Alexander Lodge

We must not resign ourselves to living without the beauty of this world. In Siwa, you can taste it with all your senses. And Alexander Lodge is the place to start. It's truly amazing how you can feel, thousands of km away from home, that someone is waiting for you, with everything your body and soul need. What a warm welcome after a long wandering around the world! Everything was flawless: the best welcome drink I ever had (a green icy smoothie made with fresh herbs from the garden and served with freshly picked dates), an impeccably clean room and bathroom, fresh flowers, a smooth and discreet check-in procedure, a tasty breakfast, and five-star laundry services. Abdelfattah is such a great host! The place is much more beautiful than described in words and photos :) You will find places to rest, read, and have lunch and dinner with family, friends, or alone. It is big enough for groups, perfect for a retreat. You have a spacious, dedicated room to read, watch movies, listen to music, or release your new book in a small private group. The pool and sauna will complete the experience. Abdalahh, the manager, is the tourist guide you want in Siwa. He is experienced, efficient, a man of few words, with a respectful approach to different cultures, and he knows exactly how to show you places, and how to build moments/memories that can change your life. I missed the safari experience, so I definitely need to return :) About the location, I will say nothing. You need to go there and discover it by yourself. Waves of sunlight, the silent call of history, sunsets and sunrises, the calls for praying...everything around seems to embrace you calmly, peacefully.

Alexander Lodge isn't a hotel in the traditional sense. It's unique and beautiful, welcoming and comfortable, but more like a guest house. Actually, it's someone's home, with additional guestrooms that are available to guests when the owner isn't present. There isn't a reception desk, but there are very kind, helpful hosts (Abdallah & Abdelfattah; co-owners, I believe) at hand to meet the needs of their guests. We were the only guests present when we arrived; a family arrived a day or 2 later, but we only encountered them when we were relaxing in the beautiful garden. The only meals we had at the Lodge were breakfasts, and we had the dining room to ourselves. I don't know if other meals can be arranged. With a single dining table (another small table in the corner), I also don't know how multiple guests' meals would be accomodated. Really, it's a lovely place, with a beautiful separate space for watching movies, reading, or playing board games, and there's also a sauna. It's somewhat removed from the center of Siwa, about a 15-20 minute walk to the central "midan" (square), where most restaurants are located. We also easily walked to Amun's Temple and Cleopatra's Bath from the Lodge using GoogleMaps on our phones to guide us. "Tuktuks" (sort of hybrid motorcycle/wagon taxis) can also be called to get around the place, providing really bumpy rides on the mostly rutted roads of Siwa. That's how we got to the Gebel el Mawt and to Fatna's Island to watch the sunset. Abdallah and Abdelfattah will assist with arranging for any necessary transportation to get around and see the area. They are both excellent hosts. They arranged for a 4x4 car to take us out into the desert. We had a wonderful time there, and I'd happily return and stay at Alexander's Lodge (particularly now that I know what to expect).

The only thing I think could have been done better would be a more clear presentation of information about the place on booking.com. It also should probably be made more clear that it's a bit of a distance from sights and restaurants.

Unbelievable property with fantastic staff. This property is particularly special. Everything was incredible. On the last day we had a puncture on our rental car and literally within 2 minutes the team took the wheel off and shipped it off to nearest garage 3 hours away. Crazy level of service. Incredible incredible incredible!

The place is beautiful, with a quiet garden and a pool. Silent and peaceful. Nice and confortable rooms. Fantastic breakfast. And the staff is nice, kind and helpful, always trying to do your stay easy and unforgettable. Even locals rate this place as one of the best in town.