Kabul Serena Hotel

Formerly the Kabul Hotel, the Serena is now owned by the Aga Khan and has undergone a massive renovation to transform it into Kabul’s swankiest hotel by some stretch. The public areas are all light and space, while rooms have all mod-cons and a sprinkling of traditional Afghan decor. Security on the door is unsurprisingly strict, while the pastry shop’s brunch was the place to be when we dropped in. As we went to press, they’d just cut the ribbon on the hotel spa.