Saman A.
Google
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 in Pakistan.
