Albabenshal Lodge Siwa

Hospitality and ambience were exceptional

Everything was great

The hotel is beyond gorgeous, and all of the staff were so friendly and welcoming! The food is exceptional and reasonably priced. I would highly recommend staying there to everyone!

Tout est parfait, beau, élégant. Les chambres sont belles et simples, la literie est fantastique. Les repas sont délicieux, en particulier la cuisine vegan. La vue sur la ville qui s’illumine le soir est un enchantement. Le personnel est extraordinaire, gentil, avec beaucoup de classe et de personnalité. J’ai appris quantité de choses sur la vie à Siwa, l’histoire, l’architecture.

I am furious. I am not satisfied.

THE ABSOLUTE WORST EXPERIENCE – AVOID AT ALL COSTS This hotel provided a disastrous and infuriating private transfer service that ruined our entire trip. For 6 guests, the hotel arranged a 14-seat minivan for 9000 EGP. The driver was extremely unprofessional and unsafe. He drove for hours while constantly using his phone and taking calls on dangerous narrow desert roads. He made multiple random, unannounced roadside stops and frequently kept our whole group waiting for his personal breaks. We fully respected his no food/drink rule, yet he imposed unreasonable, rigid restrictions on us including no reclining seats and strict behaviour control. The driver spoke zero English, causing severe communication issues. When we needed a quick currency exchange in Cairo to settle the final payment, he became aggressive and falsely accused us of scamming. Most dishonestly, the hotel hid the critical rule of only one single drop-off point. After partial payment, they refused to send us to our separate hotels, forcing three of us to exit and pay for extra taxis. Additionally, the overpriced hotel has terrible conditions: no air conditioning, sweltering hot rooms, poor signal and weak Wi-Fi. Worst stay in Egypt. 100% avoid this unprofessional, dishonest hotel.

Friendly, helpful and welcoming.

I would have appreciated a fluffy sleeping pillow option.

La cuisine est excellente et originale. La situation de l'hotel est exceptionnelle et tous les membres du personnel sont adorables et à l'écoute. Un grand merci à Osman et Salama qui sont toujours disponibles et très souriants.

Petit-déjeuner bon mais pas assez de variété dans les fruits alors que les magasins en regorgent (mangues par exemple)

Son muy simpáticos y amables El hotel , un espectáculo

Posizione

Pulizia

OK

Accueil

Location and above all hospitality

Some small things seams to be tired and might need a refresment, bit at the same time gives charm, so it is what is

We loved the location, it was amazing to feel like we were inside Shali fortress. The rooftop had an amazing view of the ancient city. We were able to walk to all of the sites in the town centre. The staff were very welcoming and friendly, especially with our 5 year old. The staff arranged any tour we were interested in and checked in with us to make sure we had everything we needed each day.

The hot water kept turning off, however the staff fixed it quickly whenever we asked.

Cely objekt bol nadherne zreštaurovaný, v meste široko-daleko najlepšie ubytovanie

GPS súradnice nezodpovedajú reálnej lokacii, ťažšie dohľadateľnosť

The location is very convinent, right at the city center and at the foot of the castle. Has a lot of shops in front of the hotel and within walking distance to most restuarants and shops. Breakfast provided by the hotel is also great and special thanks to the staff for helping to heat up my take away food.

We tried to get confirmation before checking in but couldn't get hold of the hotel whatsoever. We tried message on booking, sending emails, sending whatsapp message, calling their telephone number and even asked booking.com staff to contact for us. Nobody replied! It's like the hotel is operated by ghost. However we met other guests on the bus to Siwa and they received reply on booking chatbox, so the differentiated treatment baffles me. Our room doesn't have large windows so it's pretty dark during the day, and also it is right up the shopping street of the castle so quite nosiy at night.

Amazing place! 10/10 experience! We loved everything from the staff to the food and service! This place needs to be on your radar when travelling to Siwa! We booked 2 tours when we were here through the hotel, and Salma was so helpful as well as his staff to sort everything out for us and make the holiday everything we could’ve ever imagined!

It was perfect… seriously nothing better than this spot!

Beautiful hotel and staff. They took care of us

Sehr ruhig und sehr freundliches und hilfsbereites Personal!

I loved everything about it!! Best place I've ever stayed!

Beautiful heritage hotel in excellent location in Siwa right next to Shali fortress and market.The most desirable feature is the host ( Salama) and his staff. Delicious fresh food is served in the hotel restaurant.

Lack of floor mats in bathroom.

fab and the staff were AMAZING

Great location. Very central. Beautiful property. Very clean. The owner and the staff are really lovely people. They helped us with everything. Early check in. Late check out was no problem. Didn’t try to swindle any extra money out at all.

