Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract

Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan is the planned Mandarin Oriental version of the Old Cataract hotel on the Nile. In its release of 11 February 2026 the operator said it would take over management from May 2026 and that the entire property is scheduled to be completed in July 2027, when it joins the portfolio under the Mandarin Oriental name.

The hotel keeps welcoming guests in its heritage building while a comprehensive renovation of the Nile Wing is under way. A press-room page of 30 June 2026 says the hotel has 138 rooms in two buildings, the Palace Wing and the Nile Wing, of which 35 are currently available and 41 in the Palace Wing are being renovated. The hotel page describes the Palace's 35 rooms and suites, nine rooms and 26 suites, and says Fans of M.O. benefits arrive once renovations are complete in 2027. The finished hotel will have six dining venues and The Spa at Mandarin Oriental. Talaat Moustafa Group (TMG) Holding is the development partner.

Thomas Cook built the hotel in 1899. It stands above the Nile, overlooking Elephantine Island from a pink granite cliff, and the operator names Winston Churchill, Tsar Nicholas II and Agatha Christie among its guests. For now dining is split between Al Saraya and The Terrace, and an infinity pool sits above the river.

“The entire property is scheduled to be completed in July 2027, joining the Mandarin Oriental portfolio as Mandarin Oriental Old Cataract, Aswan.”

The operator’s wording, read on its own page and last checked 1 November 2026.