The widest Nile panorama on Luxor’s east bank belongs, in our view, to this gracious five star resort, set in eight acres of tropical gardens at the quiet southern end of the Corniche, where felucca sails drift past the sunset terrace and the Theban hills turn gold across the water.
Regulars may remember this address as the Sheraton Luxor Resort. After a spell as the Achti Resort it now carries the Steigenberger name, and everything that made it a favourite is still here: a riverside main building and garden bungalows spread through the grounds, about 2 km south of Luxor Temple and a few minutes from the centre by taxi or caleche.
Days at the Steigenberger Achti Luxor settle into an easy rhythm: temples in the cool of the morning, lunch from the pool grill, a swim in one of two heated pools, then a Turkish bath at the Golden Spa before cocktails at Sukkareya as the sun drops behind the west bank. With 281 rooms this is a proper resort rather than a boutique bolthole, yet the gardens absorb the numbers easily, and the far end of the riverside jogging track can feel like your own stretch of the Nile.
Service is a quiet strength. Many of the team have worked here since the Sheraton years, and our customers regularly come home talking about waiters who knew their table and their coffee order by day two.
This is Luxor’s resort hotel rather than its colonial grande dame. You trade a little old world theatre for space, gardens and what we rate as the best pool terrace on the east bank, and for most of our customers that is the right trade. Classic rooms are comfortable rather than showy, so if the budget stretches, put the difference into a Nile view, which in our view is money well spent here.
Call our Egypt specialists free on 0800 041 8400 or request your tailored quote online. Every holiday is ABTA and ATOL protected.
Accommodation at the Steigenberger Achti Luxor spreads across the main riverside building and bungalows in the gardens, 281 rooms and suites in all. Every category comes with free WiFi, a 32 to 43 inch TV, a daily tea and coffee tray with bottled water, a safe and adjustable air conditioning, and wheelchair accessible rooms are available on request. Decor is classic and comfortable rather than fashion led, with warm fabrics and generous storage, and 24 hour room service backs up every category.
The entry point, in the main building facing the city side, with a double or twin beds and a desk. Good value if you plan to be out at the temples all day; there are 88 of them, so availability is usually kind.
Main building rooms looking straight over the pool terrace to the river, with king or twin beds. Watching the feluccas drift past from your room is the reason you came to Luxor, and with 68 in this category it is a realistic upgrade rather than a lottery.
Set among the lawns and palms of the bungalow wing, the quietest rooms in the resort and close to the garden pool. Several are set up with two queen beds, and connecting rooms are available, which makes them the practical choice for families.
Our pick of the hotel: first and second floor rooms with an extended sitting area, a whirlpool bath and a private furnished terrace of around 12.5 m² facing the Nile and pool. Only 28 exist, so book well ahead for winter.
Eight suites with a king size bed, a proper dining area, a guest WC and a corner terrace wrapping around the building above the river. Worth it for honeymoons, anniversaries and longer stays.
The Presidential Suite sits in the gardens with a master bedroom, a twin second bedroom, living and dining rooms and a kitchenette. The 150 m² Royal Suite in the bungalow wing adds a panoramic picture window over the Nile. One of each exists, so ask us early.
We sell the hotel on bed and breakfast or half board, and both are built around Al Karnak, the all day main restaurant. Breakfast is an extensive buffet served from 6am, early enough to eat properly before a Valley of the Kings start, with tables inside in the air conditioning or out on the terrace facing the west bank. Guests describe a huge choice, from eggs and fresh breads to fruit, cheeses, Egyptian dishes and proper coffee, so nobody heads to the tombs on an empty stomach.
Half board adds the evening buffet in Al Karnak, a nightly spread of oriental and international cooking that guests consistently rate for variety and freshness. Drinks are payable locally, and the two à la carte restaurants below carry a local charge too, an enjoyable way to break up a longer stay. If you like eating out, the restaurants of Khaled Ibn El Walid Street and the town centre are minutes away, so B&B suits independent types while half board suits anyone who wants the evenings solved in advance.
The heart of the hotel: buffet breakfast and dinner with an à la carte lunch in between, and one of the nicest dinner terraces in Luxor, looking clean across the river as the west bank lights come on.
Pasta, risotto and proper Napoli style pizza, served from 6pm to 10pm. Relaxed, reliable and a welcome change of pace midway through a week of Egyptian buffets.
Mezze, charcoal grills and Egyptian home cooking in the evenings. The mezze selection is the thing our customers mention most; arrive hungry and share widely.
The show stealer is the Nile side pool terrace, where a circular heated pool sits just above the river with sun loungers arranged to face the water. From here you watch cruise boats and feluccas slide past all afternoon, with the pool bar and grill handling lunch so nobody has to move far.
A second heated pool lies deeper in the grounds by the bungalows, ringed by lawns and palms and noticeably quieter, with its own bar. Both pools are heated in the cooler months and feature waterfalls and a whirlpool, and there is a separate children’s pool. A large communal terrace on the second floor of the main building adds another suntrap with long river views. Between the two pools, the lawns and that upper terrace, finding a quiet corner is rarely a battle even in the peak winter weeks.
Up on the fourth floor with views over the Nile, the Golden Spa & Wellness centre offers massages, body scrubs, hot stone treatments and a traditional Turkish hammam. It is small, friendly and genuinely good; the hammam followed by a mint tea facing the river is our recommended reward after a west bank day.
Classic Holidays when selling travel arrangements is a trading name of Co-op Travel Services Ltd. Classic Holidays is an Accredited Body Member of Co-operative Travel Consortium. (ABTA P7508, ATOL 12904).
Your Financial Protection: Book with Confidence. Classic Holidays is a Member of ABTA. ABTA and ABTA Members help holidaymakers to get the most from their travel and assist when things don’t go according to plan. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA’s Code of Conduct.
All of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme but ATOL protection does not apply to non-flight holiday and travel services offered on this website. Classic Holidays will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk
