With few visitors staying in the very small town of Abu Simbel, the staff at this sprawling hotel are to be commended for resolutely maintaining its services. The complex, offering a quiet stay, lies on an excellent site by the side of Lake Nasser, a 5 minute walk to the adjacent Temples, a 10 minute stroll into town and a 10 minute taxi ride from the airport. Undoubtedly a class hotel at one time, its lack of visitors has resulted in a decline of its infrastructure (no fault of their own) and the offerings are fairly basic compared to other hotels of a similar nature. Ignore the 4* classification: it is, very much, a local hotel and not at international standards so should be positively viewed in this light. Staff are helpful and one gets the impression that they want to work but with little to do: just four people were staying overnight for bed and breakfast so that we could visit the Temples at sunrise. Provided that guests are flexible, relaxed, independently-minded and undemanding, the staff do all they can to help. Clearly, staff would benefit from customer service training although that may not be economically efficient with the hotel’s current occupancy levels. Charges are, in comparison with other hotels of a similar standard, high and potential guests will be contented if they do not expect too much for their money: internet is USD5 per 24 hours for a weak signal.