Al Moudira

On Luxor’s quiet West Bank, Al Moudira feels like a private country palace: domes and archways around a honeycomb of courtyards, ten hectares of palms and gardens, and the Theban hills on the horizon. It sits a short hop from town yet feels a world apart.

The story is part of the charm. Created by Italo-Lebanese founder Zeina Aboukheir with Egyptian architect Olivier Sednaoui, the hotel has been lovingly expanded without losing its soul—and is now Egypt’s first Relais & Châteaux address.

Suites, apartments and villas (54 in all) are spacious and singular—high domed ceilings, hand-painted frescoes, antique pieces—opening to leafy, fountain-cooled patios. Private-pool villas add another layer of seclusion.

Dining is garden-to-table in spirit. Produce comes from the hotel’s own farm with a goal of 80% self-sufficiency; linger in the Ottoman Hall, the main Courtyard, the Egyptian café Khan Al Moudira, the mood-lit Eastern Bar, or the palm-grove Pool Bar / Il Forno.

Between temple days, the rhythm is unhurried: a spa with traditional hammam, a broad main pool (plus occasional access to villa pools), and a remarkable library collection—more than 7,000 volumes on Egypt and the Middle East—tucked into the villas.

For travelers who prize intimacy, craft, and a strong sense of place, Al Moudira offers exactly that: old-world atmosphere made personal—and quietly, confidently modern where it counts.