Old Cataract Hotel

Thomas Cook built the Old Cataract in 1899 for the winter travellers his company brought up the Nile, and it stands on a pink granite bluff directly above the river looking across to Elephantine Island and the west bank desert, which is the finest hotel position in Egypt and the reason it has never lost its reputation. The building is Moorish revival in red brick with arched loggias and high ceilings, restored in a long project completed in 2011. Its literary association is with Agatha Christie, who stayed here and used the setting in Death on the Nile, and the hotel has traded on that ever since. Non-residents can sit on the terrace for tea at a set minimum charge, which is the usual way visitors see it.

What you actually see

• The river terrace - the view over Elephantine and the west bank desert.
• Moorish revival architecture - arched loggias in red brick above the granite.
• High Victorian interiors - restored public rooms and staircases.
• The Christie association - the setting used in Death on the Nile.

When to go

October to April. Late afternoon on the terrace for sunset over the west bank, which is the whole point. Two hours. Booking the terrace ahead is wise in high season.

Honest expectations

Non-guests are charged a substantial minimum spend to sit on the terrace and the dress code is enforced. Room rates are among the highest in Egypt. The Christie connection is marketed heavily. The newer wing next door is a different and much plainer building.

Nearby

The Nubian Museum is inland; Elephantine Island lies directly opposite.