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Maputo – Serena Tourism Promotion Services (a subsidiary of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development) is pleased to announce that the Polana Serena Hotel will undergo extensive refurbishment and expansion to the tune of $25million from January 2009.

In the heart of Maputo, on one of the city’s most desirable avenues, the justly famous Polana Serena Hotel is a cool and gracious haven that recalls the elegance and splendor of colonial times. In keeping with Serena’s philosophy of integrating local art and culture into the design of each hotel, the refurbished Polana Serena Hotel will engulf its guests with a history stretching back many years blended with the colonial past and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities accompanied by outstanding service.

The refurbishment and expansion programme will be managed in two phases:

Phase One
Will facilitate the refurbishment of the existing main buildings, pool deck, gardens, parking area and the construction of the Health Club and Spa.

During this period, the Polana Serena Hotel will be fully operational with 55 rooms at the Polana Mar of which 50 rooms overlook the Bay of Maputo. Guests will continue to enjoy our hospitality with a full complement of staff, and all the other services and conveniences currently on offer at the Polana Serena Hotel.

Phase Two
Will involve the ‘final touches’ of Phase One and will include the renovation of the Aquarius Bar and the Polana Mar facilities.

During this period, the Polana Serena Hotel will operate with 87 refurbished rooms at the main building and 30 rooms at the Polana Mar.

Management would like to assure our guests that the disruption as a result of the refurbishment will be managed efficiently to ensure that the product and service meet your comfort and expectations during your stay at the Polana Serena Hotel.

Serena Hotels operate 29 Hotels, Resorts and Safari Lodges in Kenya, Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and India. The group has been present in East Africa from the 1970s and in 2002, The Polana Hotel was added to the Serena Portfolio.

Management’s intension is that the renovated Polana Serena Hotel should become a flagship property second to none in Mozambique. It must take its place with our other city-centre Serena Hotels in Nairobi, Arusha, Kampala, Kigali, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Quetta and Kabul.

It is anticipated that the renovated Polana Serena Hotel will be fully operational in its majestic elegant setting of colonial times offering a modern convenience of luxury and service towards the first quarter of 2010.