holiday complaint time again folks.

[Horus]

No A4 I can remember the disco up on the first floor above the shops, unfortunately it later got a bit of a reputation as a haunt for the local gigolo’s. We mustn’t forget that quite pleasant garden area at the front (before they nicked a few yards for the road) where you could get barbecue food and a shisha just outside of the Serap bar. I always have a smile when perusing my old holiday snaps to see the husband of one of MT’s many adversaries serving in there, I always found him to be a nice guy, but we don’t want to start him off again do we. The money exchange was always very reasonable and the safety deposit area well supervised. You could always get decent food in the restaurant downstairs just up the slope on the left towards the lifts and I can honestly say that I have not seen a breakfast spread as good in any Luxor hotel including the Movenpick. Under Mr Magdi’s rule they did a great job of refurbishing the old block just off the garden area and although I never did stay in them (yes we did get special treatment on our visits which was always very nice) although I always fancied I would like it looking out over that enclosed garden. The newly refurbished poolside rooms that opened onto the new (well modified) pool were really nice, he was very proud of them and he took great pleasure in showing us around as they were being done. It is such a shame that it appears to have gone so downhill from how it used to be, but I suppose new visitors do not appreciate its past standards and the attraction.

[newcastle]

It's not the only hotel in Luxor which is a shadow of its former glory.

Something to do with a couple of revolutoiions and the collapse of tourism since 2011 I eexpect.

[Dusak]

No A4 I can remember the disco up on the first floor above the shops, unfortunately it later got a bit of a reputation as a haunt for the local gigolo’s. We mustn’t forget that quite pleasant garden area at the front (before they nicked a few yards for the road) where you could get barbecue food and a shisha just outside of the Serap bar. I always have a smile when perusing my old holiday snaps to see the husband of one of MT’s many adversaries serving in there, I always found him to be a nice guy, but we don’t want to start him off again do we. The money exchange was always very reasonable and the safety deposit area well supervised. You could always get decent food in the restaurant downstairs just up the slope on the left towards the lifts and I can honestly say that I have not seen a breakfast spread as good in any Luxor hotel including the Movenpick. Under Mr Magdi’s rule they did a great job of refurbishing the old block just off the garden area and although I never did stay in them (yes we did get special treatment on our visits which was always very nice) although I always fancied I would like it looking out over that enclosed garden. The newly refurbished poolside rooms that opened onto the new (well modified) pool were really nice, he was very proud of them and he took great pleasure in showing us around as they were being done. It is such a shame that it appears to have gone so downhill from how it used to be, but I suppose new visitors do not appreciate its past standards and the attraction.

Now I'm not one to speak of unconformable gossip, but, I knew quite well as a frequent visitor to the live music events they used to hold in the outside area attached to the bar. There are always two sides to any coin, just depends which one comes face up when you flip it. is no longer there, he has vacated Egypt, but where, I do not know, perhaps his retirement nest egg hatched

[Horus]

Now don't you start Dusak, naughty boy
Speak as you find I always say

[Who2]

Never stayed there but enjoyed visiting all the time 'The Meat Factory as it was known.
Loved the music nights outside with the 'clack of pool balls in the background..
Iv'e even spent a night 'bar-hanging drinking cocktails there, they just don't keep the standards these days, inc
The Winter Palace...but not The Marsam tip top...

[Horus]

A few piccies of the Etap circa 2004 when the hotel gardens were in my opinion much nicer

The entrance lobby with good old Ramesses II on his chariot and yes it was always as cool as it looks

Approach to the old pool area, old pool seen from the sun terrace


The old poolside snackbar and sun terrace above the snack bar


The new pool in the evening and from the lawn


The old view from the 'Garden' rooms


Same view after the renovation work


This is the approach to the new pool after the renovations, the lawn was shipped in from Cairo (was still a work in progress)


This is how it used to look


There used to be a lovely shaded pergola from the hotel all the way up to the pool entrance


Compare the modern view with how it used to be in the right hand image, I know which I preferred

[newcastle]

I remember old Rameses from my all too brief sojourn at the Etab.

