We arrived at this beautiful place on the quiet West Bank of Luxor to find ourselves the only guests. For 6 days we were treated like Pharaohs. Ashraf, the owner, had upgraded us to the best room in the hotel at no extra charge. We had the run of the beautiful gardens. The pool was the perfect place to recover from the intense August heat and far from an 'add on' as a previous reviewer had commented (our teenage son loved it). Ahmed, the cook, prepared the loveliest lunches and dinners for us and aside from one terrific meal at Sofra restaurant and a lunch at the Sheraton to appease our son's appetite for pizza, we dined at the lodge.

We shall always remember our afternoon chats and Chai Limoon (Lemon tea) served to us by Abdul, the gardener, the kindest and gentlest of men, for whom nothing was too much trouble. Mohammed served us our food and was delighted when we greeted him in Arabic and encouraged us in our further attempts to speak the language. Another Mohammed, the Lodge's driver, took us to the West Bank souk at our request, which is an experience not to be missed. On the final drive to the airport, he made us a present of CDs which he had been playing in the vehicle during our stay, which we had liked.

This was typical of the generosity of the people we met on the West Bank and a sharp contrast to the hard sell of the East Bank Corniche. It is true that the hotel is a little distance from the Nile and from West Bank sites but for us that was also its virtue. We allowed ourselves 6 days to see Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Nobles, the temple of Hatshepsut, Deir El Medina, Karnak and Luxor temples, Luxor museum, Howard Carter's house, visit a local family and take a balloon and felucca ride. We set off very early in the morning to avoid the fiercest heat and took diarolite to help prevent dehydration. Desert Paradise was the perfect place to return to for afternoon relaxation and cooling down before evening visits. In this way we were able to fully enjoy the wonders of Luxor without succumbing to the heat of August. The hotel is designed in a very tasteful Nubian style and is a genuinely delightful place to unwind in. We felt very much at peace here and don't believe that this feeling would have changed so much with other people there.

I would strongly disagree with a previous reveiwer who said that this was something of a tourist trap. Ashraf was completely at ease with our requests. We never felt there was an agenda. We booked a couple of tours with yet another Mohammed, who gave us an informative insight into The Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut temple. Ashraf helped secure a very good price for our balloon flight but we also explored the East bank ourselves and visited a local family to help them prepare a meal which we all shared. This visit was organised by Real Egypt tours and was one of the highlights of our stay in Luxor. However independent you wish to be is up to you.

Although we clearly benefited from the current lull in tourism in Egpyt, it was quite sad to see such a special space empty. We enjoyed the most fabulous time in Luxor and a large part of the reason for that was the extraordinary generosity of Ashraf, the warmth and humanity of his staff and the delicious tranquility of Desert Paradise Lodge. It became like a second home to us and we wish it many more visitors.

After just twenty minutes i fell in love with the place! . Food was authentic and tasty and rooms spotlessly clean as was the pool which was most unexpected but a real pleasure. I will be back again in the autumn.

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.