Published on
Mandarin Oriental is set to launch a luxury river cruise along the Nile in Egypt.
A first from the Hong Kong-born hotel group, the Mandarin Oriental, Nile Cruise will include three-, four- and seven-night itineraries between Luxor and Aswan.
Both cities will soon be home to their very own Mandarin Oriental properties, too, as the group has unveiled plans to take over and renovate an historic hotel in each.
The expected launch date for the river cruise is yet to be announced as the vessel is still in its design stages. Plans for the boat include three restaurants and a dedicated wellness space, plus suites for guests.
“Egypt is one of the fastest growing global destinations and presents a rare opportunity to create a journey that is both culturally rich and uniquely Mandarin Oriental,” said Laurent Kleitman, group chief executive of Mandarin Oriental.
“By uniting our first river cruise, with truly iconic historic hotels in Luxor and Aswan, alongside the upcoming Mandarin Oriental Shepheard, Cairo, we are introducing a seamless, end-to-end experience that unfolds across land and water.”
New Mandarin Oriental hotels in Egypt
In Aswan, the legendary colonial-era Old Cataract hotel will be managed by Mandarin Oriental from May 2026.
First opened in 1900, the hotel has hosted many famous faces from Winston Churchill to Princess Diana. Agatha Christie is said to have written Death on the Nile here, and the hotel also featured in the book’s 1978 silver screen adaptation.
The hotel is set to remain partially open while renovations take place in the Nile Wing, with the transformation into Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan complete by July 2027.
The new-look property will have six restaurants and bars as well as a branch of the brand’s famed spa.
Another Death on the Nile set – this time for a 2004 episode of Poirot – is also due to be taken over by Mandarin Oriental this year. The Winter Palace in Luxor will close its doors in the coming weeks ahead of a complete restoration that is due to be finished in July 2027.
Reborn as the Mandarin Oriental Winter Palace, Luxor, the property will have six restaurants as well as a spa set among the hotel gardens.
Announced back in 2021, the upcoming Mandarin Oriental Shepheard, Cairo, will also open in 2027.
The property takes its name from the Shepheard’s Hotel, which has a history dating back to the mid-19th century. While the original hotel was destroyed in 1952, the “new” Shepheard’s Hotel was rebuilt five years later less than a kilometre away. It closed for renovations in 2014.
