Travelogue: “Angraiz!” by Hira Nabi: (Excerpt) — Tourists mainly visit Shigar for the fort, restored by the Aga Khan Cultural Services Program (AKCSP) over six years of strenuous research and meticulous work. In 2005 the fort was converted into a hotel managed by the Serena Group. Now called The Shigar Fort Residence, it has been operational for eight years, though it is not an all-weather hotel; it remains functional in spring, summer and autumn. (Aside: there aren’t many hotel options in Shigar for visitors looking for comfort: there’s the pricey Shigar Fort Residence, the much cheaper and user-friendly government rest house, and something called Space Hotel, which has rates in the middle of these two enterprises and great French fries on its menu.) The fort hotel seemed worth the extravagance, and I tried it for a night. I was to learn that it is a non-profit hotel, that the income generated from the hotel goes mostly towards its maintenance and upkeep, a certain percentage pays salaries of the staff employed, about 30% goes to local community organizations, about 10% goes to the Raja (he donated the fort to AKCSP), and only 1% goes to Serena Hotels.
Ismailimail 