Hunza Serena Hotel — Hotel in Lower Hunza Tehsil

Our recent stay at this hotel was marked by stark contrasts—while the location, room comfort, and a few exceptional staff members stood out, the overall experience left much to be desired.||||Let’s start with the positives. The hotel’s location is undoubtedly convenient—just a 5-minute walk from the Karimabad bazaar, where you’ll find plenty of shops and restaurants. The rooms where we stayed, were large, nicely decorated, and comfortable, with a lovely rain shower that had good pressure and hot water. The heated outdoor pool and a separate splash pool for children were attractive features, as was the small but well-equipped games room. The lobby was beautiful, and the views from the balcony were stunning. Security on entering the hotel was tight and reassuring. The inclusion of soft drinks in the minibar and the turn-down service with dried fruits were also appreciated.||||However, these positives were heavily outweighed by numerous and consistent problems throughout our stay.||||First and foremost, one of the rooms was not cleaned properly—there were visible fecal stains on the toilet and crumbs on the carpet that remained there for the duration of our stay. The bathroom had no ventilation, and the separation between the toilet cubicle and sink was awkward and inconvenient. Despite repeated requests, an iron we asked for three times never arrived.||||Breakfast was subpar, with no local fruits like apricots, apples, or plums, and a generally poor-to-mediocre taste of the dishes on offer. The naan’s and paratha’s were stale and almost inedible. The live egg station was poorly managed, and buffet items were not being replenished frequently. ||||On the first morning of our stay the breakfast area was chaotic—we were made extremely uncomfortable by a loud, rude group of guests from Allied Banking Group who hovered so close we couldn’t even pull out our chairs. The couldn’t care less about other guests around them and had no concern for the personal space of others. Despite being clearly disruptive, management failed to intervene until we ourselves had a verbal altercation with the group.||||Though the staff serving our table at breakfast were fantastic, the rest of the service was inconsistent. It’s disappointing that while some staff went above and beyond, others were either absent or inattentive.||||Dinner was a disaster. The tomato soup was essentially hot water, which even the culinary manager acknowledged, and the chicken parmesan was rubbery. We refused to pay for these two dishes. For food this poor, the prices were outrageously high—a cup of tea was Rs 500, and a black coffee Rs 750, which is extortionate. The buffet dinner looked unappetizing and sad, and there was no fruit basket offered throughout our stay, despite it being mentioned on their welcome card.||||The internet connection was weak, with frequent disconnections and slow speeds. ||||The main restaurant’s kitchen smells wafted through the hotel’s level 2 corridors, including up to the rooms, due to the restaurant door being left open—a very unpleasant experience.||||Finally, the pool area, while physically nice, was not well-regulated. Guests were allowed in wearing pajamas and other inappropriate clothing, making it feel unhygienic and uncomfortable for others.||||Despite all the negatives, a major shout-out must go to Waheed at the front desk, who went above and beyond when we got stranded due to road closures en route from Gilgit to Hunza. He safely coordinated the retrieval of our belongings, helped secure rooms in Serena Gilgit, and ensured we weren’t financially penalized. Thanks also to Ms. Shamshad and Mr. Younus from the Serena Gilgit branch, who handled our situation with care and professionalism.||||Despite a few bright spots, I cannot recommend this hotel. It’s simply not worth the high price, given the lack of cleanliness, service inconsistency, poor food, and management failures. You’re better off exploring other options in the area that may offer better value and...

Our recent stay at this hotel was marked by stark contrasts—while the location, room comfort, and a few exceptional staff members stood out, the overall experience left much to be desired.

Let’s start with the positives. The hotel’s location is undoubtedly convenient—just a 5-minute walk from the Karimabad bazaar, where you’ll find plenty of shops and restaurants. The rooms where we stayed, were large, nicely decorated, and comfortable, with a lovely rain shower that had good pressure and hot water. The heated outdoor pool and a separate splash pool for children were attractive features, as was the small but well-equipped games room. The lobby was beautiful, and the views from the balcony were stunning. Security on entering the hotel was tight and reassuring. The inclusion of soft drinks in the minibar and the turn-down service with dried fruits were also appreciated.

However, these positives were heavily outweighed by numerous and consistent problems throughout our stay.

First and foremost, one of the rooms was not cleaned properly—there were visible fecal stains on the toilet and crumbs on the carpet that remained there for the duration of our stay. The bathroom had no ventilation, and the separation between the toilet cubicle and sink was awkward and inconvenient. Despite repeated requests, an iron we asked for three times never arrived.

Breakfast was subpar, with no local fruits like apricots, apples, or plums, and a generally poor-to-mediocre taste of the dishes on offer. The naan’s and paratha’s were stale and almost inedible. The live egg station was poorly managed, and buffet items were not being replenished frequently.

