The building of Djorff Palace was originally started in 2010 and was the dream of Mohamed Fawy, his partner Dr. Marina and her husband David Speak. Their vision was to create a hotel that was more akin to an old Egyptian home than a standard hotel. The inspiration came from the buildings in old Cairo, especially the Gayer Anderson House, combined with the architectural design of Hassan Fathy. Following the death of her husband David, Dr. Marina left Luxor in search of treasures to complement the style of the hotel, whilst Mohamed remained to complete the structural work and the gardens. Together they often met in Cairo to search out old pieces of furniture or antique lighting so that any guest in the hotel could truly experience the golden age of travel in Egypt. The final result incorporates the arabesque and mashrabeya found in old Egyptian palaces together with carpets, artworks and decorative pieces from around the region which was always to be found in the homes of the old Egyptian aristocracy.