"I must first give the guesthouse a positive review. We left our laptop adapter and charging cable in the room when we checked out, but we were already on the train to Luxor. We contacted the owner, who immediately arranged for a driver with an intercity bus to Luxor to take us to the hotel the next day. Back to the guesthouse, I thought taking the boat on the island would be inconvenient, but it wasn't a big problem. The guesthouse is on the west side of Koh Chang, and there are free boats to the west side for check-in and check-out. It's a little walk, but thankfully, the owner arranged a triple room on the top floor (for two adults and two children), with a fantastic view and a small balcony. The owner speaks excellent English, so communication was no problem. You can also book a private car to the Aswan Dam and Abu Simbel temples through the owner; the price is relatively reasonable. Normally, you walk east to the public pier, and the boat ride costs 15 Egyptian pounds per person, taking about 10 minutes. However, the guesthouse doesn't provide toiletries; you need to bring your own."
Posted on Oct 11, 2025|Palace Nile View Junior Suite
Houyuxie
We stayed in the old building. The view from the window was beautiful, though photos probably look better from the new building. However, if you want to experience the hotel's traditional charm, the old building is definitely better. The hotel restaurant combines North African elegance with Baroque grandeur. The staff were well-mannered, polite, enthusiastic, decent, and attentive. Since we couldn't have breakfast at the hotel due to our trip to Abu Simbel, we asked the front desk to prepare a breakfast pack, which was very substantial. At sunset, a flutist plays in the lobby, adding a delightful ambiance.
Out of the five hotels I stayed at in Egypt, this one wasn't cheap, but the experience was just okay. The photos made it look great, but the hotel itself isn't that big. It's located on a hill next to the Old Cataract, so walking back means a steep climb. I even had an unreliable driver try to charge extra just because of the hill – unbelievable! 😓 The front desk staff's attitude was so-so, and they gave me a ground-floor room. I seriously suspect the housekeeping staff tampered with my foundation bottle. The cap was open, and a few drops had spilled out. The more I thought about it later, the more I realized it definitely wasn't my doing. If you're staying here, I'd recommend keeping your personal items locked in your luggage! The buffet restaurant's food was mediocre, but the coffee was decent.
Benben is a beautiful place and the service is top notch. Why the 3 stars?
Our room jacuzzi was way too hot to enter. On the first day they send someone over who added cold water so we could enjoy it. Then on the second day as we are coming back from our day trip and want to relax, we find out our jacuzzi is again way too hot. It’s not fun to wait for them to fix this issue when we want to go in right now and not in an hour or so.
Also as a 5 stars hotel, the hot water kept running out in our shower after 15 minutes which is quite crazy. It shouldn’t be like this.
Or else we loved everything. The food is really good, and as I said the staff/service is amazing.
A great hotel!
Unlike noisy Aswan - the hotel is a very pleasant and comfortable place to rest from vain.
Very clean rooms, there are showers with hot water, and other amenities.
The administrator is a very polite and caring young man.
There is a cafe with a view to the Nile at the hotel.
The island is a public ferry worth 15 Egyptian pounds.