Jolie Ville Hotel & Spa Kings Island Luxor

A whole island for a garden

The Jolie Ville occupies Kings Island, a Nile island south of Luxor, about 4 km from the centre. The hotel describes itself as the only one in Luxor surrounded by water on every side; you arrive by car or by boat. The rooms are spread across 32 bungalows among the gardens, with three royal villas set apart. The whole covers about sixty hectares of lawns, orchards and palm groves.

The garden is the place's real signature. The hotel counts 23 species of trees, including doum palms (Hyphaene thebaica, a branching palm of Upper Egypt) more than two hundred years old, sycamores, mango trees and Indian jasmine. Some trees bear the names of loyal guests who have come back year after year. One part of the island, Queen's Island, is named after Queen Sonja of Norway, who made it her favourite spot on the Nile in October 2006.

The island grows part of what is served: dates, mangoes, guavas, lemons and bitter oranges end up as jams at breakfast, and vegetables, rocket, mint and hibiscus reach the buffets according to the season. The hotel's beehives produce honey harvested three times a year.

A family day on the island

The Jolie Ville is designed with children in mind. The kids' club welcomes 4 to 12-year-olds with programmes, activities and games. The pools are split by use: the large infinity pool facing the Nile, with its water cannon; the Oasis pool and its waterfall; a splash pool; and an adults-only pool, heated in winter, for those who want quiet away from the bustle of the first two. A mini aqua park completes the set.

The small farm is where the youngest gather: peacocks, camels, horses, buffalo, goats, donkeys, pelicans, turtles and swans, plus horse-carriage rides. For parents, a 2.4 km jogging track runs along the Nile; there are also two tennis courts, a gym with a river view, table tennis, billiards, darts and giant chess. The Lotus spa offers massages, a hammam, a sauna, a steam room and a hot tub.

The river is enjoyed from the island. In the morning the hotel offers kayaking on the Nile and, for the bolder, inflatable donut rides. A specialist takes guests out by felucca (a traditional Nile sailing boat) to watch nests and migrating birds. The hotel marina keeps feluccas and motorboats available from sunrise to sunset, and one corner of the island is set aside for fishing with your own gear. The hotel is also Luxor's only take-off point for paramotor flights (motorised paragliding): 8 to 10 minutes in the air above the temples and riverbanks, with professional pilots, open to outside visitors too.

Where and what to eat

The Felucca, the main restaurant facing the Nile, serves the buffets: breakfast from 6 to 10.30 am, lunch from 12 noon to 3 pm, themed dinner from 6 to 10 pm. Three à la carte restaurants open in the evening from 6.30 to 10.30 pm: Capriccio, an Italian osteria with wood-fired pizzas; Sway, Asian food and teppanyaki; and El Kababgy, Egyptian grills facing the river. For a drink, the Felucca Terrace serves a light menu from noon to midnight, and Sunset Island, open from 7 pm to midnight, is the place for sunset, with Egyptian wines, tea and oriental pastries. All times are local.

Which room to choose

The most numerous category is the Superior Deluxe, with 215 rooms, a wider seating area and a balcony or terrace over the gardens and the Nile. The family rooms join two bedrooms and two bathrooms through an archway, with two terraces: the best choice for a family with two children. The Jolie Suites, Executive Suites and Royal Suites, each few in number, add a proper living room. On such a large island, ask for a room near the pools and the main restaurant if you are travelling with young children.

Sabaro's view

For whom: families with children who want space, greenery and on-site activities between temple visits; travellers who prefer a quiet stay outside town.

Strengths: a whole island of gardens; the kids' club and the small farm; four pools, one of them for adults only; paramotor and kayak from the hotel; a 4.6/5 score on Tripadvisor from 3,574 reviews.

Good to know: with 531 rooms and three conference halls that hold up to 900 people, it is a very large property; it is away from the centre, and every outing goes by shuttle or taxi; Tripadvisor rates its style as mid-range, and some reviews criticise the food.