Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan

We had afternoon tea as a group from a cruise ship. We had poor tables, no view, rude staff and poor service. Not 5 star service at all.

I’ve stayed as a guest at the Old Cataract for a total of 6 nights in the last two years, and most recently just visited with 6 friends for dinner. As a resident I felt there were too many non residents drifting around, taking photographs and behaving intrusively. At times it felt more like a tourist site than a hotel. This gives guests a negative feeling. As a resident I always experienced fairly slow / very slow bar and dinner service . After sitting in the bar you’d be lucky to have a drink in hand within 15 mins. Recently ‘the tables were turned’ and I visited as a non resident. We were there for dinner. We paid 1500 EGP each to ensure we would spend: that’s no problem and we probably spent more than double that per person. I’d say it took about 20 mins after sitting down before we got menus. And another 20 before the drinks arrived. And another 20 before our starters …and so on . There were simply too many customers and not enough waiters and staff: for one it seems there are no dedicated bar waiters. All in all when food and drinks came they were good. But the hotel is on honesty trying to please everyone and probably cheesing off the high paying residents and non residents with high expectations alike.

Dear Soleman and Carlos, We just wanted to say how fantastic the experience was. Dinner was wonderful, and overall, we can’t say enough good things. Thank you both!

Impressive view of the nile! Service is good, hotel tour is fun, Shaza gave a nice tour of the Churchill and Agatha suite!

Lovers of Agatha Christie will revel in a visit to this magnificent hotel. We were taken by our host Shaza on an amazing tour of the suite where Agatha lived for a year getting inspired to write her novel "Death On The Nile". This was followed by a delicious Agatha Christie cocktail on the outdoor deck of the bar overlooking the magnificent Nile River. Highly recommended but best to book prior to arrival.

An iconic colonial-era hotel in an exceptional Nile-side location, surrounded by a beautifully maintained historic garden. The architecture, setting, and views make the property visually striking and one of the most distinctive hotels in Aswan. The service level is high, with attentive and professional staff throughout the stay. Butler Carlos deserves specific recognition for his discretion, efficiency, and proactive approach—exactly what is expected at this level of hospitality. A notable drawback is the presence of non-resident visitors who are allowed to move freely through the hotel for photo opportunities. This compromises both the sense of security and exclusivity that guests rightly expect from a luxury property and is particularly disruptive given the price positioning.

A travel to the beautiful world of old days We loved our dinner and the personal and efficient service

Shaza from the guest relation was amazing and very helpful shw went above and byond, and we were all so happy at this hotel

If I ever am so lucky to come back to Egypt this will be my first and might be my only place to go. This hotel is more than outstanding! The breakfast is served every morning in their grand, beautiful dining room, 1902 and our two servers that we fell in love with Martina and Mahmoud please ask for them and Mustafa.Q Hussein are out of this world as well. I will show a picture of our two favorite servers.

We were on a TUI river cruise and booked directly with the hotel for their afternoon tea. It was incredible, made all the better by our fabulous waiter - Soliiman., and our location on the promenade. We’d negotiated a boat ride from just outside our cruise with a local vendor, and were treated to a 45 leisurely trip around the nearby little islands with lots of wild life to enjoy as we travelled to the hotel. Arriving at the dock, our reservation was verified and we were escorted to the hotel and then onto the promenade seating area. Soliman took our tea & coffee order, pointed out where the best photo spots were and then brought our afternoon tea. Quite the experience of the big reveal as the covers were removed. There was a selection of little canapé styled savoury items, a variety of cakes and sweet treats, and a layer of fresh fruit. My personal highlight was the mini creme brulee, which was just delicious. The ever changing sights and sounds of the river below was amazing to experience. Soliman popped back a few times to check on us, he was really attentive without being pushy. At no time did we feel rushed. After the tea, we experienced a cocktail and just watched the sun go down. We also had a look around the public areas of the hotel, which again was incredible. Like stepping back in time. The security team at the front of the hotel sorted a taxi, and helped us negotiate a price for our return trip to the ship. An absolutely memorable experience which we’d highly recommend. A big shout out to Soliman who was a brilliant host for our experience.