Steigenberger Nile Palace Luxor

The hotel itself is beautiful, and the room was comfortable, clean, and exactly what you would expect from a five-star property. Unfortunately, my overall experience was seriously affected by a policy that seemed to be enforced inconsistently. Upon my arrival, I had to wait nearly three hours in the lobby because my room was not ready. During that time, nothing was offered to us—not even a glass of water. I simply had a sandwich for my lunch, but the security staff refused to let me bring it into the hotel, explaining that outside food and drinks were not allowed. I could have understood this rule if it had been applied equally to every guest. However, later that same evening, I watched an Arab family walk into the hotel carrying several bags of food and drinks. They passed directly in front of both the security staff and the reception desk without anyone saying a single word. This difference in treatment is very difficult to understand. An international five-star hotel should apply its rules equally to every guest, without exception. When a policy appears to be enforced only against certain people, it creates a strong feeling of unfairness and inevitably raises questions about the criteria being used. I would also like to point out that the prices charged inside the hotel are extremely excessive. The exact same products can be purchased just across the street for approximately four to five times less. Combined with the ban on bringing in outside food and drinks, this creates the impression that guests are being forced to spend their money exclusively within the hotel. And this policy makes even less sense for international tourists who have travelled all the way to Egypt to discover the country, its culture and its local cuisine. We did not come to Egypt to stay confined inside a hotel eating a plate of pasta at an Italian restaurant. Part of travelling is going outside, discovering local restaurants, tasting Egyptian food and supporting local businesses. A five-star international hotel should encourage its guests to experience the destination, not make them feel as though they are being penalised for doing so. In the end, since we were not allowed to bring our food inside, we had to eat outside, directly in front of the hotel. The second photo attached to this review shows a different situation: a guest speaking Arabic inside the hotel lobby with outside food. I will let readers draw their own conclusions about how consistently this policy is being applied. This is particularly disappointing because, apart from these practices, the hotel has the potential to provide an excellent experience.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We had a wonderful evening at Lay Ali Zaman, the restaurant located beneath the pool at the Steigenberger Nile Palace, overlooking the beautiful Nile. The atmosphere is relaxing and romantic, the food is delicious, and the location is simply stunning. A very special thank you goes to Ahmed, an exceptional bartender and waiter. He was always smiling, kind, attentive, and incredibly helpful. He truly looked after us and made us feel completely relaxed, as if we were on the perfect vacation. People like Ahmed make all the difference. We will definitely come back and highly recommend this place to anyone staying in Luxor. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your outstanding hospitality! Valerio e Vanessa