Al-Moudira

Al-Moudira is a true luxury hotel, with an individuality that is missing from so many other hotels in Luxor. A Moorish fantasy of soaring vaults, pointed arches and enormous domes, surrounded by lush green and birdsong, the hotel has 54 rooms grouped together around small courtyards. Each room is different in shape, size (all are very large though) and colour, each with its own hand-painted trompe l’oeil theme and with antiques found throughout Egypt. Cushioned benches and comfortable antique chairs invite pashalike lounging and the enormous vaulted bathrooms have the feel of a private hammam (bathhouse). The public spaces are even more spectacular with traditional mashrabiyya (wooden lattice) work combined with work by contemporary ‘orientalist’ artists. Its food is the most expensive on the West Bank, with great salads and grills at lunchtime and a more elaborate menu for dinner with a delicious Mediterranean-Lebanese cuisine. Call ahead for reservations. Set on the edge of the cultivated land and the desert, the hotel is truly spectacular, especially now that the staff are better trained. It’s a long way from anywhere, but transport is fairly cheap.