Grand Kabul Hotel,[1] formerly branded as Kabul Serena Hotel, is a luxury hotel in downtown Kabul, Afghanistan.[2] It is located between Wazir Akbar Khan and Deh Afghanan neighborhoods, near the Arg and next to Zarnegar Park.

History

The property was built in 1945 as the Kabul Hotel.[3]

The hotel was completely rebuilt by the Aga Khan Development Network between 2002 and 2005[3] to designs by Canadian architect Ramesh Khosla.[4] The renamed Kabul Serena Hotel was inaugurated by President Hamid Karzai and Aga Khan IV on November 8, 2005.[5][6][7]

On 1 February 2025, the Serena Hotel Group ended its operation in Kabul and the hotel was renamed as the Grand Kabul Hotel, which is managed by a German company named Cinderella International Group.[1][8]

Incidents

Adolph Dubs, United States ambassador to Afghanistan, was killed at the hotel in 1979.[9]

The hotel was the target of terrorist attacks in January 2008 and March 2014.[10]

Facilities

It is set in landscaped gardens, overlooking the city's Zarnegar Park.[11] The hotel has 177 rooms and suites.[12] 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.[13] The hotel also includes Maisha Spa & Health Club, offering a fitness centre, a steam room, a sauna, and outdoor heated swimming pool.[14]

The design reflects classic Islamic architecture.[15]

  • Entrance
    Entrance
  • Inside
    Inside
  • Gardens
    Gardens

References

  1. ^ a b c "Management of Kabul Serena Hotel handed over to German firm". Ariana News. February 7, 2025. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
  2. ^ "Stay At The Best Hotel In Afghanistan". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ "Ismaili.net". Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2010-05-19.
  8. ^ "The Taliban take over Afghanistan's only luxury hotel, more than a decade after attacking it". AP News. 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ "Terrorists hit Australian embassy". The Courier-Mail. January 14, 2008. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  11. ^ "KABUL SERENA HOTEL, KABUL". NMP Design. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  12. ^ "STAY IN KABUL". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  13. ^ "SILK ROUTE RESTAURANT". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  14. ^ "KABUL SPA". Serena Hotels. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  15. ^ "Kabul Serena Hotel". Directory. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabul_Serena_Hotel
No tags for this post.