Polana Serena Hotel Maputo: One of the Finest Grand Hotels in Africa

Miguel Afonso dos Santos, General Manager at Polana Serena, gives an overview of the hotel. The ‘Grand Dame’ of Maputo is considered one of Africa’s finest hotels.

“Polana has a great offer. First of all, we have 4 acres of property. Besides, Polana provides 142 rooms, many of which are spacious suites. The hotel also offers a choice of three restaurants: the all-day dining Varanda Restaurant, the Delagoa fine-dining experience in the French style; the Aquarius Sushi Bar, as well as the Polana Bar. We also have an amazing spa: the Maisha spa. The facility offers a gym, aerobics studio, indoor pool area and separate spa areas for men and women. Polana Serena Hotel was designed in 1922 so it has a touch of old and modern mixed together. We try to innovate as much as we can, so that we always create an exciting atmosphere for our guests”, says Miguel Afonso dos Santos.

“We focus our attention on quality and people, both internally and externally. We also focus on sustainability and helping the community, so that the community is part of the growth of the hotel as well as the organic growth in general. It is important for us to act in our own environment. Polana Serena is a global brand which has been in operation for 93 years, since Sir Herbert Baker designed the hotel. A lot of people came here and are still emotionally attached to the hotel. So we wish to develop as much as we can, being active partners of the city, working with schools, planting trees, and overall being part of the community. We also wish to check out projects that could benefit the touristic experience in general, creating a link between the city, animal reserves, beaches and islands, for example”, he adds.