Hotel Al Moudira, Luxor, Egypt

Luxor, Egypt's luxurious Hotel Al Moudira.

PHOTO: Courtesy of the Hotel Al Moudira

For decades, well-heeled visitors to Luxor, Egypt, have checked into the Winter Palace, a grand hotel built on the east bank of the Nile in 1886. But these days the preferred place is the Hotel Al Moudira, which opened on the less congested west bank four years ago. Although the fifty-four-room property is in the middle of a twenty-acre walled garden, staying there feels more like being in an Arab palace in the desert.

The Valley of the Kings and Queens serves as the dramatic setting for the hotel, where owner Zeina Aboukheir, a former photographer and jewelry designer, has created a fantasy world of domes, columns and splashing fountains. Entering one of the air-conditioned rooms and suites is like stepping back to the Ottoman Empire. All rooms are decorated individually, many with daybeds, Persian carpets and mosaic-tiled floors. Each has a hammam-like bathroom with a skylight. When not exploring the archaeological treasures of Luxor, you can relax by Al Moudira's pool pavilion, which has a café and spa. In the evening, dine on the excellent Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine at the Great Room restaurant and then repair to the Colonial Bar. Double rooms from $219. 011-20-12-325-1307; moudira.com.