I wonder if they fitted antlers and red noses to the horses and threw a red cape and long white beard on Ramesses on the run up to Christmas.

[Dusak]

Some good before and after photo's Horus. Why, and who in gods name decided to remove such beautiful and relaxing surroundings and create the concrete eyesore that we are left with today. Have to say though, the lawn areas are some of the finest I've seen in Egypt. If they looked after the guests to the same degree the place may see an upturn in visitor numbers. They did the same with the old Hilton, removed everything with a root and replaced it with concrete and ceramics.

[Adamantium]

I remember the shops. Didn't buy much there except stamps. It was pleasant to wonder around before we ventured into tourist souk. Nothing stands still but standards should always be maintained if they wish to compete. Loyal customers should be looked after so as to keep what guests they have. Tourism declines and standards with it. It should in an ideal world be the other way around giving tourists what they pay for promoting good publicity rather than bad. Have they given up and decided the glass is half empty?

[newcastle]

I remember the shops. Didn't buy much there except stamps. It was pleasant to wonder around before we ventured into tourist souk. Nothing stands still but standards should always be maintained if they wish to compete. Loyal customers should be looked after so as to keep what guests they have. Tourism declines and standards with it. It should in an ideal world be the other way around giving tourists what they pay for promoting good publicity rather than bad. Have they given up and decided the glass is half empty?

One of the characteristics of the Egyptian is that the glass is always half full......amazing when you look at the statistics dispassionately.

Of course they grumble - but, at the end of the day, they remain convinced that even if the current pharaoh doesn't save them, Allah will.

[Ruby Slippers]

We lasted 1 night at the Etap back in 2003. Went straight back to Aswan the very next morning.

[Mad Dilys]

I stayed at the Etap in February 1989 and when you entered it was stylish and elegant. Nothing tacky like the Rameses thing. There was a small table either side used by the Tour leaders in the evening.

There were sunken areas to either side each with a large highly polished copper coffee table surrounded by comfortable sofas covered in muted pastel shades. The recessed ceiling was lined with hundreds of coloured glass balls with discrete lighting making them glow.

Straight ahead was the Reception, flanked by the Bank on the left hand side. the general impression was of cool uncluttered elegance.

Outside there were many trees, the gardens were well tended and a pleasure to walk through. There was a very good restaurant on the far side of the pool which was open only in the evening, I think and the food there was marvellous. Above this restaurant was an evening open air cinema.

5 Restaurants in all and the head chef was French and wore badges of his awards of merit with pride. All the 5* chefs ate there on their day off. It had started to go downhill before I came back in 1991 and eventually became quite tacky. Pity.

[A-Four]

The recessed ceiling was lined with hundreds of coloured glass balls with discrete lighting making them glow.

I remember those glass balls that were recessed as you say in rows along the ceiling as one would proceed towards the reception from the main entrance, (there was another by the side of the shops) .........but I ask you MD are you sure they were not the base of bottles of various colours that had been fitted in the ceiling,.........I could be wrong, what do you think ?

[HEPZIBAH]

I must one of the few members of this forum that has never been inside the Etap hotel - no matter it's given name at any given time. For some reason it has never appealed to me, and I don't even know why. I know when I first joined this forum that many of the members would stay there as their hotel of choice, and I know that some of them still do. They seem to have favoured it, no matter the changes.
I'm still not tempted to stay there, but I appreciate that we all have our different requirements when it comes to holiday accommodation.

[Major Thom]

I myself have only been in the Etap one and that was to reception. I stormed out of the Police Station and went straight round. Wanting to paint the place red... At the time there were very few tourists in, and to be honest not to many staff around either. That was my lasting impression of the place. I believe there are plenty of people do use it now, and especially Egyptian Tourists from the big Cities. I also remember the times we were on the coach, just landed in Luxor and getting transported to our hotel which was the last on the drop off. The amount of people that stayed at the Gaddis Hotel always amazed us, and the same with the ISIS Hotel. I am sure that what Hepzi says is correct, about about the needs and requirement of tourists. There are plenty of cheapo hotels in Luxor and plenty of really good hotels. It does amaze me though how the expensive hotels are coping with the tourism decline. I know most are chains, but even chains only give so much time before they say enough is enough.

