After Years Of Attacks, Taliban Takes Over Kabul’s Iconic Serena Hotel, Ending 20-Year Run

<p>Afghanistan&rsquo;s Taliban government has taken over the management of the prestigious Kabul Serena Hotel, a luxury property previously operated by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) for nearly 20 years. The decision to close the hotel&rsquo;s operations was announced on Friday night, with the property officially ceasing operations from February 1, 2025.</p>
<p>A statement from the hotel on Friday revealed that the management of the Kabul Serena Hotel will now be handled by the Hotel State Owned Corporation (HSOC). “Since opening in 2005, Kabul Serena Hotel has been an integral part of Kabul’s social fabric, an iconic presence in the city, and a symbol of our unwavering commitment to the people of Afghanistan,” the statement said, reflecting the hotel&rsquo;s prominence in the Afghan capital.&nbsp;</p>
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<h3><strong>Kabul Serena Hotel Became Site Of Multiple Taliban Attacks</strong></h3>
<p>The Serena was particularly popular with business travellers and foreign guests before the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021, and it had been the target of several deadly attacks during the insurgency, news agency AFP reported.</p>
<p>The hotel&rsquo;s website now features only the statement regarding the handover, with Kabul removed from the Serena brand&rsquo;s list of destinations. The Switzerland-based AKFED has also not commented on the development.</p>
<p>The Kabul Serena Hotel was previously the site of multiple attacks. In 2014, four teenage gunmen infiltrated security layers and killed nine people. In 2008, a suicide bombing targeted the hotel, resulting in six deaths, with the attack attributed to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s current interior minister.</p>
<p>Following the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Afghanistan, Western governments, including the United States and Britain, issued travel warnings to their citizens, particularly urging caution around hotels such as the Serena, highlighting the precarious security situation. Despite the challenges, the Taliban authorities have since promoted Afghanistan as a destination for tourism, emphasising improvements in security.</p>