SWAT: After a long dispute over the lease, Swat’s iconic Serena Hotel has announced its closure and fired over 100 staff members without providing them with financial support.
Swat Serena Hotel, the premier hotel in Swat, was established during the era of the Swat state and operated for forty years before closing down. Initially serving as the guest house for the Prime Minister during the Swat state era, the building was later transformed into the Swat Hotel.
The property spans 44 kanals and features 55 guest rooms, along with 6 staff houses and 5 offices. More than 70 employees worked at the Swat Serena Hotel, and today marks their last day of employment; they will be officially discharged starting tomorrow.
The government leased the Swat Serena Hotel in 1985 for a duration of 30 years, with an initial monthly rent of three lakh rupees.
Following the expiration of the lease in 2015, the monthly rent increased to seven lakh rupees. When asked about the future of the Swat Serena Hotel building, General Habib Arif, the Director of the Tourism Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, informed that the established rent for this grand and historic building is currently seven lakh rupees per month.
The provincial government has decided to re-lease the building, and a bidding process will be initiated. Any interested businessperson can participate in the bidding, and a lease agreement will be signed with the highest bidder according to government terms. The management of Swat Serena Hotel is also allowed to take part in the bidding process.
