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Kabul Serena Hotel
Kabul Serena Hotel
	The inner garden
	Location within Afghanistan
General information
Location	District 2, Kabul, Afghanistan
Coordinates	34°31′14″N 69°10′41″E / 34.52056°N 69.17806°E
Opening	1945; Reopened; November 8, 2005; 19 years ago
Owner	Government of Afghanistan
Management	Serena Hotels
Design and construction
Developer	Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)
Other information
Number of rooms	177

Kabul Serena Hotel is a luxury hotel in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan.^[1]

History

The property was built in 1945 as the Kabul Hotel.^[2]

The ruined hotel was completely rebuilt by the Aga Khan Development Network from 2002–2005^[2] to designs by Canadian architect Ramesh Khosla.^[3] The renamed Kabul Serena Hotel was inaugurated by President Hamid Karzai and Aga Khan IV on November 8, 2005.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Incidents and closures

On December 21, 2024 Taliban Terrorists have usurped The Kabul Serena Hotel breaching an Agreement with Aga Khan Network the rightful owners of this property. Taliban have unilaterally taken over management of the 5 star Serena Hotel by violating a prior agreement with The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The hotel was rebuilt in 2002 according to informed sources and was rebuilt by the AKDN by spending over 25 million dollars. This 5 star hotel has served as a crucial feature for International travelers and for hosting foreign dignitaries.

Adolph Dubs, United States ambassador to Afghanistan, was killed at the hotel in 1979.^[7]

The hotel was the target of terrorist attacks in January 2008 and March 2014.^[8]

Facilities

It is set in landscaped gardens, overlooking the city's Zarnegar Park.^[9] The hotel has 177 rooms and suites.^[10] It has several restaurants, including the Café Zarnegar serving Afghan cuisine, the Wild Rice fine-dining restaurant serving Southeast Asian cuisine, the Serena Pastry Shop serving homemade breads, cakes and patisseries and the Char Chata Lounge.^[11] The hotel also includes Maisha Spa & Health Club, offering a fitness centre, a steam room, a sauna, and outdoor heated swimming pool.^[12]

The design reflects classic Islamic architecture.^[13]

Gallery

Entrance
Inside
Gardens

References

^ "Stay At The Best Hotel In Afghanistan". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
^ ^a ^b "New Development Initiative Launched in Kabul - AFGHANISTAN OPENS LUXURIOUS SERENA HOTEL - 2005-11-08". First Ismaili Electronic Library and Database. Heritage Society. Archived from the original on 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
^ Logan, Nick (21 Mar 2014). "How high was security at the Kabul Serena Hotel?". Global News. Global News. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
^ "New development initiative launched in Kabul with opening of 5-star Kabul Serena hotel". AKDN. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
^ Opening of the Kabul Serena hotel [1] Archived 2019-03-20 at the Wayback Machine Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)[2] Archived 2021-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Ismaili.net". Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
^ MacKenzie, Jean (23 Mar 2014). "The Kabul Serena's dark history". The World. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
^ "Terrorists hit Australian embassy". The Courier-Mail. January 14, 2008. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
^ "KABUL SERENA HOTEL, KABUL". NMP Design. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
^ "STAY IN KABUL". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
^ "SILK ROUTE RESTAURANT". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
^ "KABUL SPA". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
^ "Kabul Serena Hotel". Directory. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.