The New Karnak Hilton, a large, modern property, is 4-5 miles south of the railstation and airport at Luxor. It’s just beyond Old Karnak, at the far end of the Corniche, a broad riverfront highway. The site includes a large, garden-like park adjoining the Nile and, from my room, I could look across the river to the desert hills of the West Bank.

The room was spacious --- two queen-size beds, as I recall --- and, as you’d expect from an upscale chain like Hilton, included a very well-furnished bathroom. Though arriving hours before the ‘official’ check-in time, I was given an upstairs room with a private balcony. (My immediate reaction was to extend my stay another day.)

The hotel restaurant offered a wall of picture windows overlooking the garden and river, with a mezzanine-level main dining room and a ground-level alternative with both indoor and outdoor seating. The continental menu included many items that appealed to my Midwestern U.S. tastes and the food was what I’d consider high-quality. Wines and liquors were expensive, but no more so than in other high-tax countries.

One of my favorite memories of Egypt was of the night I spent in the Hilton’s huge swimming pool, long after dark, floating on my back and looking up at constellations I’d never seen before.

The New Karnak Hilton at Luxor was less pricey that most Hiltons I’ve stayed at but remember: mine was an off-season rate. Service was superb, and the presence of an in-house travel agency made changing my plans considerably easier. This hotel is farther from center-city Luxor than many of the upscale properties, but I highly recommend it.