I’ve finally gathered reviews and comments about Mara House and our Salahadeen Restaurant here on my own website. There aren’t many for Salahadeen, as it’s been open only to Mara House guests for years and TripAdvisor has since removed those reviews. These come from TripAdvisor, Google Maps, guest blogs, letters, and other kind words shared over time. Some are missing, as I hadn’t realized TripAdvisor began deleting reviews from tour guests who did their tours with us but who didn’t stay at Mara House. I hope these words give you a true sense of who we are and what Mara House is all about. Enjoy, Mara
471 entries.
I would highly recommend Mara House. Mara was very helpful in organising my stay and tailoring tour options to suit the time I had available. She was also very accommodating, allowing me to return to the room after my day of touring and rest and shower before my flight in the early hours of the following morning. The house itself is beautifully decorated and comfortable, and I really appreciated the fact that it wasn’t on the ‘tourist strip’.
The tour itself was brilliant. Mohammed was very knowledgable and friendly and made my tour of the Valley of the Kings and associated sites, plus Luxor Temple well worth the visit! Ahmed the driver was also wonderful.
Overall I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mara House to anyone visiting Luxor
Traveled solo July 2019 Individualised itinerary. Reviewed on TripAdvisor.
The tour itself was brilliant. Mohammed was very knowledgable and friendly and made my tour of the Valley of the Kings and associated sites, plus Luxor Temple well worth the visit! Ahmed the driver was also wonderful.
Overall I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mara House to anyone visiting Luxor
Traveled solo July 2019 Individualised itinerary. Reviewed on TripAdvisor.
Mara House is, without a doubt, the best place to stay in Luxor if not all of Egypt! Everyone was so kind and helpful throughout my stay and they helped me to plan the absolute best trip during my time in Egypt. I cannot thank Mara enough for all of her help as well as Ahmed and Fatma for being the best guides! My room was wonderful and everything about Mara House made my stay in Egypt perfect. It is the best!!
Reviewed on TripAdvisor May 2019 Taveled June 2018. Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights package and Cairo Holidays 3 Nights Package
Reviewed on TripAdvisor May 2019 Taveled June 2018. Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights package and Cairo Holidays 3 Nights Package
This is a private house turned hotel. Its owner, Mara, is a woman from County Cork Ireland who came
to Egypt looking for a new life. What she and her family and staff have created is a home fit and
outfitted for a sheik! She has used Egyptian aesthetic, furnishings and feel to make an amazing place to
stay while in Luxor.
She offers full packages on her website including meals, event tickets and a tour
guide. If you find her online, her suggestions on what to pack, dealing with the heat, etc you will find a
treasure trove.
The rooms are suites. I stayed in #2 which is a queensized bed with a sitting are plus a real sitting area with
a mini-bar, sink and counter. Everything is made, done and completed with commitment to making the
guest feel comfortable and welcome.
The staff, headed by Amr, his wife and three year old son, is superb. He is the host and chef and is
miraculous. His meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner are wonderful and served with grace.
Mohamed is the house guide. He is knowledgeable, speaks excellent English and shows you everything
at the antiquity sites, will take you down the Nile if you choose that package (I’m sitting on the boat
waiting to start the journey from Luxor to Aswan), and does not try to take you shopping.
Mara House uses three different drivers who will take you safely from place to place.
I give this house not a five star rating, but twelve.
Jean, USA traveled solo June 2019. This review was submitted to TripAdvisor but has not appeared there. 3 night Luxor Holidays plus 4 nights Nile Cruise with Mara House.
to Egypt looking for a new life. What she and her family and staff have created is a home fit and
outfitted for a sheik! She has used Egyptian aesthetic, furnishings and feel to make an amazing place to
stay while in Luxor.
She offers full packages on her website including meals, event tickets and a tour
guide. If you find her online, her suggestions on what to pack, dealing with the heat, etc you will find a
treasure trove.
The rooms are suites. I stayed in #2 which is a queensized bed with a sitting are plus a real sitting area with
a mini-bar, sink and counter. Everything is made, done and completed with commitment to making the
guest feel comfortable and welcome.
The staff, headed by Amr, his wife and three year old son, is superb. He is the host and chef and is
miraculous. His meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner are wonderful and served with grace.
Mohamed is the house guide. He is knowledgeable, speaks excellent English and shows you everything
at the antiquity sites, will take you down the Nile if you choose that package (I’m sitting on the boat
waiting to start the journey from Luxor to Aswan), and does not try to take you shopping.
Mara House uses three different drivers who will take you safely from place to place.
I give this house not a five star rating, but twelve.
Jean, USA traveled solo June 2019. This review was submitted to TripAdvisor but has not appeared there. 3 night Luxor Holidays plus 4 nights Nile Cruise with Mara House.
Mara, Amr, Mohammed, et al. took terrific care of me from start to finish. The food was delicious, the care genuine, and the tours fascinating. I was looking for connection to both ancient and modern Egypt and found it in conversations at and the tours around Mara House. Mara and Mohammed have a tremendous passion for Egyptology and answered any and all questions I had. The place is kept immaculately and though fairly new, has a designed character. I cannot thank Mara enough for all of her help nor recommend her place more highly.
Traveled solo June 2019. Reviewed on TripAdvisor and Google Maps. Luxor Holidays 3 nights modified
Traveled solo June 2019. Reviewed on TripAdvisor and Google Maps. Luxor Holidays 3 nights modified
When we first arrived to Egypt I was sick for the first few days and our Tour manager Ahmed and guide Suzy went above and beyond helping me to get better always checking on if I was improving and it was really great of them the first few days in Cairo was awesome then when we got to Mara House the hotel was amazing and felt homely Amir was an amazing hotel manager very helpful, the food at Mara house was great, our Tour guide in Luxor Mo was fantastic and very Knowledgeable with all the stories and culture would definitely go back to Egypt using Mara House again!!