Everything was excellent. The staff were beautiful. The breakfast was phenomenal. We were given early check-in and late check-out free of cost and without any hassle. The property is rustic and have a real village feel. The hot water flow was exceptional for a desert.

Bellissima struttura, in stile tradizionale, con piacevole terrazza sul tetto, proprio a ridosso delle mura dell’antica cittadella

Staff gentile ma non attento. La pulizia lascia a desiderare.

Location is great, in the town centre. 5mins walk from the bus station. the room is in the Shali castle, walk to upstairs for sunset and sunrise. Hot water and big room.

December night a bit cold

An amazing authentic Siwan experience, the traditional built hotel has lots of nooks and crannies to explore and the view of the fort from the rooftop patio is spectacular. The rooms are warm, clean and comfortable. The beds are very firm which was great after the long journey to Siwa and the staff went above and beyond to make you feel like family.

Sehr gut

Gebäude, Ausstattung und Betreuung Frühstücksservice

Reichhaltigkeit des Frühstücks

Warm welcome, great location, rustic feel, nice breakfast.

マネージャーのもてなしと人柄がとても素晴らしいです。 朝ごはんも美味しくて、とても快適でした。 クーラーはありませんが、扇風機を一台追加してくれました。窓を開けておけば風は抜けます。Wi-Fiはありますが、吹き抜けのところ以外は弱いです。コンセントもあります。 シャワーは水を出しても温まった水が出ます。 夜は外で寝た方が涼しいです。 お土産屋さんも周りに良いお店が固まっていて他を回る必要がないです。マネージャーにお願いすると英語のできるトゥクトゥクを手配してくれます。ソルトレイクへはフルーツお茶付きで一台500エジプトポンドで案内してくれます。案内されるソルトレイクの近くには地下水が湧き出るホースがあって、身体を洗い流すことができました。

施設が特別な建物なので、近代的な施設を求めている人には合わないかもです。時々停電するようなのでクーラーのあるホテルに泊まったとしても暑い思いをするかもしれません。停電したとき、星空がとてもきれいでした。

Very kind staff

Dirty. The lighting was not working. Everything was falling apart

This is an amazing hotel. The staff is lovely. The breakfast is delicious. The room rates are a great value. None of that matters. This hotel is IN the ruins of the Shali Fortress. You get to sleep in a 900 year old mud fort that is also in the middle of the downtown souk. It’s like stepping back in time. The views from the rooftop dining area are spectacular. One warning: the beds are very firm. Reasonably comfortable, but firm.

I enjoyed the medieval style/actual part of the hotel. The walls looked like dried mud (dark red). The closeness of the outside was exhilarating , the no windows in the dining area so the morning sun was welcome. Being close to the central square it was wonderful to see the living happening in front of you.

Sparse electricity meant the lighting was weak and there was no heating in the older part of the hotel so I had to adapt to a quick wash and jump into bed at night!

Very cool experience, it was as if you were sleeping in the fortress. The hotel helped to arrange trips to the desert, tuk tuks to the salt pools and hot springs. Make sure to have an email showing all your booking information with confirmation of your payment. They didn't love the Booking.com email as it was a bit unclear. They will ask for your passports to make copies required for your stay. Passports are also required for any trips into the desert. Breakfast was excellent, we would stay here again and agian!

Rooms don't have heat but they provided very warm bedding so it was not an issue. The showers were warm but not super hot.

Amazing experience and place Siwa. This hotel is heritage. At the foot of the Shali fortress. The room was fantastic. Breakfast good. And the kindness of the people that work there immaculate. I would 100% recommend staying here

Nothing

In centre of town. Staff very nice. They also let us keep room overnight even though we had no booking for free. Recommended. For sure will stay again.

Ovation was great

A little to rustic but comfortable

The atmosphere is magical there. In the middle of the city, it was an amazing stay. Rooms are big, staff is super nice, breakfast was perfect !

Maybe just a bit more cleaning in the bathroom and it would be perfect

The manager Salama welcomed us 2 women and treated us with such hospitality as if we were family. The location was great- view from the rooftop and staying right next to Shali fortress was amazing. Authentic caring Arabic culture. Would stay there again and again.

Noise in centre city and the bazaar behind the hotel goes into late hours of the night- must bring earplugs if you want to go to bed before midnight!

