Afghanistan’s only luxury hotel, in Kabul, has ceased operations under its previous management and is now under the control of a Taliban-run corporation.
1. Hotel with a history of attacks
The Serena Hotel, set amidst landscaped gardens overlooking Kabul’s Zarnegar Park, was originally established in 1945 as the Kabul Hotel. After suffering extensive damage during decades of war, it was rebuilt and reopened in 2005 by the Aga Khan Development Network. The five-star property was designed by Canadian architect Ramesh Khosla, who preserved its classical Islamic architectural style.
The hotel has a history of violent attacks, having been targeted multiple times by the Taliban. The first major attack in 2008 resulted in the death of eight people. In 2014, another assault left nine people dead. The last attack occurred in 2021, just before the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan.
My last day at the Serena was on Aug 16, 2021, when the Taliban took over the entire hotel around 3 AM and checked all the rooms searching for government officials and ANDSF soldiers. I shot these photos sitting at the reception area. Rest is history. https://t.co/mSO5IVCXls pic.twitter.com/lt3BNERgRQ
— Nayanima Basu (@NayanimaBasu) February 1, 2025
On 1 February 2025, the hotel was officially handed over to the Hotel State Owned Corporation (HSOC), a government-run entity overseen by the Taliban’s Finance Ministry that operates three other hotels in Afghanistan. The Serena confirmed the closure, stating that their contract had been terminated five years ahead of schedule. However, neither the company nor the Afghan authorities provided details on the terms of the transition.
“After nearly two decades of dedicated services to Afghanistan and its citizens … Kabul Serena Hotel shall be closing its operations effective February 01, 2025,” the hotel said in a statement on Friday, 31 January. “The operations of the hotel will, as from now on, be taken over by Hotel State Owned Corporation.”
The Kabul Serena Hotel has announced its closure, effective February 1, 2025, after nearly 20 years of operation. Management of the five-star hotel will be transferred to the Hotel State-Owned Corporation (HSOC).
— Pak Afghan Youth Forum (@payf_eng) February 1, 2025
Previously operated by the Serena Hotels network, the hotel was… pic.twitter.com/p0Ra3GQO51
2. No difference for locals
While many people are seeing the closure of the hotel as a tragedy, for locals, the establishment was nothing more than a symbol of exclusivity, offering high-end accommodations and fine dining at rates unaffordable to most Afghans. Although it was regarded as a safe haven for international guests and government officials, it was never a place frequented by the local population.
“There’s really only a select group of highly privileged people who have these fond memories of hours spent at the Serena. The average Afghan simply has no experience of it,” Ali Latifi, an Afghan-American journalist based in Kabul, told Arab News. “It took a real level of privilege to even walk through the door there … It was an elite place for privileged people.”
Similarly, Mirwais Agha, a Kabul taxi driver, recalled seeing the hotel’s towering walls and luxury vehicles entering its premises but never stepping foot inside. “It was not for common people like us. It was for foreigners and some rich people. You had to pay in dollars to get a meal there,” he explained.
3. Can the Taliban develop tourism?
The takeover of the Serena Hotel seems to be part of the wider plan of developing a tourism industry in Afghanistan, with the Taliban having previously expressed their vision of turning the country into a tourist destination.
However, the strict policies enforced by the regime—such as bans on women’s education, public spaces and beauty salons—stand in stark contrast to the open, international image required for a thriving hospitality sector.
The Serena Hotel had briefly reopened its women’s spa and salon for foreign guests, only to close it again under government pressure. This move, along with restrictions on foreign visitors, casts more than a shadow of doubt over Afghanistan’s ability to attract international tourists in the near future.