On the first morning of our stay the breakfast area was chaotic—we were made extremely uncomfortable by a loud, rude group of guests from Allied Banking Group who hovered so close we couldn’t even pull out our chairs. The couldn’t care less about other guests around them and had no concern for the personal space of others. Despite being clearly disruptive, management failed to intervene until we ourselves had a verbal altercation with the group.

Though the staff serving our table at breakfast were fantastic, the rest of the service was inconsistent. It’s disappointing that while some staff went above and beyond, others were either absent or inattentive.

Dinner was a disaster. The tomato soup was essentially hot water, which even the culinary manager acknowledged, and the chicken parmesan was rubbery. We refused to pay for these two dishes. For food this poor, the prices were outrageously high—a cup of tea was Rs 500, and a black coffee Rs 750, which is extortionate. The buffet dinner looked unappetizing and sad, and there was no fruit basket offered throughout our stay, despite it being mentioned on their welcome card.

The internet connection was weak, with frequent disconnections and slow speeds.

The main restaurant’s kitchen smells wafted through the hotel’s level 2 corridors, including up to the rooms, due to the restaurant door being left open—a very unpleasant experience.

Finally, the pool area, while physically nice, was not well-regulated. Guests were allowed in wearing pajamas and other inappropriate clothing, making it feel unhygienic and uncomfortable for others.

Despite all the negatives, a major shout-out must go to Waheed at the front desk, who went above and beyond when we got stranded due to road closures en route from Gilgit to Hunza. He safely coordinated the retrieval of our belongings, helped secure rooms in Serena Gilgit, and ensured we weren’t financially penalized. Thanks also to Ms. Shamshad and Mr. Younus from the Serena Gilgit branch, who handled our situation with care and professionalism.

Despite a few bright spots, I cannot recommend this hotel. It’s simply not worth the high price, given the lack of cleanliness, service inconsistency, poor food, and management failures. You’re better off exploring other options in the area that may offer better value and...

Everything about Hunza Serena feels perfect — except the service. Having stayed at many Serena properties across Pakistan, I came in with high expectations. During my stay at Gilgit Serena last year, the staff treated us like royalty — anticipating our needs before we even voiced them. Hunza, unfortunately, fell short of that standard.

Hotel & Location: The property itself is beautifully designed, perfectly located, and surrounded by breathtaking views. Rooms are clean, comfortable, and recently renovated, offering all the amenities one would expect from Serena.

Rooms and Service: The most crazy thing was the lights. The bed side table lamps would not get turned off from any switch, we had to pull out the cable from under the table. Other light switches were also as if out of Alice in Wonderland, you would never be able to predict which switch elicited what reaction in the lights! Despite the lovely rooms, housekeeping was inconsistent. Used glasses and empty water bottles were removed but never replaced, and small details like this added up over the stay.

Dining: The breakfast buffet was excellent — diverse, fresh, and satisfying. Food in the restaurants and room service menu were also good. However, the dining system was unnecessarily rigid and service was again below par.

You could order Pizza and snacks at one restaurant on one side of the hotel, and other dishes in the other restaurant at the other end. Asking them to bring pizza to the other restaurant, or even taking it away to the other was not accepted. We had to sit in one restaurant while my daughter had her pizza, then move to the other for my food.

Health Club & Pool: The facilities were impressive: separate ladies’ locker room with sauna, steam room, and jacuzzi; a standard gym; 2 outdoor heated pools (1 for kids) with mountain views. That said, there was no staff support, which felt both inconvenient and unsafe. No one was available in the ladies locker room to provide towels or locker keys, and the jacuzzi was under maintenance - staff more concerned about you getting out of their way than to help you. The sauna and steam room could not be turned on also because no-one was there (or willing) to do it. There was no staff not even a lifeguard at the pool, which is very concerning for guest safety.

Spa Experience: I booked myself a 90-minute massage and arrived at the counter just a few minutes late, although I was in the spa. They asked me to fill a form, in which, among other things, I wrote that I wanted a medium massage. I was taken to the massage room 15 minutes after the start of my appointment. The masseuse washed my feet first and started the massage 20 minutes after the start time. The massage was nothing to write home about. When I asked her to put more pressure, she told me I had asked for a medium pressure, not a firm one. However, she did not read the part where I wrote I did not want my head to be massaged and proceeded to do it. She ended the massage bang on time, even though it had started 20 minutes late. I did not have the time on me, but I checked when I came to the locker room. So I got a 70-minute massage instead of 90. And the jacuzzi in the female locker room was not working, they told me I could use the jacuzzi in the male section, but I would be charged 10,000 rupees for half an hour.

Overall: Hunza Serena has immense potential — stunning setting, well-designed facilities, and the Serena brand promise. But the service quality needs serious improvement to match the standards of other Serena properties. I truly hope the management will take steps to bring Hunza’s hospitality up to the level that makes Serena so special elsewhere...