Very aesthetic like Pinterest, however, you wouldn’t really know for sure if all the dust and rustic-ness is part of the vibe or it’s dirty and breaking apart ? Lmao kidding aside, very nice place centrally located in downtown Siwa with good breakfast (but nothing fancy about it) plus the room was huge (loft-type). Manager was polite and understanding of our requests.

The staff were very hard to find and approach, they go missing after breakfast and we can’t get any assistance from them. Glad the manager randomly shows here and there. There was this one particular staff who seem too unapproachable, when I asked for his help with water flow in the bathroom, he looked too reluctant and forced to do so.

Albabenshal with the housefather Salama gives you a home. You will be looked after by Salama and his staff as if you were part of a family. Salama makes sure that you can be on vacation and relax. "Tomorrow is another day." If you need him, he will help you with everything. He knows the people in Siwa and knows where to get the best things. The food is heavenly. The rooms are authentic and very friendly. The safari in the desert was incredibly adventurous and beautiful. I have never experienced nature so wonderfully.I love Salama and his good team.

I would like to stay longer - but this is my problem. 😊

Friendly staff tucked away in a beautiful location, bags of culture and historical references, well worth a visit!

The staff is friendly.

This was an amazing place which has many eco features. The accommodation is very central and easy to find. Food very good and a warm welcome ☺

Pricing for excursions needs to be clearer and published on a website or at the property. The lack of clarity did cause some issues although these were quickly resolved.

Incredible authentic lodge in downtown Siwa. Extremely warm and hospitable welcome from the entire team. Do not miss breakfast which is the best. Rooms are charming, comfortable and roomy. No AC in peak summer was manageable, and felt like part of the desert charm. Manager is 10/10

Good location. Beautiful design.

Sometimes I felt staffs here are so random. Shower is not warm enough.

Albabenshal is conveniently located in the center of Siwa below the old fortress. It is a 5 minute walk from the bus station. The design of the lodge has been done well with simplicity and using local resources to create an inviting, unique and restful place to stay. The staff are welcoming and accommodating from room arrangements to helping us arrange outings on the day of. I highly recommend this place for anyone visiting Siwa.

Amazing hotel inside the fortress. Very nice experience. Good staff. Very friendly and helpful. Perfect location.

Could be cleaner.

I would say the lodge is probably ideally situated for a visitor to Siwa. Obviously there are "eco-lodges" around that are outside the main square but you'd probably need a car if you wanted to get around. Here there are several restaurants within an easy walk, all of the shops of the main square (and Siwa honey, salt and dates are definitely worth buying). You have the old castle right at your doorstep. Breakfast was good and they have Turkish coffee (the only kind of coffee you can get outside of Cairo in my experience). We stayed in the family room which was comfortable for four. It even has a veranda with a fireplace. The lamps are made of salt!

On the main square, so you'll hear it every time a motorcycle or tuk-tuk with no muffler passes by. And I don't think Siwa has any muffler repair shops.

The manager/owner of the hotel, Mr. Salama, is extremely friendly and helpful, making us feel at home. He recommended us some excursions from Siwa but always with the note "do what your heart desires, not what I say." We asked to stay later in the room, and the response was "this is not a hotel, it's your home." We were able to shower and use the room until 7:00 PM before returning to Cairo. The location is excellent. The hotel is in a quiet alley parallel to the main road of the oasis, adjacent to the Shali Fortress, blending in with it. Breakfast is modest but sufficient and quite tasty. Omelet, cheese, fruit, taameya, foul, bread, and tea.

We were greeted by a staff member who took us to the room and gave us two towels of dubious cleanliness (like the room itself) taken from the "linen room," which you can see in the photographs, and a bar of soap. We found two dead cockroaches in the room that same night. The next day, we noticed that the lighting, which we had described as "picturesque and charming" the night before, had not allowed us to see the dozens (yes, you read correctly) of ticks crawling on the walls and floor of the room. The toilet needed a good cleaning, and the shower floor had a bonus, a cigarette butt from some previous guest. The room has sand (as expected in the desert) everywhere, along with a lot of dust and lint, plus a nail and a pin as a bonus on the carpet. In the closet, we found a toothbrush and tissues, both used and thrown into a corner. The Wi-Fi doesn't work properly, but we didn't expect otherwise in such a remote location. The hotel could have been comfortable, but first, it needed cleaning, and I'm not talking about a deep clean but basic hygiene.

Friendly staff!

Had a most enjoyable stay at Albabenshal Lodge, Siwa in November 2023. Arriving after a long bus trip from Alexandria the manager, Salama, offered a welcoming tea and conversation. Salama was extremely kind and friendly throughout my stay, providing helpful advice and arranging local sightseeing for several of us who were staying at the hotel at the same time. Due to an early check-out he provided me with a breakfast box for my bus trip. Thanks also to Mohammed, who took us to many sights, including the salt lakes and hot springs in his (Ferrari) tuk tuk. The room was simple but comfortable (and being an interior room it was quiet). I had several meals at the Albabenshal (including on the upstairs terrace with amazing views over the adjoining 13th century Shali fortress), all of which were good. Breakfast was delicious and the large tables conducive to conversation and making friends with other guests. And finally the location is wonderful. Right in the historic centre of Siwa and next to the Shali fortress. Would definitely recommend.

The staff were welcoming like we were family and the location and quality of the room surpassed what we expected

Nothing

Friendly staff Great location Good value Get Mohamed Ali to book your excursions

Room light not bright enough

It is a unique experience to be attached to the fortress. You can imagine you are staying in the fortress. The lodge itself is beautiful and unique with lots of nooks and crannies to explore. The location makes it easy to explore the town on foot. Breakfast was delicious, and the staff were friendly and helpful.

It was noisy: Tuk Tuk motors and dogs barking every night outside our windows. The mattresses and especially pillows were hard. It also gives the appearance of a boutique hotel but is missing the amenities: There were no toiletries or drinking water or a kettle.

Really friendly staff that will try to help you. Also the location is great and the place is unique.

I am inclined to discontinue booking tours with them and instead opt for professionally organized desert tours. The experiences have been subpar, with unfulfilled promises, such as reserving a private tour only to find oneself sharing a vehicle with others and still being overcharged.

Location is perfect, staffs and the room are very nice

The mattress is damaged

Unique hotel inside the Shali Fortress in the center of Siwa. The staff was very kind and helpful and ready to help us when we needed it.. We arrived very early in the morning the room was already to check in and they offer us breakfast. The next day the m anager left us to stay at the night until 8am when our bus departured to Cairo without charge and also the breakfast the offerd the second day was also without charge.. The breakfast was so delicious with fresh products. I remembered the jam from dates. So yummy.. The room was so big with 2 big double beds and so quite. I had the best sleep in Egypt

Everything was great

Just kindly staff

Very dirty and inappropriate. Even one dollar a night is too much. I don't know how it is on the booking site with this price. Very inappropriate and dirty. There are good and clean hotels in Siwa with lower prices

It's always relaxing to go back again each year to siwa, and to complete this amazing experience, you need to stay in Albabenshal😊

Since I came each year, Food Quality and taste versus last years declined considering the value versus Quality😊

The location was brilliant, absolutely breathtaking actually. Rooms were lovely too. Breakfast was good.

We had a stained towel and bedsheets that had other peoples hair on them. Toilet would work for 5 minutes and then not work for rest of the day. We got 1 towel between 2 people. No shampoos, etc. Just think we would have gotten more for the price listed. They were selling tours around Siwa for quite a bit more money than the usual price. Overall was a good stay, just could've been better in my opinion.

Stay a few nights in the Shali Fortress, how cool is that! The staff are very kind and passionate. We took a tour with the hotel's tuktuk car around Siwa, and then went to the desert to watch sunset. Everything's great 😃

The location is great, one minute from the main square of the city, and within five minutes from all the local shops and restaurants. The simple design of the hotel is beautiful and fascinating, but what really makes it worth it is the kind host Mohammed which helped us organize all the activities in Siwa. Also a big shout out to our amazing tuk tuk driver (or better say ferrari driver) Mohammed, which took us EVERYWHERE in Siwa. Even though it is not part of the hotel I would like to give a little bit of visibility to the Siwa Terracotta School, which is less than five minutes walking from Albabenshal. You need to support their beautiful work and talented artists, and there you can find the best souvenirs in Egypt.

The only downside is the beds and pillows were too hard

Great location and really good water pressure in the shower.

There seemed to be no employees around on the first day.

The location and breakfast

Facilities in the bathroom

Very central, highly historic. Take a trip through time in a rustic fort! All the neighboring shops were very local based and friendly. Exactly what I needed.

it was super special and unique, we loved ever second of the stay. location was phenomenal, the people in Siwa speak amazing English and their hospitality is amazing. the breakfast was a a full day meal which we obviously loved 😻

nothing!

The property manager was so nice, we leaves the second day at night. He let us stay in the room until our bus schedule at night for free.

absolutely lovely stay, wonderful friendly staff who are so helpful, perfect location and just the most amazing time. wish we could have stayed even longer

location and staff were delightful.

pillows and beds very hard, but that seems to be the same all over Siwa

Salaama is an amazing host!