|
The Sara
Aswan, Egypt
by Jimmy Dunn
On my last trip to Egypt, just before leaving
Cairo, I was in contact with Dr. Susan Wilson who has been a great
resource for the web  site.
I mentioned my interest in budget hotels in the Aswan and Luxor
area, and she pointed me to the Sara in Aswan. Without her, I
would never have known of this hotel's existence.
Located on one of the highest points in Aswan,
the hotel is invisible from the main roads, but not from the Nile.
In fact, due to its perch, every room of this hotel has a Nile
View, and some very grand views at that. And while it is not
really a budget class hotel, but rather more midrange, it is
affordable for most. It is also brand new.
At the outset, however, I must also point out
that, because it is new, it had no swimming pool when I visited
the hotel, though one was scheduled to soon be built. Also, the
hotel is some distance from Aswan's city center, though there was
a free, hourly shuttle service into town.
The hotel itself is very bright, with a
contrasting white and pink paint theme, and an open, spacious
lobby.
 All
rooms include a reasonably large, furnished balcony, individually
controlled air-conditioning, direct dial telephones, satellite
international color television, a mini bar, and shower, hair dryer
and a shaver outlet.
There is also a second day laundry service,
express pressing and 24-hour room service.
 There
are several restaurants in the Hotel, including the Van Gogh main
restaurant near the lobby area. It serves international as well as
local cuisine, and as with most of the hotel, enjoys a spectacular
Nile view. The Veronica Terrace is an open air BBQ pool restaurant
overlooking the Nile. It serves various snacks. The Sahlala Garden
and Takeout also serves light fare, including pastries, breads,
sandwiches and ice cream. Likewise, the Salouga Corner also serves
a snack and drink menu on a terrace directly overlooking the Nile.
For somewhat more formal dinning, the Le Mediterranee Restaurant
serves fresh seafood, along with specialty oriental dishes.
Finally for a definitive native dinning experience, there is Dawar
El Amda Oriental Cafe, and Shisha for oriental food, smoking a
Shisha pipe, and live entertainment.
 For
entertainment and drinks, the Cliff Top Bar serves drinks in a
typical English Pub atmosphere. Soft piano music provides a
backdrop for a relaxing before or after dinner venue. For more
lively entertainment, there is the Spartacus Night Club and
Discotheque. A true nightclub after midnight, the venues include
international live entertainment and animation teams. Prior to
midnight, the club is operated as a disco.
All in all, I found this hotel to be enjoyable
and the management and personnel friendly. Certainly for midrange
pricing, it was worthy. But the real beauty of the hotel is the
view, which is grand.
The Sara Hotel
Naser City - El-Fanadek St.,
Aswan Egypt
Phone: 097-3272374 - 327235
Fax: 097-327236 Email
|
