Great place to relax

A great place to relax. Overlooking the Nile, Elephantine Island and a bunch of smaller islands - arguably the best segment of this endless river. Old charm never wears off. The standard rooms do need uplifting, but the Nile-view suites are stupendous. Breakfast is very good, and in addition to the buffet items you can order eggs anystyle for no extra charge. Lunch options are limited, but dinner in the vaulted dining hall is an experience in itself and the quality of the entrees was above average. Staff was friendly and generally helpful.

Truly awful!

This was absolutely the worst hotel. it trades on it's reputation and the fact that many people can't tell the difference between 'faded elegance' and clapped out 60's cheapest decor. The rooms were dirty and had broken kitchen fridges as 'mini bars', broken tiles,dribbling showers and mildewed groutin. Service was dire in all departments.It is condescending to think that this is ok because it's Egypt!! This hotel has been plundered of it's original furnishings and art which has been replaced with old plywood veneered objects and gift shop pictures.

We only want value for money and this was an almighty rip off. Don't go!!!

What a pity

Stayed at The old Cataract for two nights.Wonderful location but let down by woeful service and tired rooms.To elaborate,our rooms overlooking the Nile were faded and jaded with the hardest beds I've ever come across in a Hotel anywhere.The staff seemed to being just going through the motions and service was extremely slow.Dinner was meant to be two sittings at 7.30 and 9.30 although this was never explained on arrival.We noticed a French family with small children rightly complaining after being told that they would have to eat at 9.30 .Food was ok although lunch was poor.At checkout my credit card was declined ,so was my wifes and both of my childrens.No apology or explanation, just that I would have to pay by cash.Mastercard when contacted firmly blamed the hotel.Altogether this hotel is crying out for investment and refurbishment as well as new management.Sadly the French company that owns it are apparently only interesed in profit.Unfortunately there are few good alternatives in Aswan.

A Wonderful Visit

We stayed here two nights in December 2004 and had a fabulous time. The reception staff were gracious and very helpful. They even upgraded us to a Nile view room for free! (We were paying about $140 US per night.) The room was so comfortable: exceptionally clean, good bed, spacious bathroom, etc. We even received a fruit basket and a very kind letter of welcome from the manager. The wait staff at the bar and restaurant were incredible! Our waiter at the bar was charming and remembered our drink order when we came back for drinks on day two. We enjoyed swimming in the pool, and the views from the terrace are of course tremendous. The meals were exceptional as well: wonderful breakfasts with omelettes made to order and lovely dinners. This was such a wonderful, peaceful place top relax after touring the busier sites in Cairo and Luxor. We highly recommend it.

Not Good

This hotel lives on its reputation and has virtually nothing to offer apart from its views. The restaurant service is truly awful and the reception staff totally disinterested. Good for afternoon tea, otherwise give it a very big miss!

Great ambience and location

My wife and I just stayed at the Old Cataract for 2 nights. We had a great time in Aswan and the hotel was a perfect place to stay while visiting. Do not expect this hotel to be a luxury 5-star property, it has all the eccentricities of a 100-year-old landmark but luxury may not be its best feature. The patio area is one of the highlights of any trip to Aswan, sipping a Stella on the patio when the sun goes down over the far hills is one of my favorite moments on our 11 day Egypt trip. The restaurant is an incredible setting and the breakfast we got with our rate was fantastic, really good. This hotel is about the experience and the settting. Yes the furniture is outdated and yes the beds are a little too firm and yes the people there don't have all the answers, but that is Egypt. If you can stay here you should, you will remember it always and the patio is worth the price of admission. You can also hire a felucca right from the hotel's landing for another incredible sunset activity.

Beautiful setting, but....

stayed here at the end of january & on the whole had a great time, but if this was a sofitel elsewhere, the rates & rooms would never be tolerated!

the grounds and public areas of the hotel cant be beat, beautiful property and on that alone i would come again and recommend it. but once you leave the public areas, things go down hill. we had two rooms & both were as spare as could be. absolutely hugh...a plus. beautiful wood floors, but with nails sticking up out of the floor to trip &/or cut your feet. the bed in the room was worst than the beds on the boats. either 1 double or two twins with a very very very hard 4 inch high matteress, no box spring, 1 flat pillow, 1 thin blanket, (will never have a better bed experience than the grand hyatt cairo) there were two beautiful old chairs that you couldnt sit on because the dust came flying up out of the very old cushion as you sat down! don't get me wrong, i love old furniture and all things antique, but there is a difference between antique & "garage sale". our rooms looked like they were recently painted, so maybe they are remodeling but there was absolutely nothing on any of the walls, no pictures, no decor, nothing. Just empty. on the plus side, the bathrooms were big & clean & there was a balcony with table and chairs. and if you are from europe, great britian or the u.s you must pay in your currency, not in egyptian pounds, all for a mere $265 u.s. per night.

Charming Hotel

This hotel is very charming,with beautiful Nile view...with ancient furniture and a 'decadent' feel.

Nice to sip a nice cup of tea....you feel you are out of time....like in a book by Agatha Christie.

Nice place

I think it's one of the best place to stay in Aswan. Unfortunately, didn't really liked the hotel style (old furniture... I mean, antique.) The rooms are clean, the breakfast was very good, the view from the terrace is breathtaking (beautiful view of the Nile with the felouka). But very pricey for Egypt. Aswan was my favorite city in this country. Very relaxing, friendly people.