It is the kind and generous owners and staff of Desert Paradise Lodge that make this such a special place to stay. Fareda and Ashraf made us feel so welcome - we enjoyed our stay here immensely. My son was sick for the first couple days of our visit, and they took care of him as if he were one of their own. The food was incredibly good, the rooms were very comfortable and the location excellent. It was wonderful to cool off in the pool in the afternoon heat. As a response to the previous reviewer, I would suggest that if this person had stayed longer than twenty minutes, his opinion may have been different. At least it would have been informed. We chose our own activities, were never pressured and were grateful for the services and recommendations Fareda and Ashraf provided. This was not my first visit to Egypt; when we return, I look forward to staying once again at this Desert Paradise Lodge.

I booked this Lodge but was so disappointed after twenty minutes there I left and found somewhere else.
The room I was offered was rather pokey and functional (two smallish beds, little natural light)
The pool is clearly an 'add-on' and not that attractive.
I'm more interested in value than price, but at 300LE this does not, in my opinion, offer value compared to other places on the West Bank that offer far superior rooms, location and atmosphere, mostly at much less cost.
I got on fine with the manageress until I declined her offer of an airport pick-up as I could get one from a normal driver at half the price she had quoted (she then said he probably wouldn't be able to find it, but he had no trouble whatsoever). She then repeatedly implied I was a cheapskate and I found her manner rather offensive (perhaps if it had been the owner showing me around I might have stayed even though it does not, in my opinion, offer value for money - Ashraf seems a nice man and the atmosphere is an important element after all.)
I was told "You won't find anywhere quieter than this" which was just assuming ignorance on my part and quite incorrect (Desert Paradise is in the built up resettlement area, surrounded by other densely packed buildings, unlike most of the Old Gurna hotels that are in quiet woody groves.) Not to mention the television blaring in the courtyard . . .
Other reviewers seem to feel it is "ideally located;" - ideal, if your only other comparison is the East Bank - but it would be hard to find many places that are further from the Ticket Office or the hub of main attractions than Desert Paradise, so you are dependent on their taxis and prices.
I felt this is the sort of place that likes to be in charge so you don't have the chance to compare. You do it their way or not at all. I didn't stay to try the food, which sounds great (but so are many other places). At 300LE I would expect something a little bit special - big beds, wi-fi or something that you don't always get (but often do) at cheaper places in the area - none of these, though she did offer to "lend me her stick" for internet (not much good to me using an iPhone). And that peppered with warnings that the electricity was not working all the time.
To the people who have given this place such high praise, I would ask, where else on the West Bank have you stayed??
But having said that, there is a definite niche for hotels that basically run everything for you, even at cost. It can be very reassuring for someone to help take the reins on your first visit to Egypt or even to Luxor.

I am going to cheat a little here and simply agree 100%, yes 100% with everything Halo44 has written about this wonderful gem of a find on the West Bank. Every element of that review fits my experience. Though I did not have the same guide, mine is called Said, he was also excellent.

I came to Egypt for the first time not as the usual sightseeing, beach, cruise tourist but to finally fulfill a life long yearning to visit the country of ancient Egypt that has fascinated me since as a 12 year old I purchased the penguin book on Tutankhamen by C. Desroches-Noblecourt. The stories, the history, the monuments, the images, the aesthetic, the grandeur and mysticism of that civilization has fascinated me all my life.

So as you can imagine this trip for me was more than a holiday it was loaded with expectation and a degree of childhood emotion.

As I planned this 7day trip with a view to immersing myself in as much of the ancient past as possible I had to find a base that was close to the areas I wanted to visit. On my tight budget where to stay? I checked out all the Luxor hotels, some West Bank hotels and as an avid trip advisor reader I stumbled upon the Desert Paradise Lodge (DPL). Its reviews were incredible. Could it really be that good? Well it was far, far better than I had dared to expect. When I travel I like my money to go to the local community as much as possible. I am no fan of the big impersonal hotels so DPL certainly ticked the invest in the local economy box. The email booking with Fareda was uncomplicated. I would be met at the airport by Hamade in the air conditioned minibus. So it was and I arrived in the 40C heat and was taken the 40min ride to DPL where I was made very welcome by both Ashraf and Fareda. At the end of my first day and as a direct result of experiencing the DPL I decided to extend my stay from 7 to 14 nights.

In my first evening there I mentioned that I wanted to do a Ballon trip. Within an hour it had been arranged for the next day. It was a great flight over all the key areas: Valley of the Kings, Queens, Habu, Hatshepsut etc. The best possible introduction to the area and start to this trip.

