The history of the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan Hotel

In 1899, a historic British colonial-era hotel was built by Thomas Cook on the banks of the River Nile in Aswan, Egypt. It opened as the Cataract Hotel on January 8, 1900, to house European travelers. Initially a two-story building with 120 rooms, it was expanded in 1902 by architect Henri Favarger, who added a third story with 100 additional rooms and a dining room.

The hotel has hosted notable guests including Tsar Nicholas II, Winston Churchill, Howard Carter, Margaret Thatcher, Jimmy Carter, François Mitterrand, Princess Diana, Queen Noor, and Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie even set portions of her novel Death on the Nile at the hotel, where the 1978 film of the book was later shot. In 1961, the hotel was expanded with a new tower wing known as the New Cataract Hotel, which served as a budget wing for many years.

During a complete restoration from 2008 to 2011, the 1961 tower and the historic wing were combined. The old wing was renamed the Palace Wing, and the tower wing became the Nile Wing. The hotel reopened on October 18, 2011, as the Sofitel Legend Old Cataract Aswan. In 2016, Egypt's CBC used the Old Cataract as the primary filming location for its adaptation of the Spanish series Gran Hotel.

In 2023, Icon Company, a subsidiary of Talaat Moustafa Group, acquired 51% of Legacy Hotels Company, the owner of the hotel. Mandarin Oriental is set to assume management on May 1, 2026. Upon completion of ongoing renovations in July 2027, the hotel will be renamed Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons