Steigenberger Nile Palace

Steigenberger Nile Palace is one of the big full-service hotels on Khaled Ibn El Walid Street, the long road that runs south of the town centre on the East Bank. It sits right on the river with its own boat dock, so you can step from the garden onto a felucca or motorboat for a crossing to the West Bank. Luxor International Airport is about ten kilometres away and the Valley of the Kings around 26 kilometres by road.

The hotel has 303 rooms and suites across seventeen categories, from Classic and Executive rooms to Family rooms, Junior and Executive suites and a Presidential Suite. Rooms are a good choice for families and groups who want space, and the range means you can choose between garden or Nile-facing positions at different price points.

Facilities are what set a hotel like this apart from the smaller guesthouses. There is a heated outdoor pool and a separate children's pool, and a health club with massage, sauna, steam room and a fitness room for winding down after a hot day on the monuments. Dining is spread across four restaurants, three bars, a café and an outdoor terrace, which means you can eat in without repeating yourself. Casa di Napoli, the Italian restaurant, is open to non-residents and is popular for its wood-fired pizza and pasta.

The Nile Palace suits families, groups and travellers who want resort comforts in town, with easy access to taxis, the Corniche and the restaurants along Khaled Ibn El Walid Street. It is less suited to anyone looking for intimate, characterful lodgings, for which the West Bank guesthouses are a better match. Ask for a river-view room if sunsets over the West Bank hills matter to you.

From the hotel it is a short taxi or carriage ride north to Luxor Temple and the souq, and a little longer to Karnak. Magic Horizon, one of the city's balloon operators, has its office opposite the hotel, so organising a sunrise flight is straightforward. Contact the reservations team by phone or email for current offers and room availability. The cooler months from autumn to spring are the busiest time in Luxor, so book early if you are travelling then.