Reviews of Albabenshal Lodge Siwa

Very kind staff

Dirty. The lighting was not working. Everything was falling apart

This is an amazing hotel. The staff is lovely. The breakfast is delicious. The room rates are a great value. None of that matters. This hotel is IN the ruins of the Shali Fortress. You get to sleep in a 900 year old mud fort that is also in the middle of the downtown souk. It’s like stepping back in time. The views from the rooftop dining area are spectacular. One warning: the beds are very firm. Reasonably comfortable, but firm.

I enjoyed the medieval style/actual part of the hotel. The walls looked like dried mud (dark red). The closeness of the outside was exhilarating , the no windows in the dining area so the morning sun was welcome. Being close to the central square it was wonderful to see the living happening in front of you.

Sparse electricity meant the lighting was weak and there was no heating in the older part of the hotel so I had to adapt to a quick wash and jump into bed at night!

Very cool experience, it was as if you were sleeping in the fortress. The hotel helped to arrange trips to the desert, tuk tuks to the salt pools and hot springs. Make sure to have an email showing all your booking information with confirmation of your payment. They didn't love the Booking.com email as it was a bit unclear. They will ask for your passports to make copies required for your stay. Passports are also required for any trips into the desert. Breakfast was excellent, we would stay here again and agian!

Rooms don't have heat but they provided very warm bedding so it was not an issue. The showers were warm but not super hot.

In centre of town. Staff very nice. They also let us keep room overnight even though we had no booking for free. Recommended. For sure will stay again.

Ovation was great

A little to rustic but comfortable

The atmosphere is magical there. In the middle of the city, it was an amazing stay. Rooms are big, staff is super nice, breakfast was perfect !

Maybe just a bit more cleaning in the bathroom and it would be perfect

The manager Salama welcomed us 2 women and treated us with such hospitality as if we were family. The location was great- view from the rooftop and staying right next to Shali fortress was amazing. Authentic caring Arabic culture. Would stay there again and again.

Noise in centre city and the bazaar behind the hotel goes into late hours of the night- must bring earplugs if you want to go to bed before midnight!

Very aesthetic like Pinterest, however, you wouldn’t really know for sure if all the dust and rustic-ness is part of the vibe or it’s dirty and breaking apart ? Lmao kidding aside, very nice place centrally located in downtown Siwa with good breakfast (but nothing fancy about it) plus the room was huge (loft-type). Manager was polite and understanding of our requests.

The staff were very hard to find and approach, they go missing after breakfast and we can’t get any assistance from them. Glad the manager randomly shows here and there. There was this one particular staff who seem too unapproachable, when I asked for his help with water flow in the bathroom, he looked too reluctant and forced to do so.

Albabenshal with the housefather Salama gives you a home. You will be looked after by Salama and his staff as if you were part of a family. Salama makes sure that you can be on vacation and relax. "Tomorrow is another day." If you need him, he will help you with everything. He knows the people in Siwa and knows where to get the best things. The food is heavenly. The rooms are authentic and very friendly. The safari in the desert was incredibly adventurous and beautiful. I have never experienced nature so wonderfully.I love Salama and his good team.

I would like to stay longer - but this is my problem. 😊

Friendly staff tucked away in a beautiful location, bags of culture and historical references, well worth a visit!

The staff is friendly.

This was an amazing place which has many eco features. The accommodation is very central and easy to find. Food very good and a warm welcome ☺

Pricing for excursions needs to be clearer and published on a website or at the property. The lack of clarity did cause some issues although these were quickly resolved.

Incredible authentic lodge in downtown Siwa. Extremely warm and hospitable welcome from the entire team. Do not miss breakfast which is the best. Rooms are charming, comfortable and roomy. No AC in peak summer was manageable, and felt like part of the desert charm. Manager is 10/10

Good location. Beautiful design.

Sometimes I felt staffs here are so random. Shower is not warm enough.

Albabenshal is conveniently located in the center of Siwa below the old fortress. It is a 5 minute walk from the bus station. The design of the lodge has been done well with simplicity and using local resources to create an inviting, unique and restful place to stay. The staff are welcoming and accommodating from room arrangements to helping us arrange outings on the day of. I highly recommend this place for anyone visiting Siwa.

Amazing hotel inside the fortress. Very nice experience. Good staff. Very friendly and helpful. Perfect location.

Could be cleaner.