Egyptian hotels named best hotels in Africa
Almasalla,Gate Arab Tourism News – According to the French Magazine “Jeune Afrique,” the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan and Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor have been selected best hotels in Africa within a list of 10 iconic hotels in Africa.
The selection was based on the scene of a shooting of a controversial historical episode, the signing of a cease-fire … inspiring a novel, a movie, or memoirs. Attracting great personalities of yesterday and today. At scale, these ten more or less luxurious hotels are part of the tangible and intangible heritage of the continent. Do you know them?
The first hotel of the list was Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan: Built in 1899 by Thomas Cook, the Cataract became "Old" in 1962 with the construction of the New Cataract building. Located on the banks of the Nile at Aswan, the hotel offers beautiful views of the river and Elephantine Island. It is in this 5-star hotel that has 138 rooms and 82 suites, that was filmed in 1978, the film adaptation of the famous book by Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile. A logical choice, since it is there that the English novelist would have found inspiration. In his honor, a sequel to his name has been created. The Old Cataract, a Victorian palace of the 19th century, regularly received François Mitterrand, Winston Churchill and many other heads of state and government. Reopened in 2011, the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract was renovated within 3 years (2009-2011).
The Second hotel of the list was Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor: This 5-star hotel has 92 rooms and 6 suites, too, was built by the British in 1886, perched on the banks of the Nile in Luxor, the Winter Palace is located just a few meters from the main temples of ancient Egypt. Surrounded by lush tropical gardens, the building in Victorian architecture was the winter residence of the Egyptian royal family. If Agatha Christie found inspiration in the Old Cataract for her novel Death on the Nile the Winter Palace is where she had written it in 1937 Many political figures have stayed there, as Anwar -Sadate, Georges Clemenceau, Winston Churchill, Valery Giscard d’Estaing or Margaret Thatcher. As well as Heward Carter, the founder of Tut Ankh Amoun’s tomb, the press conference as well as the ceremony was held at the hotel.
The list continues as follows:
3- Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali (Rwanda)
4- La Mamounia in Marrakech (Morocco)
5- Sofitel Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire)
6- Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg (South Africa)
7- Elsa’s Kopje, Meru National Park at (Kenya)
8- Victoria Falls Hotel (Zimbabwe)
9- Hôtel de La Poste in Saint-Louis (Senegal)
10- Treetops Hotel (Kenya)
