The Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa, set on the banks of one of the most breathtaking waterways in the world, has reopened after a 30-month master makeover at a cost of $45 million.

Located in a town rich with ancient antiquities, Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa, is 650 miles short flight from Cairo and 15 minutes drive from Luxor International Airport.

The 236-room Hilton Luxor Resort and Spa, located within minutes of the Temple of Karnak and the Valley of the Kings, has been entirely transformed to emerge as a dazzling new retreat that echoes majesty of thousands of years’ old treasures around it.

Country manager, Operations, Hilton Hotels Egypt, Mahmoud Mokhtar said: “With almost one-third of the world's archaeological treasures, Luxor has always been a draw card for the privileged traveller as an incomparable destination seeped in ancient history, and now it has an incomparable resort, grand in 21st century design, to match.'

The guiding design principle of the new Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa is the River Nile, where five of the seven dining options and half of the guest rooms have been oriented to reveal spectacular vistas over 170 metres of prime river frontage.

At river level is Olives, an all day dining serving a variety of dishes. Rosetta, the main dining venue featuring rich russet pillars towering around diners.

A casual-yet-chic shisha café is Diwan breathtakingly suspended over the east bank of the river, offers plush Arabian-style seating served with Egyptian tea, Turkish coffee and traditional shisha water pipes filled with fruit-flavoured tobaccos, in addition to Silk Road serving Asian cuisine.

'The focal point of the entire resort is the infinity edge swimming pool. Seemingly built into the lip of the Nile and framed by the mountain ranges on the west bank, the pool has the capacity to hoodwink guests into believing they are floating in the legendary Nile waters,' he explained.

The resort’s Nayara Spa (meaning Shining from Within, Inner Beauty, Wisdom), the first international-standard spa in the ancient town, will open in mid December.

Serene interiors with Arabian-style fretwork, Nile-side treatment pavilions and a diverse menu of therapies inspired by ancient recipes and western techniques have created a shrine to sensory indulgence.

For the dedicated spa devotee, five spa suites are also available offering a whole new kingdom of delight, Mokhtar added.

Osman Khairat, general manager Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa said: “This unique resort will reinforce the Hilton philosophy that travel should be relaxing, pampering and invigorating.”

Downtown Luxor, the Luxor Museum and Temple of Karnak are all located within a five minute drive from the hotel. Traditional felucca sailing and sunset dining can be arranged directly from the hotel's private jetty, he added.-TradeArabia News Service