Built in the Nubian Desert on the banks of the Nile River opposite Elephantine Island, the hotel is majestically positioned on an outcrop of pink granite overlooking the Nile. It opened its doors in 1889 and has become a legendary name in hospitality.
Staying at the Cataract has been described as walking into a painting, or a period post card. This hotel is a living history that one not only senses with the eyes, but feels in the bones. With its high ceilings, long halls and Moorish decor, one is transported back through time to Egypt's Victorian past, of empire builders locked in monumental discussions on the famous Terrace, of Howard Carter reveling in his recent discovery of Tut's Tomb and of Europe's royalty relaxing and gaining their health in isolated gardens.
The Old Cataract Hotel is a favorite of many Tour Egypt readers, almost to the extent that a few we hear from must make an occasional visit for a routine "Cataract Fix". It easily qualifies as one of the two best known hotels in Egypt, perhaps after, or before the Mena House in Cairo.
The Old Cataract Hotel was always a favorite of the Elite during Egypt's British colonial period, and with the release of the movie written by Agatha Christie and Anthony Shaffer, "Death on the Nile", in 1978, the hotel received a grand revival of interest.
The 1902: restaurant serving local and international cuisine
First Cataract bar: a soft, refined atmosphere 
