Eco Nubia — Hotel in Aswan

This hotel is located on a private island on the Nile with a beautiful view of Philae Temple. The setting is peaceful and truly exceptional.

But I would say it is worth visiting just for 1 night or during dinner, to enjoy the setting. For longer stays the shortcomings become more noticeable.

The restaurant serves fresh and tasty meals made to order (1h in advance). But I was the only guest and still waited a lot at the restaurant. Staff were chatting or resting in the restaurant area and I even had to get up and help myself.

The room was okay and the bedding comfortable. However the way it was advertised did not match reality. It was presented as having a balcony but there is no large window or direct access (check pictures). Instead there are three small windows and the terrace is outside the room, under full sun, no shade, no tree. There is no AC in the room and It’s quite intense even during the night. I mean it’s actually 46°C I’m dying.

The bathroom was not shown in any photos on the booking platforms and now I understand why, so I’ll share a pic. While it was functional and clean it feels like only the best aspects of the hotel are shown while other important details are hidden rather than improved.

There is no WiFi network despite being given a password. Water and electricity were cut off several times during my stay. For an autonomous island I understand there are limitations but the pricing should reflect the service and infrastructure provided. It’s not luxury it’s not an Eco Site because they use plastic, so I don’t understand their logic or the common thread they tend to express here.

The manager is very professional warm and welcoming, the check in was smooth and pleasant.

Transport to and from the island is done by boat. One round trip is included but every additional trip costs 100 Egyptian pounds - which is good to know in advance…

The complex is generally pleasant and well maintained considering the remote island setting. However the overall concept of the place is unclear. It is not really a luxury experience nor does it embrace an ecological approach. Unfortunately my global opinion is that it’s good for instagram pictures but they lacked...

This hotel is a destination on itself for several reasons. |1- It has the best "accessible" view of the Isis temple. Warning: the very best view is just a quick hike to the top of the boulder pile on the east flank of the hotel; but don't do it- I got in trouble with 2 soldiers for trying to take pics from there- in Egypt the temples are protected by soldiers that don't want people taking pics from high angles. |2- You are spending the night in an authentic Nubian village. We loved our rooms! |3- The food is authentic, and in our opinion, the best Egyptian food that we had in our trip.|4- You get there in a boat!||Add to that the top customer service and the friendliness of the hosts. Among the things they did for us: |1- The manager organized our trip to Abu Simbel with a funny and empathetic driver that never ever asked us for a tip (he got one of course but the point is that he wasn't pushy, which adds to the experience). The price for transportation was fair. |2- The manager let us watch the World Cup games in the TV that they have for the staff room- no TV in our rooms. Interacting with the staff adds to the trip experience. |3- We got our breakfast packed so we could take it during our drive to Abu Simbel. We didn't ask for it. ||We were a group of 5. All of us loved this place and if we ever go back to Aswan, we know where to stay. We would have loved to make more use of other facilities, or at least spend some significant time by the bonfire....

Eco nubia is beautiful. keep in mind, it is situated on a small island, situated between the two dams. this means if you want to go out, you need to ask a boat operated by the eco nubia lodge to take you to a beautiful harbor called el batanyoun (situated just south of the old dam), and then find a taxi to take you to aswan the town, which is a few kilometers from the harbor, north of the old dam. the whole thing might take you 40 or 45 minutes. but if this is not a problem for you, eco nubia is perfect:|- beautifully situated between two dams, the landscape is gorgeous|- direct view on the main touristic sight in aswan, the temple of isis in philae island|- the island is beautiful, includes a vegetable garden, and a place on top of a hill where one can go do yoga, or admire the view !|- the rooms are beautiful , although all facing north (facing philae island)|- the terrace is large, and the restaurant includes an inside, and the food is really really good, among the best we had in egypt. in particular, the breakfast is divine.|- the manager Mohamed is super nice and super helpful|Please note, when you arrive at the little harbour where you will take a boat to the island, the name of the boat is solaih, eco nubia, (in our case, we were unsure and confused, and we let it go a few times before we realized it was the boat to take to...