Sofitel Old Winter Palace

Sofitel Old Winter Palace Review

This noble Victorian-style edifice, built in 1886, exudes the heady scent of colonial luxury even as modern Luxor changes around it. Designed for the Egyptian monarchy, the Winter Palace has seen many an august personage pass through its revolving doors, including Russian tsars, the Shah of Iran, and Hollywood stars. The interiors are grandiose. Each room is slightly different in decor and form. Though the Classic Level rooms are small, they possess the elegance and a scattering of antiques common to higher-category rooms. The entire hotel and grounds seem suspended in time, a fugitive from some more gracious era. Rooms in the modern Pavilion annex, which has a separate reception but shares the gardens and other facilities, are actually larger, more luxurious, and have garden views, though they lack the period atmosphere.