The Hilton was closed for about two years but re-opened, refurbished, modernised and uprated, in November 2008.

Before refurbishment we thought that the Luxor Hilton was OK, but not amongst the best Luxor hotels by a long way. Its main problem was its location so far from town in an unattractive area without the quality benefits to make such remoteness worthwhile.

The hotel has since been refurbished to an extremely high standard, offering large rooms and plenty of facilities including internet in all rooms. It has been renamed the 'Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa' and has a separate wing with its own reception for the spa villas.

Externally, the main building looks much as it did, except for the grounds and pools, which have been landscaped and much uprated. Internally, the finish has been upgraded substantially, with high gloss marble and running water features throughout: even flowing down the walls behind the main staircase from reception level to the outdoor pool level.

We plan to visit again and to update our review during February.