The Secret History of The Old Cataract, Egypt’s Most Romantic Hotel

What do Winston Churchill, Agatha Christie, and Princess Diana have in common? They all stayed at the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract hotel in Aswan, Egypt. Overlooking the Nile river, the lifeblood of Egypt, the hotel has been in that very spot since the late 19th century, claiming one of the best views in the country.  

We took a moment with Ghada El Sherif, the hotel’s Director of Sales, to take a deep dive into the romantic history of the Old Cataract and find out why it draws such illustrious guests. 

The beginning of the Old Cataract hotel 

“The story of the hotel begins across the world,” says Ghada. To get to the beginning we travel back to the second half of the 19th century, when the Victorian empire was dominating the global scene. It was during this time that the British-based Thomas Cook & Son travel company built the first concrete hotel in the heart of Nubia, Aswan, with a mission to uncover the mysteries of Egyptian civilization. In 1899, the Old Cataract Hotel was built. 

The Old Cataract announced its inauguration in December 1899, with room to accommodate 60 guests featuring the latest state-of-the art amenities and luxury interiors. Just a year later the hotel had already doubled its capacity, and “Aswan became the new campus for exploring travelers and meditation seekers,” says Ghada. 

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A unique design 

“The hotel’s interiors were designed exclusively for the Old Cataract,” Ghada tells me, designed by the Englishman Henri Favarger combining traditional heritage with modern style. Its exterior reflects the Victorian age, while the interior architecture was inspired by oriental culture.  

When designing the dining room of the 1902 Restaurant (which is still in use today), Favarger was inspired by the Mamluk mosques of Cairo. Decorated in scarlet and white, the main room features Moorish architecture, with four large iwans topped by a 23-meter dome. “The columns supporting the roof were suggestive of the interior of the Qalawun Mausoleum and the grill work was modelled after the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, both in Cairo,” says Ghada. The raised restaurant area could seat 200 guests, while the orchestra was hidden from view in a gallery near the dome. 

Meanwhile, the British-style bar boasts deep mahogany walls and colonial era furniture, honoring Sir Winston Churchill with a cocktail list where each serve is linked to a famous past guest. “If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then history is embedded within the tiles of the Old Cataract,” Ghada notes. 

A change in the times

The unrest of Europe made its way to Egypt by 1939, when British families living in Cairo sent their daughters to stay at the Old Cataract, along with people who had been stranded in Egypt by World War II. “Military shorts replaced dinner jackets,” says Ghada, and where formal attire was once compulsory, soldiers occupied the terrace and dining room.  

The first season after the war was in 1946, when the tourist boom began again. Afternoon tea resumed, and the food was known throughout Egypt and Europe. “To have lunch at the Old Cataract was to announce that you were someone of importance,” says Ghada. Celebrities frequented the Old Cataract, but so did artists, writers, and tourists who had simply come to discover a slice of Egypt. 

The Old Cataract terrace: the place to be 

One of the most iconic features of the Old Cataract was the terrace, particularly at sunset. Tea was served from 4PM to 7PM, accompanied by the music of a hidden orchestra. “You’d frequently hear the phrase: ‘Meet you at the terrace!’” says Ghada. 

Tables were reserved by long-time guests, and guests’ affinity to the terrace is demonstrated by a story involving Lord Benbrook, an annual visitor. “Lord Benbrook arrived at the terrace to find his favorite table taken,” Ghada tells me. “He approached the table, telling the guest that it was reserved. The intruder asked, ‘Since when?’ Benbrook, in the finest of English tradition, replied: ‘Since twenty years!’” 

The terrace is also where Agatha Christie is said to have written her bestselling 1937 novel Death on the Nile, inspired by the view from her favorite table. The 1978 movie adaptation of the novel was even filmed at the Old Cataract, and the writer’s desk is on display in the lobby. If the rooms are unoccupied, the hotel runs daily tours of the Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill suites. 

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Distinguished guests 

Agatha Christie wasn’t the only notable guest throughout the hotel’s history. The opening ceremony of the 1902 Restaurant, which took place in December that same year, was attended by numerous heads of state and dignitaries including Khedive Abbas Helmi, Ruler of Egypt; Princess Diana (in 1986); and a very young Winston Churchill. 

Some prestigious guests that have frequented the hotel are Mohamed Chah Agha Khan III; the Tsar of Russia, Nicolas II; the Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria; Lord and Lady Cromer; Sir Winston Churchill and  Agatha Christie. In addition to a chain of Egypt’s royalties such as Khedive Abbas Helmy and King Farouk, the last king of Egypt.

 

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A particularly prestigious section of the hotel is Fouad’s Corner, which was King Farouk’s (the first King of Egypt) favorite place to dine and entertain as it was the closest area of the hotel to the Nile. Nowadays guests can still dine here, and the menu is printed on papyrus paper for them to keep it as souvenir. 

Visit the Old Cataract with Insight Vacations

The good news is you don’t have to be a famous author or member of the royal family to visit the Old Cataract. If you travel to Egypt with Insight Vacations, you’ll visit the hotel to take its famous afternoon tea on the terrace, taking in breathtaking views of the Nile and watching the feluccas sailing past as the sun begins to set.

Discover our Egypt guided tours now, and step back in time with an Insight Vacations trip to Egypt.