House of Life Abydos

The pool area was lovely, and I liked that they burned incense there. The food was good, the staff were attentive, and the hotel’s shop owner gave me good advice about an oil I bought along with a sistrum. Laundry was returned on time, though I was initially told it would come back wet. Our Egyptologist and guide had to speak with reception to sort that out. Room cleaning was a problem. After our temple visit and breakfast, the room still hadn’t been cleaned, and there were food remnants on a chair when I checked in. The room door lock didn’t work, and the outside corridor and stairs were pitch black in the evening because the lights were broken. There was no American coffee either, which was disappointing.

The entrance is impressive, and the hotel is right beside Abydos Temple. My room felt dated, though. Dinner cost a lot and wasn’t very satisfying, and breakfast was disappointing.

For $195, I got a room that felt stuck in the 1970s. The internet didn’t work, and there was no running water in the morning. Worst hotel experience I had anywhere in Egypt.

Getting to the temples is easy, just a seven-minute walk. The room was clean and adequate, and the service was decent, but the employees didn’t seem happy to be there, especially in the restaurant. I often felt as if I was bothering them when I asked for help or service. The shower didn’t work well for me or several of my friends. I had to kneel to use the faucet instead of the showerhead, which isn’t good if you have back or knee problems. The room key also has to stay in a slot to keep the electricity on. I understand the energy-saving idea, but as a business traveler and content creator, I couldn’t charge multiple devices while I was out. The only workaround was leaving the key inside and the door slightly open when going to dinner, the pool, or shopping. That was impractical. Wi-Fi was another hassle. Every device needed its own access code, and you had to know to ask for several. My friends didn’t realize they could request more, so they couldn’t work on their laptops. I wouldn’t have known to ask either if I hadn’t asked.