Is the Old Cataract open during the renovation?

Yes. Thirty-five rooms and suites are open in the historic Palace while the Nile Wing is rebuilt. The work is due to finish in 2027.

Is this the hotel from Death on the Nile?

Yes. Agatha Christie stayed and wrote here, and her desk stands in the lobby. The 1978 film was shot at the hotel, and a suite carries her name.

Who runs the Old Cataract now?

Mandarin Oriental, since May 2026. It will take the name Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan, in July 2027.

Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Aswan?

Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Aswan, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.

Five-star Corniche, facing Elephantine Island, Aswan

Old Cataract, Aswan

Thomas Cook's hotel of 1899 on a pink granite cliff above the Nile, facing Elephantine Island. Mandarin Oriental runs it now, with 35 rooms and suites open in the Palace while the newer wing is rebuilt.

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Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.

Rooms open: 35 rooms and suites in the Palace
Opened: 8 January 1900
Run by: Mandarin Oriental since May 2026
From the airport: About 25 minutes, our estimate

The hotel

Thomas Cook's palace above the cataract.

Thomas Cook, whose steamers carried travellers up the Nile, broke ground here in 1899, and the hotel took its first guests on 8 January 1900. Henri Favarger gave it a Victorian face and Moorish arches and mashrabiya inside. Churchill came early and kept coming back; Tsar Nicholas II, King Farouk and Princess Diana followed. Agatha Christie wrote at a table on the terrace, and her desk now stands in the lobby.

The hotel was restored between 2008 and 2011, and in May 2026 Mandarin Oriental took over. For now the Palace is open with 35 rooms and suites, while the Nile Wing is rebuilt. In July 2027 the whole property reopens as Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan, with six places to eat and a new spa. Suites named after Churchill and Christie remain.

The Terrace Afternoon tea above the river, looking straight across to Elephantine Island.
The infinity pool An outdoor pool on the cliff, its edge set against the Nile.
Christie's Aswan The writer's desk in the lobby and a suite in her name, in the hotel she used for Death on the Nile.

Rooms & suites

The Palace, while the rest is rebuilt.

Thirty-five rooms and suites are open in the historic Palace, furnished in a French style with Egyptian touches.

Rooms Palace rooms Classic rooms in the historic building, French in style with Egyptian touches.
Suites Palace Garden View Junior Suite A suite in the Palace looking over the gardens.
Signature Signature Suites Including the suites named after Churchill and Agatha Christie; selected ones have private terraces over the Nile.

Dining

Tea on the terrace.

Venues open during the renovation, as listed by the hotel. Shown for information.

Saraya Levantine and Mediterranean The main restaurant
The Terrace All day, afternoon tea Facing Elephantine Island
The Promenade Light regional dishes Wide views and an afternoon tea
Pool Bar Drinks Beside the infinity pool

Recognition

Listings.

Condé Nast Traveler Hot List, Gold List and Readers' Choice, as stated by the hotel

Good to know

Before you go.

Renovation Only the Palace is open until the work ends in 2027. Building work on the Nile Wing continues meanwhile.
Name The hotel becomes Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan, when it reopens in full in July 2027.

Getting there

Flying to Aswan.

Aswan International, south-west of the town, takes domestic flights from Cairo and private jets with prior permission. The drive to the hotel on the corniche takes about twenty-five minutes, our estimate.

Business & First Class Domestic flights EgyptAir and Air Cairo fly from Cairo and on to Abu Simbel, and Nile Air also serves Cairo. Travellers from Europe connect in Cairo, a little over an hour north by jet. Request a fare Private Jet Private aviation The airport is an airport of entry with customs and operates around the clock; no slot is needed, but each flight needs prior permission from the Civil Aviation Authority. Jet fuel is available, and Nile Valley Aviation, ASE-Egypt and Link Aero handle visiting aircraft. Request a jet

Approximate flying time by midsize jet to Aswan

Cairo 1 h 15
Jeddah 1 h 15
Dubai 3 h 20
Milan 4 h 30
Paris 5 h 25

Questions

What guests ask first.

Is the Old Cataract open during the renovation?: Yes. Thirty-five rooms and suites are open in the historic Palace while the Nile Wing is rebuilt. The work is due to finish in 2027.
Is this the hotel from Death on the Nile?: Yes. Agatha Christie stayed and wrote here, and her desk stands in the lobby. The 1978 film was shot at the hotel, and a suite carries her name.
Who runs the Old Cataract now?: Mandarin Oriental, since May 2026. It will take the name Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan, in July 2027.
Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Aswan?: Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Aswan, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.

Also in Aswan

Other hotels worth the trip.

Five-star · Elephantine Island Mövenpick Resort Aswan More than four hundred rooms, suites and villas among gardens and farmland in the middle of the Nile.

Staying at Old Cataract, Aswan?

Book the room, then the flight.

Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Aswan, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.

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Business & First Private Jet

Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.