El Nakhil Hotel

El Nakhil was recommended by our tour agency and it turned out to be an excellent choice. The place is clean, and comfortably furnished. Our room had a private balcony which looked out over a lovely courtyard. The bathroom was modern and boasted what had to be the best hotel towels ever--these were custom made for El Nakhil and are made of soft, thick Egyptian cotton. The hotel is located on a narrow road at the edge of the village. It's a short walk to the ferry and the riverbank past houses painted with colorful murals depicting the owners' journey to Mecca for the Haj. The area is very safe. Except for the cab and tuk tuk drivers at the ferry landing no one will hassle you here and even these guys will take no for an answer. The only down side about the location is that it's right down the street from a mosque so expect an early wakeup as the faithful are called to prayer. My husband called it "the complete Egyptian experience". I came to enjoy it--a reminder that we were immersed in a very different culture. Must of the time the cooing of pigeons interspersed by the calls of other birds in the hotel courtyard are the loudest thing you'll hear. The rooftop restaurant is first rate--a regular visitor to Luxor told us it's the best place on the West Bank--with a nice mix of Egyptian and European dishes all at reasonable prices. Beer and wine is available and quite affordable. They even had pizza! My husband gave it a thumbs up and he's from New Jersey where we take our pizza seriously. Finally, the staff is great! They truly go out of their way for you. Our time in Luxor was taken up with pre-arranged tours but if you want, the manager can help you arrange drivers, guides, horse and bike rentals--whatever you need. No pressure--no hassle. Need laundry done? You'll get it back the same day all neatly folded and for a reasonable price too. Do you have any special breakfast requests? No problem. Finally, the policy here is that tips are shared by the entire staff and given as a gift at the end of your stay. Once again--no hassle. If you are the kind of person who likes small hotels which may not have every amenity under the sun but does all the basics with style and where you are treated as an individual I think you'll like this place. We did.