ISLAMABAD: Serena Hotels have expanded into Peshawar after purchasing the building of Pearl Continental Hotel which has been shifted to another location in the city.

Serena Hotels said that Tourism Promotion Services (Pak) Limited had entered into a business sale agreement with Pakistan Services Limited to acquire Pearl Continental Hotel Peshawar, with the intent to promote the untapped potential for tourism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The purchase of the building was Serena Hotels’ second property in KP after the Swat Serena, increasing the total number of Serena Hotels in Pakistan to nine.

The addition of Serena Hotel in Peshawar, the oldest city of Pakistan with a rich cultural heritage, would not only help in extending the tourist circuit in KP province but also allow regional connectivity for tourists and business travelers through its portfolio of hotels in Islamabad, Peshawar, Kabul and Dushanbe.

The Serena Hotels have planned to further expand its portfolio to other Central Asian countries in the future. Its management maintained that Serena Hotels in Pakistan was playing a pivotal role in promoting tourism in underdeveloped areas of Pakistan with four properties in Gilgit-Baltistan including three heritage properties.

Two new Serena Hotels were under construction in Hunza and Sust in Gilgit-Baltistan. The properties would showcase the scenic areas, rich cultural heritage, local cuisine, and traditional hospitality of the region, while providing economic opportunities for the local community through skill development, employment, and enhancement of the value chain.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2022