MARA

Who is Mara? I am an Irish mother of two sons. I have one grand-daughter and 2 grand-sons. In 2003 a combination of factors and events combined to move me to Luxor, Egypt! What were they? Contract job finishing, big house I was maintaining by myself, realising my children did not "need" me anymore, realising I was young enough to start an adventure, the constant cold/wet weather, a desire to have an easier life, had been to Egypt before and saw great business opportunity potential - those were the main factors.

I bought a piece of land and over a year and a half built Mara House using direct labour. Mara House began life as a block of apartments and in the course of time has transformed into a hotel thanks to all the recommendations, both personal and on the internet, for the service we have provided to tourists since we opened -

In Jan. 2009 my son, Stephen, and his partner Sara joined me in Luxor when we opened the Salahadeen Restaurant. For various dismaying reasons - the latest being the Egyptian Revolution, the restaurant is not operating at the moment. We have just re-decorated it and hope to open shortly.

In Feb. 2010 Stephen and Sara moved to Cairo where they renovated some apartments which are now available to visitors - especially great for families who prefer not to stay in hotel accommodation.

Egypt is going through the aftermath of a revolution since Jan 2011. It is going to take Egypt many years to get back to "normal" In the meantime we can assist and guide you to have your dream holiday in Egypt. You will continue to see Egypt in the International media every time there is any kind of disruption (story) here and, quite probably, it will be accompanied by a 20 second loop of archived video/film that is not actually about the incident being reported! Please contact me if you want information as to what is happening on the ground in either Luxor or Cairo regarding safety.

"Thank you very much for arranging my visit to Luxor. Although it was short, but it was marvellous and enjoyed every minutes of it. Mostly because your staff, the guide and the driver, they all made the trip so much more pleasant and enjoyable. Even when the railway was stopped, they continue to assist, even though it is not their problem!! I would have been completely lost without them!!" Peter Jan 2012

It's our last night and I wish we had more time to explore more. My son has just said he wants to come back and stay one day. And he said he wants to stay here again because he wants to "see the people again". Kellie (Jan 2012)

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"I was just at my hair dressers and raved about Mara House to her. Amr was wonderful...very accommodating to our needs. He even made a bit of ice so that my mom could have iced tea on our last day. Mo was a great tour guide. We learned so much from him. We all came back tired but very happy with our trip to Luxor. :)." - Chris (Dec. 2011)

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"Having had a marvellously relaxing stay at Mara House we launched straight into family visits in the UK. Amr took very good care of us indeed - we loved the room, and the breakfast of baked eggs was a special treat. All the trips were lovely as well, and the driver was extremely helpful." - Laura (Dec 2011)

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"We had the MOST AMAZING stay at Mara house, you really have a gem of a place there. We loved Luxor & all the trips were fantastic. Everyone made our stay very special, the guide, drivers etc. We will definitely return to both Luxor & Mara house. We will also recommend it to friends & family. Amr especially made the stay very special, he could not have been better, he was the perfect host & I can not commend him highly enough. He made sure we were well looked after & safe when venturing into Luxor. He really is an attribute to your hotel." - Heather (Dec 2011)

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"You have left Mara House in very capable hands. Amr was an absolute sweetheart & he is also very loyal to you! He was so helpful & worked hard to make sure both we & the other guests were comfortable & having a good time. He also cooked us a breakfast on our last morning which was both generous & SCRUMPTIOUS!

Thank you so much for the effort you put into your website & for all the email replies. You made a big impact on our trip & we value that. We both have great admiration that you took on such a challenging project as Mara House, & sincerely hope that the tourist trade picks up soon for you. All the very best for the future! - Joy (Dec 2011)

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"I am finally getting around to going through my correspondence and I just wanted to write and say what a great stay we had at your hotel at Luxor.

Your manager - I cannot remember his name - could not have been more helpful and although we did struggle a bit with his accent when we were speaking to him he was brillient and he perservered with us until he could make himself understood and he could understand us. We really loved our room and the whole hotel was really pleasant. We loved the decorating and decor.

The lovely in-house breakfasts and the packed lunches and breakfasts he organised when we were on trips was also great. And nothing was too much trouble. He was always so willing and cheerful.

Our balloon ride was one of the two super highlights of the entire 3 weeks in Egypt.

Also our trip to the temples Abydos and Dendara - as you predicted - was magical another highlight. We had the places almost completely to ourselves and our many photos reflect that. NO OTHER TOURISTS anywhere.

Even the long drives there and back were so full of interesting sights and experiences along the way in the luxury mini bus.

We really appreciated the service we had there and would recommend your hotel to any of our friends and already have done so to other people we met on our travels (not that many as there were no tourists to be found anywhere).
We also appreciate all the help you gave before we even booked with you and afterwards. All the advise was gratefully received.

After the entire holiday was over we could really see where we had got the best service and assistance along with the best value for money and the best trips and best guides. " - Susan (Dec 2011)

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"Our time in Luxor was brilliant...have recommended to people we know. Amr looked after us, and the tours were amazing...better than some we had already been on." Thanks again - Gareth (Dec. 2011)