Travelled as family May 2019. Reviewed on TripAdvisor. 9 night package with extra tours
Travelled as family May 2019. Reviewed on TripAdvisor. 9 night package with extra tours
Thank you Mara house for such a wonderful stay!
We truly appreciate how Mara individualized our tour so thoughtfully - we had limited days in Luxor & Cairo and she organized our itinerary to maximize our time to see & enjoy Egypt. I also really appreciate Ahmed - he was so organized & communicative. He confirmed all our trip plans via text or phone call while in Egypt (it felt nice knowing every detail was being looked after). He also told memorable stories that made the history of medieval Egypt really come alive. Amr took such great care of us while at Mara House. We miss his hospitality, delicious cooking, and evenings spent on the beautifully renovated rooftop patio! Thank you for making our trip so special! Carol & Sara
Reviewed on TripAdvisor May 2019 - Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package and a tour in Cairo
We truly appreciate how Mara individualized our tour so thoughtfully - we had limited days in Luxor & Cairo and she organized our itinerary to maximize our time to see & enjoy Egypt. I also really appreciate Ahmed - he was so organized & communicative. He confirmed all our trip plans via text or phone call while in Egypt (it felt nice knowing every detail was being looked after). He also told memorable stories that made the history of medieval Egypt really come alive. Amr took such great care of us while at Mara House. We miss his hospitality, delicious cooking, and evenings spent on the beautifully renovated rooftop patio! Thank you for making our trip so special! Carol & Sara
Reviewed on TripAdvisor May 2019 - Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package and a tour in Cairo
On my second stay at Mara House, my friends and I chose the 3 day package. This allowed us to relax, sheltering from the sun, while Amr arranged all our necessities. Great food and knowledgeable guides. Mara House has the feel of a home away from home.
Traveled with friends April 2019. Reviewed on TripAdvisor and Google Maps. Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package
Traveled with friends April 2019. Reviewed on TripAdvisor and Google Maps. Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package
So glad we went with the Mara house team for our first trip to Egypt. Ahmed is the superstar of logistics and took care of everything we needed. The guides (both Mohammad’s) were so knowledgeable about all things Egypt and taught us so much. The sites were amazing and the people were friendly, what more could you ask for on vacation. If you have been curious about visiting Egypt - definitely go and don’t hesitate to plan through the Mara House team.
Traveled as couple. Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package and Cairo Holidays 3 Nights Package
Traveled as couple. Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package and Cairo Holidays 3 Nights Package
Treatment Second to None
"My husband and son and I just returned from a Spring Break trip to Luxor and Cairo. In Luxor, we stayed for four days and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Best points:
1) Mara communicated with my husband and was infinitely patient and generous with her recommendations of suggested activities prior to us leaving for Egypt.
2) While Mara was on a cruise with a group, she left Amr, the chef and house manager, to tend to us. He is capable, kind, and accommodating -- perhaps single-handedly offering us the best service possible. Amr arranged taxi cabs for us, coordinated with Mohammed our tour guide, accompanied us on a falucca ride, cooked us unbelievable food (barely flinching when we said the word "vegan"), did our laundry, and probably a dozen other things for which we will always be grateful.
In short, our time in Luxor would never have been so delightful without Mara House. While Mara House isn't (like) a hotel -- and who wants that anyway? -- it was clean and comfortable and we felt like family. Highly recommend."
RGVD, Washington DC, USA. April 2019. Traveled as family. Reviewed on TripAdvisor. Luxor Holidays 3 night package
"My husband and son and I just returned from a Spring Break trip to Luxor and Cairo. In Luxor, we stayed for four days and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Best points:
1) Mara communicated with my husband and was infinitely patient and generous with her recommendations of suggested activities prior to us leaving for Egypt.
2) While Mara was on a cruise with a group, she left Amr, the chef and house manager, to tend to us. He is capable, kind, and accommodating -- perhaps single-handedly offering us the best service possible. Amr arranged taxi cabs for us, coordinated with Mohammed our tour guide, accompanied us on a falucca ride, cooked us unbelievable food (barely flinching when we said the word "vegan"), did our laundry, and probably a dozen other things for which we will always be grateful.
In short, our time in Luxor would never have been so delightful without Mara House. While Mara House isn't (like) a hotel -- and who wants that anyway? -- it was clean and comfortable and we felt like family. Highly recommend."
RGVD, Washington DC, USA. April 2019. Traveled as family. Reviewed on TripAdvisor. Luxor Holidays 3 night package
We have just finished touring Egypt with Mara from Mara House Luxor finishing with dinner at Mara House. Mara and her tour manager Ahmed as well as her local guides have been exceptional in their knowledge of Egypt and their inhabitants over the last few thousand years. Information has been spot on as well as their stories along the way. We have seen some things that others would never have seen. I am so grateful that we found Mara on the internet. Her tours are small and we have made some lasting friends with her and the lovely people in the group. Hotels have been great and the trip down the Nike so beautiful. Thank you Mara and Ahmed for being so fastidious in your arrangements leaving nothing for us to worry about - everything has gone to plan. We would not hesitate to highly recommend this tour with anyone interested in travelling to Egypt.
Traveled as couple with friends. Booked Mara House April 2019 Group Tour, Reviewed on Tripadvisor
Traveled as couple with friends. Booked Mara House April 2019 Group Tour, Reviewed on Tripadvisor
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.)