The Winter Palace Hotel

We somehow missed this gem of an historic hotel

right in the heart of Luxor on our first trip to Egypt (likely because we made the mistake of skipping the Luxor Temple at Night because we had a 3am wake up call to go hot air ballooning the next morning…) but made up for it during our second trip when our Egyptologist and Guide, Fouad Berto, recommended it as a hotel option when we were visiting Luxor.

The Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel, inducted into Historic Hotels Worldwide in 2014, named one of the 2025 World’s Best Historic Hotels for Historic Bars and Lounges and shortlisted as one of the 2025 Top 25 City Hotels in the World by Historic Hotels Worldwide, was built in 1886 by Italian businessman J.S. Crozzo.

The hotel is situated right on the Nile, across from the Valley of the Kings, and combines colonial design with the glory of ancient Egypt. It was built as a grand palace and hotel and later became a famous winter retreat for Egyptian royalty, with Egypt’s last king, King Farouk being a notable guest.

Later, well-known travel agent, Thomas Cook, along with two partners began a complete restoration of the hotel in 1905 (after creating the nearby Old Cararact Hotel).

According to their website, the team debuted their new hotel as the “Winter Palace Hotel” in 1907 to great acclaim. They subsequently organized a spectacular series of celebrations for its inauguration, which featured a picnic at the Valley of the Kings, followed by a grand gala later that evening.

Among the first travelers to ever set foot inside the hotel was George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon and the funder of Howard Carter’s discovery of KingTutankhamen’s Tomb in 1922. In fact, the two men used the hotel as the place where they informed the rest of the world about their discovery. The Winter Palace Hotel played host to many other illustrious guests throughout its history, including Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, and King Albert I of Belgium.

Their gardens are magnificent.

If you can, make your way outside very early in the morning to watch the sunrise over the Nile from the front of the hotel, then walk straight back through the grand lobby to the patio overlooking the pool and gardens, in the back.

According to Historic Hotels of the World:

Perched on the Nile River amid luxuriant tropical gardens and ancient temples, the hotel in its early days was supplied with vegetables and fruits from its own gardens. Ducks and chickens, bound for the kitchens, could also be seen meandering in the gardens. Guests throughout its history include illustrious figures, such as Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, and King Albert I of Belgium. Today, this 10-acre garden is kept for its beauty as well as its fruit, and features over 50 species of trees, some of which are over 100 years old. The trees in the gardens have been documented, and each tree is tagged, stating its species and the year it was planted.

An Ished (also known as the Persea) tree, a sacred Egyptian tree, was planted close to the Pavillon entrance in the summer of 2009. According to some myths, the end of the winter solstice rituals included the splitting of the Ished tree. Walking through the hotel grounds, guests will also encounter banana, orange, and lime trees, as well as a variety of exotic flowers. This vast variety of flora attracts many species of birds, and there is even a family of eagles that delight guests. The garden invites guests to relax and explore the rich culture and lush, natural beauty of the Nile.

Our rooms were beautiful (a little small, a little tight, and I had trouble plugging in my phone to charge, but that’s part of the charm of an old hotel) and the lobby is fantastic. Make yourself stop for a few moments after checking in just to walk through the lobby and hallway, where you’ll find lots of artefacts, framed photos, and imagine yourself staying here for a few days during its early days.

We had dinner at the 1886 Restaurant, which was wonderful, great service, delicious food, and breakfast at La Corniche. Everything was so delicious they had to clear my place four times. (My younger daughter said, “Mom, when he came by the last time after you left, he said, ‘will Madam be back again?’ and we had to tell him no!”)

From the antique elevator (we rode it many times) to the authentically antique heavy brass key for your door, this hotel is a gem.

It may have even been more of a treat because we missed it the first time around.