Emilio Hotel Reviews

This was our first time to Egypt and we really enjoyed the experience.

The hotel is on small but very busy and noisy street approx 300m from the Nile, 300m from the Luxor Temple.
The staff are very friendly, very helpful, have great sense of humour and the food was very good.

Pharoahs revenge. Take a alcohol based anti-bacterial spray, or wipes to keep you hands germ free and use after handling money and before eating. It is true what they say that most upset tummies are not because of food poisoning, it is because of the germs being transfered from your hands to your mouth, or over indulging.

As soon as you step outside of your hotel in Luxor you are spotted by the horse and carrage drivers. They know everyone in Luxor and will know that you have just arrived and a prime target for fleecing. Also watch how they treat the horses, they will run hard from them 9am to 2am the next morning in very hot temperatures and they do not spare the whip. Notice how they whip under the belly and round the back legs of the horse so that the tourists dont easily see the marks. Do not use them, use the taxis instead. You can get anywhere in Luxor for £10E - £15E ie £1 -£1.5 GB, they will show you the sights and take you out all day to the West Bank for £150E ie £15.
Dont buy trips from the hotel. Get a taxi to Luxor or Karnack temples for £15E £1.50 GB, the entrance fees and not expensive. If you want to go to the temples on the West Bank book it through Jolleys near the Winter Palace Hotel or use a taxi. This way you will spread your money amongst the poor Egyptians and not the hotel tour companies and reps, and save a fortune.

The Egytians are generaly very nice people, and they have our strange sense of humour. But like anywhere else in the world there are people who want to rip you off. On my first night I was talked into taking a horse and carriage ride and although I told the driver we had to be back in 1/2 hour for our tour reps meeting he kept us 1 1/2 hours touring his families alabaster shops and other shops selling egyptian rubbish. Then he trebled the areed charge because it took treble the agreed time. I felt very intimidated as he parked up along side a lot of other carriage drivers. I paid it, but did not ride another carriage for the rest of the week. others in our hotel had similar exeriences. We walked or took a taxi, much cheaper. This was the only time we felt uncomfortable in Luxor,the rest of the time we felt safer than we do in most european holiday resorts.
Overall an absolutely top holiday for us.