Our Company
Located in some of East Africa’s most exquisite and exotic settings, Serena Hotels are a division of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development and boast a range of luxury resorts, safari lodges and hotels. From the shimmering waters of the Indian Ocean to the endless plains of the Serengeti, each property is located in a unique landscape and offers the traveller the chance to spend some time in the real Africa while still respecting the local ways of life. Indigenous designs and materials are integrated with the most modern amenities and complemented by exceptional service. Serena Hotels have been eco-tourism pioneers for many years and have initiated important environmental programmes to protect this stunning continent’s wildlife, communities and fragile habitats.

East Africa and Serena
East Africa is a land of enormous variety and stunning beauty, from the teeming savannah plains of the Serengeti to the Great Rift Valley, from snow-capped peaks to warm, azure seas. Not forgetting fresh and saltwater lakes, extinct volcanoes and coral reefs. This beautiful region is pure heaven. It is almost impossible to imagine how beautiful it really is until you’ve experienced it. Adventurers and travellers have been exploring East Africa for almost two centuries and today tourism is one of the largest sources of income. It is crucial, however, that any development in tourism be sympathetic to the natural and often fragile environment, and the Serena Hotel Group is very conscious of this. Their philosophy that ‘tourism should offer a distinctive experience of the country visited rather than an alien Western experience in an African country’ is their firm ethos.

Extraordinary Land of Contrasts
This extends to the architecture, decoration and catering of the properties, and the use of local materials, crafts, motifs and design idioms. Henry Fosbrooke, a leading environmentalist, described Serena as “the most environmentally aware of all the hotel groups in Kenya.” Serena properties in Tanzania were only established after four environmental impact studies were carried out and the Serena chain adopted the recommendations suggested by each survey to minimise environmental impact and maximise socio-economic benefit for the region concerned.

There are five stunning Serena properties in Tanzania - one located on the Rift Valley escarpment with a flying view over Lake Manyara and the valley below, the second perched on the rim of the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater, the third in the Central Serengeti, the fourth nestled in the heart of a coffee plantation on the shores of Lake Duluti near Arusha, and a tented camp in the Kirawira Hills by the Grumeti river.

All were constructed using local materials and labour; each of the buildings was designed to blend with its natural settings. Incinerators are used, simultaneously, to process non-toxic waste and to heat the rooms. Indigenous plants are carefully preserved and propagated and land rehabilitation was carried out at each location during construction.

In fact, guests can now get involved in the conservation of the bush themselves, as they are invited to plant a tree at the Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge to aid reforestation of the area. The Zanzibar Serena Inn is in the heart of Old Stone Town, rich in centuries of heritage and trading culture with romantic buildings that combine traditional Swahili architectural designs with Arabic, European and Indian motifs. The hotel is located in two restored seafront buildings, one of the 18th century, the other a colonial building of the 19th century that, along with many of the other buildings in Stone Town, were falling into disrepair and which the Aga Khan Trust for culture is helping to regenerate. The hotel was restored in the traditional Zanzibari way, blending African with Arabic designs and finishes, using local labour and expertise.

During the construction of the hotel, the surrounding areas of Stone Town also benefited by Serena’s reconstruction of Kelele Square and the old sea wall. The Serena Hotel Group throughout East Africa prides itself on blending indigenous culture, design and materials with the highest of international standards of hospitality, care and service. Visitors to the heart of East Africa who choose to stay with Serena Hotels will experience the ‘real’ Africa as it’s meant to be, with its natural and traditional heritage preserved in style.