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Maritim Jolie Ville Kings Island Luxor
Review, photos and history of the Maritim Jolie Ville
Kings Island Luxor resort
Article added on June 6, 2012
Situated on Kings Island outside of Luxor in
Upper Egypt, the Maritim Jolie Ville Kings Island Luxor is a relaxing resort
located on a place formerly known as Crocodile Island.
The crocodiles have left the island a very long time ago, although the hotel
had kept one in its pet zoo for a few years. It was not really a pet, as one
of the flamingo's had to learn the hard way. In November 2010, gamekeepers
of the Department of Environment picked up the crocodile and released it on the other side of the Aswan High Dam. The 550 km long and 35 km
wide Lake Nasser remains largely a nature reserve.
An island resort full of bungalows
The Maritim Jolie Ville Kings Island was built in 1983 as a Mövenpick;
Mövenpick ice cream is still available. After 25 years as a Mövenpick, it
changed management and is now run by the German Maritim brand. In fact, it
is run by the Swiss General Manager Urs Umbricht, with the exception of a PR
lady from the Netherlands, the only foreigner among a staff of 580 employees
who take care of a maximum of 647 rooms.
The rooms are divided into 21 original and 10 new bungalows from 2010. I
clearly preferred a Superior Deluxe Room (3707) with Nile view and a bathtub
instead of a simple shower in a new bungalow, but many long-time return
visitors remain faithful to the original, smaller bungalows. 30% of the
rooms have a bathtub, 70% just a shower. All rooms have terraces with chairs
and/or deckchairs in front of their entrance. The smallest rooms are the
Comfort Rooms with 24m2. My Superior Deluxe Room with 53m2 gave me more air
to breath as well as a large, flat screen Samsung TV. If you just go to your
room to sleep, you may care less about the room size. All bungalows offer an
internet connection.
If your finances allow it, go for one of the 10 Executive Suites with 106 m2
and separate shower and bathtub or go for one of the 3 Royal Suites with 150
to 186 m2 in a more extravagant design. I also had a look at one of
the three impressive Royal Villas which can currently be rented: the owner
originally built them for himself and his children. He was too close to
Mubarak and therefore forced into exile. The 420 m2 villas are great, with bathrooms
large enough for a party. If you have deep pockets, go for it!
Situated on an island, the resort is secure. It is well suited for families
with children. Many bungalow rooms feature connecting doors.
Two doctors are on the island too, taking care of hotel guests 24/7. Several
restaurants and bars cater to the hungry and thirsty tourists. I normally went for one of
the 12 different buffets offered in the main restaurant, which is also used
for breakfast.
The Flora and Fauna of Kings Island
As for the Jolie Ville in Luxor, if offers a large variety of birds and plants
to admire. The hotel / resort offers binoculars and telescopes to
birdwatchers. The hotel even offers a 38-page brochure in English, French
and German about the flora and fauna on Kings Island.
Situated on the overlapping edges of the Mediterranean, Western Asia and
Africa, Egypt offers a large variety of plants and animals. The antique
Gods, immortalized in the Egyptian temples and artworks, testify to that
fact.
As for the Jolie Ville gardens, they boast acacias, rubber trees, Aleppo and
Australian pines, jacarandas, frangipani, eucalyptus, palms, hibiscus and
over 100 other plants. In the hotel's vegetable garden, you can find
bananas, dates, olives, pomegranates, broccoli and many more common and
exotic fruits and vegetables, which end up in the hotel kitchens and bars.
Some 280 species of birds migrate though Egypt or spend the winter here
every year. in addition, there are some 150 local breeding birds. As for the
birds of Kings Island, some 38 bird species can be admired in the resort,
including wagtails, bulbuls, kestrels, crested larks, warblers, hoopoes and
Nile Valley sunbirds. Birds along the Nile river include pied
kingfishers, moorhens, coots, ducks, gray herons and more. Sometimes
migrating through the area are flamingos, cranes, pelicans, storks, black
kites, stone curlews, swallows, martins and other birds.
The Jolie Ville also features a pet zoo with donkeys, turtles, pelicans, a
camel, a horse, donkeys and more.
Funny Swiss friends of General Manager Urs Umbricht bought him two buffalos
at the Luxor cattle market. Mister Umbricht baptized them Campari (male
buffalo) and Soda (female buffalo)!
70 gardeners take care of the fauna. You can have your own tree with your
name planted. Currently, the Jolie Ville is thinking about bringing back a
sacred Ibis to the resort; the Ibis was revered as Toth, the God of Wisdom.
Sadly. they are currently only found in the south of Africa.
In short, if you are a nature lover, the Jolie Ville Luxor resort is the
right hotel for you. With its 660,000 m2, the island offers enough space for
both animals and tourists.
Sports and other activities at the Jolie Ville Luxor resort
People who do not just want to relax in one of the three large pool
areas of the Jolie Ville hotel can work out in the brand new gym, built at
the end of 2011, with state-of-the-art Technogym equipment. Most European hotels would be proud to have such a
gym. I went there every day for a week.
The beauty salon, which opened at the same time, offers a hairdresser. In
April 2012, I paid some 75 Egyptian Pounds, less than 10 Euros, for my
haircut. Massages, aromatherapy, shiatsu, Hamam, steam bath, sauna and other
treatments are available.
Tennis courts, table tennis areas, camel riding, land chess and of course
the three swimming pools with Nile view complement the sporting facilities available at the
Jolie Ville.