Dr, I thought you loved the Marsam Hotel, close to you and easy for you to crawl up the road home... You used to be a regular there.

[HEPZIBAH]

Major Thom, cheap does not have to mean poor quality or not fit for purpose.

[Mad Dilys]

The recessed ceiling was lined with hundreds of coloured glass balls with discrete lighting making them glow.

I remember those glass balls that were recessed as you say in rows along the ceiling as one would proceed towards the reception .........but I ask you MD are you sure they were not the base of bottles of various colours that had been fitted in the ceiling,.........I could be wrong, what do you think ?

We thought that they were bottles too, until they started to break and gaps appeared. They appeared to be like Christmas decorations and would have lain on their side if they were bottles. Pretty small for a bottle too, probably specially made for the purpose. I think very little expense was shown in decorating and running the Etap. It obviously was a challenge to the Savoy, almost next door. I never stayed there, just dined but it had an excellent reputation.

The Etap front terrace was The Place to be in the 1980s and early 1990s. The front terrace was filled to overflowing with tourists from other hotels as well as residents. There was good live music every night. Excellent service, comfortable surroundings and with 5 restaurants so that all tastes could be catered for, no wonder it was so popular.

There was a big dip in tourism in the mid 1990s, so bad that the Etap, which had been my favourite hotel was reduced to closing the most of the restaurants - putting up a sign that said "Closed for re-decoration" outside each one. The foyer was lit by just 5 light bulbs, incredibly gloomy, and the toilet rolls in the ladies loos had a standard 5 sheets on each!

I spent a lot of time in Luxor from 1991 and after 1993 when we got permission to fly our balloon (just the one at that time) I visited every main hotel every night, maintaining a presence that gave me a group of friends who had flown with us and recommended us to other visitors. The company was firmly based on close relations with the clients and customer satisfaction.

[Dusak]

My friend contacted me today telling me she put her experiences on Trip Adviser. Ali the floor manager replied, basically calling her a lieing bitch, and would not be welcomed back in the future. Well that won't happen anyway. How he explains the photographs away I don't know. Probably another case of selective blindness.

[Who2]

Quote: Dr, I thought you loved the Marsam Hotel, close to you and easy for you to crawl up the road home... You used to be a regular there.

I still am, but because they are so busy during the excavation season they can afford to close for 4 months to renovate
and improve the Hotel and it's services.
Know your clients, treat them right and one can afford a probably well earned break.
That's what German efficiently can do for a local business....

[Major Thom]

Not very often you hear of improvements Dr, but with Klaus he is always on top of the job. Wish him well he certainly turned that hotel in to a lovely place....Plus the fact it was the only hotel that returned my wife's earring when she lost it one New Years Eve Celebration...Previous places if she lost jewelry would say sorry found nothing, without stopping for breath.

Hepzi regarding the quality of places, the lower down the scale you go, the less room you have for complaint with hotels and guest places. I am not saying all people like nice places, some would prefer flea pit with nothing to offer if it has a comfortable bed. When we were there, as tourists we preferred bit of pampering and luxury. Our last stay in Luxor as a tourist before moving our bill with the hotel was almost 1500GBP for the 2 weeks. We went with the opinion that we saved for the holiday there is no intentions of scrimping and saving. We did however realise that one couple there was budgeting on 20GBP a day but they seemed to still enjoying themselves even though they did not enjoy some of the facilities. We took the hotel manager and his wife out one night to the Winter Palace for an evening meal, our bill for the evening was 1300LE that was in 2005. I would hate to think what our costs would have been staying there. They probably charged an extra 500Le for the classical guitarist, stood in the corner. Probably that is also why the Hotel sent the limo to meet us at the hotel every time we visited. But we did love Luxor in those days, the whole place was buzzing, and the people wore smiles from ear to ear. It was great!!