ten minute taxi journey away (an experience in itself) or a thirty minute walk (if you are brave enough). We walked out one night for the experience, a must for the adventurous - not dangerous, merely eye opening.
The rooms are basic, with a seating area and mostly air conditioned bedrooms. The bathroom is a wetroom shower with toilet and sink. Not the Ritz but great value for money."
Mara Really Looked After Us, Great Value for Money
"Rooms are spacious, as they really are apartments, not so much a hotel. Different configurations in the apartments, some with 1 bedroom, some with 2 bedrooms, some with 3 even. No TV in our room. Nice rooftop area to relax, as well as downstairs bar area to have a tea or drink. The bathrooms are just one big tiled area (no bath), so the water from the shower is not contained in one place. Mara house is in a quite street, but you can clearly hear the call to prayer 5 times a day which was a little disconcerting for us never hearing such a thing before. No lift. Breakfast is bread with jam, and yogurt and tea/coffee. 10 minute walk to the water front and Luxor temple. No wifi although Mara was about to install one. We found free wifi near/in McDonalds and Snacktime.
Be prepared for kids hasselling you, and also to be offered "carriage rides" every 2 minutes.
If you stay here, make sure you eat at the resturant - it is really the best taste of Egyptian food.
Mara really looked after us and had her driver pick us up from the airport. She also organised a driver to take us to Dendarra and Abydos temples (very worth while) and organised a booking on nile cruise (after I had failed to get the cruise company to email me back 5 times). Mara also told us which resturants to eat in, in order to avoid illness.This made the experience of Luxor a great one for us independent travellers (whereas Cairo was awful)."
"Rooms are spacious, as they really are apartments, not so much a hotel. Different configurations in the apartments, some with 1 bedroom, some with 2 bedrooms, some with 3 even. No TV in our room. Nice rooftop area to relax, as well as downstairs bar area to have a tea or drink. The bathrooms are just one big tiled area (no bath), so the water from the shower is not contained in one place. Mara house is in a quite street, but you can clearly hear the call to prayer 5 times a day which was a little disconcerting for us never hearing such a thing before. No lift. Breakfast is bread with jam, and yogurt and tea/coffee. 10 minute walk to the water front and Luxor temple. No wifi although Mara was about to install one. We found free wifi near/in McDonalds and Snacktime.
Be prepared for kids hasselling you, and also to be offered "carriage rides" every 2 minutes.
If you stay here, make sure you eat at the resturant - it is really the best taste of Egyptian food.
Mara really looked after us and had her driver pick us up from the airport. She also organised a driver to take us to Dendarra and Abydos temples (very worth while) and organised a booking on nile cruise (after I had failed to get the cruise company to email me back 5 times). Mara also told us which resturants to eat in, in order to avoid illness.This made the experience of Luxor a great one for us independent travellers (whereas Cairo was awful)."
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.)