In addition, walking around the historic historic sights, the nearby Valley
of Kings and Queens as well as the temples of Hatshepsut, Luxor and Karnak, to mention just a few, are physical outdoor activities that offer
quite some exercise too.
Archaeological sites to explore in the Luxor area
The Luxor area with its population of roughly 500,000 people is full of
archaeological sites to explore. Several times a day, the hotel offers courtesy shuttles to downtown Luxor and back,
with one stop in front of the
Winter Palace. Cheap taxes are available too. In April 2012, a
taxi downtown cost 20 Egyptian Pounds, roughly 2.50 Euro. A taxi to far away
Aswan, almost a four hour drive, cost not more than 300 Egyptian Pounds. In
short, to take a taxi to one of the historic sites in the Luxor area won't
bankrupt you.
The things to see in the Luxor area are the envy of the entire world. Six
great temples as well as the Valleys of Kings and Queens.
The Karnak Temple Complex boasts temples and more ranging from the reign of
Pharaoh Sesostris I in the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemaic period. At Luxor
Temple, you can not only admire the large sandstone temple, but also chapels
built by Tuthmosis III. The Romans left their marks on the site too.
In ancient times, the area known as Thebes was particularly famous for the
kings and queens of the 18th Dynasty during the New Kingdom. On the other
side of the Nile shore, you can find for instance find the temples of
Hatshepsut, Deir-el-Bari and Medinet Habu.
On November 4, 1922 in the close by Valley of Kings, a certain Howard Carter
discovered the sealed entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamen. He immediately
cabled his mentor, Lord Carnarvon, to come back from England. By Christmas
of 1922, the city of Luxor was full of curious journalists and tourists who
eagerly awaited the great moment, which only came on February 17, 1923 with
the opening of the tomb, which revealed treasures unseen before. It took
Howard Carter until 1932 to bring all objects from Luxor to the Egyptian
Museum in Cairo, where they remain on display until today.
I had the chance of a short conversation with Dr. Sanaa. She is the General
Director of Luxor Museum, one of my favorite museums in the world. It only
hosts one out of six Chariots of Tutankhamen and a few other smaller items
of the world's most famous archaeological discovery. The important
treasures are all in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. However, Luxor Museum
holds a greywacke, standing statue of Tuthmosis III (the 18th Dynasty). It
was found in 1904 in the Karnak Temple Cachette and considered one of the
finest statues in the world. Equally impressive are several statues of
Horemheb, who also reigned during the 18th Dynasty. Last but not least let's
mention several heads of the 18th dynasty pharaoh Akhenaten, artworks you
will never forget again.
More and less famous guests at the Maritim Jolie Ville Kings Island Luxor
Although not an ultimate luxury resort, the Maritim Jolie Ville Kings Island Luxor has seen its
fare share of celebrities. During her stay in October 2006, the
Queen of Norway enjoyed breakfast in a pavilion on the Nile shore, which was
subsequently named after her.
Three villas by the owner now in exile are part of the resort. All come with
a private swimming pool. Currently, one villa can be rented. In February
2011, Silvio Berlusconi and Hosni Mubarak were supposed to come to the villa
as guests of the owner. That was when the revolution broke out. They
never cancelled their trip...
The Maritim Jolie Ville Kings Island Luxor resort is so relaxing that I
decided to spend a week there. I may become one of the over 5000 yearly
return visitors myself. The record was established in early 2012 by a
Swiss couple who had stayed at the Maritim Jolie Ville Luxor 100 times!
General Manager Urs Umbricht offered them a complimentary three week
holiday. Even the Governor of Upper Egypt, an Egyptian TV station and
newspaper journalists came to the hotel in their honor and to cover the
story. Happy customers have always been the best PR!
General Manager Urs Umbricht is doing an excellent, even heroic job, keeping
all his 580 employees on the payroll despite plummeting visitor numbers for
Luxor. He managed to increase his resort's share in an overall declining
tourist market. Upper Egypt, both Luxor and Aswan, suffer from a sharp
decline in visitor numbers; down some 60 % from April 2011 to April 2012 for
no valid reason. Dear tourists, both Luxor and Aswan are safe! According to
the month, some 25% to 40% of guests at the Jolie Ville Luxor resort are
return visitors.
Books about Luxor & Egypt from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.
View of a Fellah tent where performances take place during the high season.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
West Bank view from the Jolie Ville resort, as from my room 3707. Photos ©
Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
The Temple of Hatshepsut. Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
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Partial view of the Jolie Ville resort.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor. Books about Luxor & Egypt from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.
Sunset at the Infinity Pool, with ships on the Nile.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
View from the Horizon Pool towards the Nile.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
Executive Suite living room.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
Executive Suite bedroom.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
Books about Luxor & Egypt from Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr.
Royal Suite Living Room. Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
Superior Deluxe Room as mine. My room, 3707, has an even larger bedroom because
the bathroom is situated differently. In my opinion the best deal in the hotel.
In addition, 3707 has a perfect Nile view.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
Partial view of the state-of-the-art gym with Technogym machines. It is better
than most gyms I know from Europe. As an extra, you get the Nile view.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
Felucca Sailing is available for a modest fee directly from the hotel pier.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
In addition to tennis courts, three large pools, a state-of-the-art gym and
table tennis facilities, Jolie Ville offers a land chess for people who prefer
to work with their mind.
Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
View of the Sacred Lake, a part of the Temple of Amun, in the Karnak Temple
Complexe. Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
Luxor Temple. Photos © Maritim Jolie Ville, Kings Island Luxor.
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