This very quickly proved to be the perfect base for all my trips. Initially with a guide as an introduction and then I revisited the sites alone in my second week to explore at my own pace. The DPL arranged all my trips as well a taking me to the ferry area to go across to Luxor. The staff and service were attentive and excellent throughout my stay. My meals were mainly at the DPL and were a good balance of carbs, meat, fish and salads great fuel for the next day. In my room I also had room Nr 1, the bed was made every day, cotton sheets, fresh towels, it was clean, airconditioned which I struggled to get used to and had a relaxing atmosphere. Just perfect for the pm snooz I needed after the early start and 7 hours on site. Early starts to beat the heat were not an issue. I like to walk the local peaks so a light snack at 5am before I set off was not a problem. On my last days DPL arranged to take me to the start of the walk up to the peak overlooking the Valley of the Kings via Hatshepsut at 6am. Nothing was too much trouble. Even on the last day when I got a stomach bug Fareda helped me with local medication which dealt with it immediately.

This was my little trip of a lifetime realizing a childhood dream and the DPL along with a wonderful swiss couple who eased me into the Egyptian culture helped make it simply perfect.

Finally Egypt is going through the birth pangs of democracy at the moment and I left on the day the first round of presidential elections took place. I was alone on this trip and with my hat etc looked typically european but In all my time in both Luxor walking alone and on the West Bank I always felt safe and never experienced any problems.

I will be going back to the Desert Paradise Lodge and Luxor hopefully again later this year.

We have travelled a lot but we had never been to Egypt before and we almost booked a big hotel for our 3 nights in Luxor and then I found Desert Paradise on Trip Advisor....and we were so glad we stayed here. It is a hundred times better than staying in an impersonal, bland chain owned hotel room. Our room (room 1) was beautiful. The driver from the hotel, Hamada, met us at the airport and pointed out landmarks to us as he drove us to Desert Paradise. Based on the West bank of Luxor, Desert Paradise Lodge felt much more authentic and more peaceful than the east bank which has more tourists and is more crowded. On arrival we met the owner Ashraf who greeted us at the door and even though it was late at night he still offered us food and drinks if we wanted them served in our room. He kindly sent tea to our room at our request. The room was lovely. Designed in the Nubean style with dome ceilings, lying in bed or sitting in our lounge we could look up in to a beautiful dome of warm coloured brick. A really stunning feature and one that felt authentic. The walls were painted white and doors and window shutters were natural wood. The bed was comfortable with white sheets and pillows. The bathroom was immaculate with a good shower, hot water and large towels. We had a dressing table and mirror and a separate lounge plus another separate area with wardrobes and a fridge. We also had our own balcony which overlooked the lovely gardens. Everything was immaculately clean and really well designed. Breakfast was served in the garden where a covered area to the side features long natural wooden tables and benches with more tables in the open. We had omelettes served in hot griddle pans, yoghurt, fresh juice, tea, bread etc...and we chose the time we wanted to eat. Ashraf (Egyptian)and his business partner Fareda (Swiss) were really friendly and helpful. Ashraf arranged a driver and guide for us to visit the main sites of Luxor over a 2 day period. It was incredibly good value for money and Mohammed our guide spoke excellent English and really knows his history. We don't often use guides but in this instance it was the best thing we did as Mohammed really brought the history and mystery of Luxor to life for us and made it exciting. We absolutely loved our 2 days with him visiting Karnak, Luxor Temple, Habu Temple, Valley Of The Kings and much more and we wish we could have spent another day with him. It was genuinely fantastic and he's easily one of the best guides we have ever spent any time with. We ate lunch in town on one day but we took evening meals and our other lunch at Desert Paradise Lodge because it fitted in better with what we were doing. The food was fantastic with plenty of fresh vegetables, fish, salad etc...and beer or wine if you want to order it. Sitting in the garden in the evening eating dinner was also so much nicer than sitting in a big restaurant. Fareda cares for lots of animals that she has rescued locally and some of the income from Desert Paradise is donated to the welfare of sick and rescued animals. We would love to go back to Desert Paradise Lodge one day and I have already recommended it to many of my friends and family. This is a far more beautiful and spacious place to stay than a boring hotel and you will be made very welcome in gorgeous and peaceful surroundings. We saw a lot in Luxor in 2 days because we followed the advice of Ashraf and booked his driver and guide. Without this invaluable service we would have wasted time and money and not seen as much as we would have wanted to. Our only regret is that we only had 2 full days; if you have the time it is definitely worth spending at least 3 full days in Luxor before heading towards your next destination in Egypt. I wish we could have spent a week at Desert Paradise Lodge! They are planning to open a private flat within the grounds very soon for people to rent on a longer term basis fully equipped with its own kitchen etc.