Disclaimer: if you only stay in high end hotels, this is not for you. There are lots of 5 star hotels in Luxor, you'll have no problem finding one. However, if you are looking for a unique and truly Egyptian experience then I strongly recommend Nour El Gourna hotel on the west bank of Luxor (actually in the town of Gourna, near Valley of the Kings, Deir El Medina and the mortuary temples). The hotel is a small compound of adobe buildings and it's utterly charming, and possibly the most interesting hotel in the country. Rooms are good size with private bathrooms, and mosquito netting on the beds gives it a romantic touch (we were there in Feb., no bugs but not sure what it's like in the summer). The owner is well known in the area and spoken of highly as a good man and a man of good character. He was a delight, as was everyone associated with the hotel. The location is fantastic, directly behind the ongoing excavation of Amenhotep's temple and the Colossi of Memnon, across the road from the ticket office for West bank temples and sites, and a lovely easy walk to Medinet Habu, the best preserved of all Egyptian mortuary temples. The hotel is extremely private, in its own small oasis of palm trees and bouganvilla, and the restaurant is fantastic; the food is exceptional and they are extremely generous with portions. I highly, highly recommend this hotel. One note to be aware of; taxi drivers on the east bank of the Nile (where Luxor and Karnak temples are located) may not know where this hotel is, because it's very small. Direct them to the west bank ticket office, and once there tell them to ask anyone-they'll know exactly where it is.

Quaint Hotel with great staff and a very pushy taxi driver.

Great to share my room with Gecko's

In general very clean

We stayed here after two weeks in the Chaos of Cairo. It was a delight to be somewhere so quiet, peaceful, and authentic. The hotel is right in between desert and farm land. The resulting quiet was heavenly! We called ahead and the manager was kind enough to send a taxi to pick us up at the train station. The taxi driver ended up being a relative of the owner who stayed at the main hotel down the street, so we were able to call for a cab the entire length of our stay. Most of the staff were related which added to the coziness of the stay.

We stayed in their largest suite for 500 lbs a night with our one year old daughter. The staff was so friendly with her! The suite was the perfect size for a family: A large bed with fabulous comforter and mosquito netting, two extra small beds that double as couches, a table and chairs, a lovely tiled bathroom with tub, and a private patio with chairs and table. All the furniture is made from palm branches and the walls are a beautiful soft edged earth tone. Arched windows with shutters created beautiful light and ambiance. I loved being in a building built in traditional Egyptian style. It was so refreshing after the glitzy tourism in Cairo.

The meals were lovely if somewhat limited choices. You could have chicken or steak with many courses including soup, rice, vegetables etc. It was a bit European for me; I would have preferred more traditional food, but it was delicious and filling. If felt like the staff catered to the often French crowd. We often ate at the main hotel Nur al Balad which has a larger restaurant which is open all day.

The only odd thing was that the manager took our passports when we first arrived and headed back to the main hotel (which is a bit of a walk away). We had to call him a couple hours later to get them back. Overall, I would highly recommend this hotel ify ou want to stay somewhere peaceful and authentic.

We stayed at Nour el-Gurna for one night while I was visiting Luxor. This place isn't like anything else I've ever stayed at. Made from mudbrick, it's a one of kind for the average tourist. The place itself couldn't be in a better location for checking out the Valley of the Kings and Al-Deir Al-Bahari Temple - which are on the same side of the Nile.

The hotel is tiny. Only a handful of well-maintained rooms. Considering the fact that the place is constructed out of dirt, it's very clean and hugely endearing. The rooms have bug nets, mine had an new AC unit (which was a funny sight to see on the side of a mud wall, beneath a thatch ceiling), a clean bathroom with fresh towels, soap and toilet paper (a perk in Egypt). The bed was firm, but comfortable. There were many windows to open for a hot breeze of desert air, and there was also a balcony equipped with two chairs and view of the surrounding area.

We loved this place. We've stayed in a variety of places and have enjoyed many of them, but this one was particularly memorable. The guy who managed the place while we were there was so bashful and shy - but proud of his hotel, of the EXCELLENT homemade food it serves, and of his work. He prepared a dinner for us at the time we set, arranged for a driver to pick us up at the airport and take us to the docks later that night to go to the other side of the Nile's bank in Luxor. He was such a great guy and really made our stay at this place perfect. If you will be travelling in the area and don't want to stay at some obscenely expensive place (and you don't mind the mudbrick situation of course), this place is a must. Very, very cool.