Mandarin Oriental is following in the footsteps of Agatha Christie. Marking its debut in Egypt, the Asian luxury group has just announced the takeover of the Old Cataract in Aswan and the Winter Palace in Luxor. Two legendary hotels that have been contemplating the flow of the Nile for over a century to welcome tourists to the land of the Pharaohs, in particular the Old Cataract, built at the request of Thomas Cook.
Among the regulars, the British novelist set the plot of her novel Death on the Nile at the Old Cataract, when Lord Carnarvron took up residence at the Winter Palace during Howard Carter's excavations and the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb. This was enough to establish the reputation of these establishments, which later welcomed all the world's elite, from Churchill to Princess Diana, not forgetting François Mitterrand, for a final moment of contemplation before his final journey.
Long part of the Accor group - the Winter Palace as a Sofitel and the Old Cataract as one of the few Sofitel Legend hotels in the world - these two establishments will leave the French group's portfolio at the end of April to undergo renovation work in preparation for their transfer to the Mandarin Oriental banner in July 2027. As part of this process, the Winter Palace will close its doors, while the Old Cataract will continue to welcome guests in its historic building. The Nile Wing, which was built in 1961 and hosted the negotiations that ended the Yom Kippur War in 1973, will undergo a complete renovation.
While these developments will be carried out in partnership with developer Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) Holding, Mandarin Oriental has also signed an agreement with the Garranah hospitality group to operate a cruise ship, the Mandarin Oriental Nile Cruise, which will offer three-, four- and seven-night itineraries between Luxor and Aswan.
While these developments are primarily aimed at leisure travellers in search of exclusivity, Mandarin Oriental will complete its offering in Egypt with a hotel more suited to business travellers, located in the heart of Cairo. Launched in 2022, this project aims to breathe new life into another historic establishment, the Shepheard Hotel. Opened in 1841 by the Englishman Samuel Shepheard, it was taken over at the turn of the twentieth century.e Established in the 19th century by the Swiss hotelier Charles Baehler - who also took over the Winter Palace in Luxor at the time - the hotel has had a chequered history over the years.
A symbol of the British presence in Egypt, the hotel was destroyed in 1952 during the riots that preceded Nasser's seizure of power. Rebuilt in 1957, and known for a time as the Helnan Shepheard Hotel, the establishment was to regain its place among the Egyptian capital's luxury hotels through a renaissance announced by the Rocco Forte group at the turn of the 2010s. But there were no renovations - the Arab Spring may explain why - until Mandarin Oriental took over the task.
With the help of Sybille de Margerie for the decor, this project is set to relaunch a new hotel with 188 rooms and 88 suites, most with balconies overlooking the city or the Nile, and featuring five bars and restaurants, including a rooftop table and a club lounge. Business travellers and event organisers will find a number of rooms available for conferences and meetings of all sizes, including a ballroom overlooking the rooftop terrace.
