Name: Old Cataract, Aswan
Address: Abtal El Tahrir Street, Aswan, Egypt, 81511, Egypt

Old Cataract, Aswan

Aswan, Egypt

Old Cataract, Aswan

Aswan, Egypt

About the hotel

Style

Iconic

Rooms

138

"The Sofitel – a 19th-century palace – on the Nile is where Agatha Christy once sipped cocktails with King Fouad; it features in her novel Death on the Nile."

Close to boat transportation and a host of activities along this strip of the Nile River, this elegant hotel, sitting serenely in a 19th-century, rose granite Victorian palace, is a seven-minute walk from artifacts at the Nubian Museum, twenty minutes on foot from the Unfinished Obelisk and close by to just everything else worth seeing in town.

Host to movie stars, kings, presidents and civil heroes in its long history, Sofitel Legend Old Cataract has 220 luxurious accommodations including 82 stunning suites. The opulent accommodations are placed in two different settings: The majestic Palace Wing and The graceful Nile Wing, each with distinct guestrooms and suites. An outdoor swimming pool twists lazily to carry guests from past to present, connecting both wings. The gold and scarlet décor of the Palace is reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian civilisation while the more contemporary Nile Wing is a modern interpretation of friezes and chandeliers of the historic Palace. All accommodations are replete with chandeliers, plush seating, free WiFi and flat-screen TVs, Nespresso machines, exclusive toiletries and marble bathrooms. Suites have sitting areas and butler service, while some offer furnished terraces.

Dining here hosts a myriad of choices, all promising an evening to remember. Reportedly a favourite of Winston Churchill, The Bar is a British-style piano bar serving creative cocktails to begin or end (or both) the evening. The fully-stocked bar also offers a selection of international beer and wines. The Terrace not only serves breakfast, lunch, high tea and dinner, but it is also the famous venue where Dame Agatha Christie once sat on its wicker chairs under canvas awnings presumably penning chapters of her celebrated novel Death on the Nile. The majestic Promenade is on the Palace's rose granite promontory and offers champagne cocktails or sweet hibiscus tea along with refreshing snacks while guests watch the sun disappear over the Nile. Palms is a lush, tropical setting offering continental breakfast, frozen alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, ice-cream and light fare during the day or speciality cocktails and Egyptian delicacies under the stars. In the mornings, there’s a juice bar, Yasmine, that has everything you’ll need to start the day right, including fresh lemonades and juices, iced teas, and (for hair of the dog devotees) vintage-inspired cocktails.

Amenities also include a long outdoor pool, a fitness centre, an indulgent spa and world-class meeting venues. If you haven’t booked a day trip to Abu Simbel when you get here, the concierge will gladly help hook you up.