Winter Palace Hotel, Luxor, Egypt

Like Cairo's Mena House, the Winter Palace is a classic historic luxury hole the grand style. The grand hotels of Egypt is where the British elite vacationed during the dreary UK winter. And thinking themselves the rulers of the universe, the Brits did it up right.

Our most memorable experience at the Winter Palace, and this is a classic example of the cross cultural differences you encounter when traveling, came after we returned to the hotel after a long hot day touring the Valley of the Kings on the other side of the Nile, we couldn't wait to hit the pool to cool off, but when we got to the pool, it was closed. There was a peon sweeping the polo deck, so we asked him, "Why is the poll closed?"

Answer: "Its only 95 degrees. Too cold for swimming."

Than was an experience that sticks in memory, and it is the only thing we can remember about our two nights at the Winter Palace. From this we can deduce that everything eles was fine. I'd stay there again.

Recall that thus was back in the 1970s, before the world wide explosion in travel, so I don't knows what it is like today

Off Limits. Too Cold.