Act of Honesty

Mr. Essa Khan (Assistant Housekeeper) at Gilgit Serena Hotel found an amount of US $ 50,900/- from a vacant room. He immediately informed the General Manager Mr. Rashid-ud-din and they deposited the amount in the hotels lost & found section. The room was last occupied by a Japanese guest engaged in a feasibility study in Gilgit-Baltistan. The guest was informed through his colleague who was a long staying guest at Gilgit Serena Hotel. The General Manager stated “In these economic conditions, and in a region of poverty, we should be very, very proud of people like Essa.”

The Management handed over the amount of US $ 50,900/- to the guest who was extremely happy and appreciated this act of honesty shown by Essa Khan. He also stated that this would certainly strengthen their faith in Serena Hotels and would be more comfortable in using all Serena Hotels in future.

Serena Hotels has announced the following awards for Mr. Essa Khan. A Cash award of Rupees 100,000, Serena’s Honesty award to be named as “ESSA KHAN AWARD FOR HONESTY” and his children’s educational expenses, he will also be sent abroad for training.

The Honorable Governor of Punjab also gave an award and cash prize to Essa Khan. The Governor held a ceremony at the Governor House on Wednesday, where Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah was also present.

Tourism Promotion Services (Pakistan) Limited is a subsidiary of Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development, S.A., Geneva (AKFED) and owns and manages chain of hotels in Pakistan under the brand name “Serena”. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) is an international development agency dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and building economically sound enterprises in the developing world. Located in different cities in Pakistan, the Serena Hotels combine the distinctive, traditional expressions of local cultures and architecture with modern amenities, and provided their guests with the highest levels of personal service. The flagship hotel of the Company is “Islamabad Serena Hotel” which is 5-star deluxe property and stands out amongst its competitors because of its architect, quality of service and guest satisfaction. The company also has properties in Faisalabad, Quetta, Swat, Gilgit, Shigare Fort Residence and a resort in Hunza.

AKFED's involvement in tourism development in South Asia and East Africa takes place under the aegis of Tourism Promotion Services (TPS), with companies incorporated in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, and Pakistan.