HOTEL CRITICAL TO REBIRTH OF KABUL - 2003-02-23

Boston Globe - KABUL, Afghanistan:- The lobby is a dusty heap of rubble and fallen beams. The once-elegant lounge is piled with old sofas, sinks, and beds stripped from guest rooms. The former cigar bar is a series of dank, brick archways -- with no bar and no cigars. Welcome to the Kabul Hotel. It is none too inviting in its current state, but come this fall the 110-room hotel will reopen with a five-star rating after a $26 million renovation. The project is part of a broader revival of the Afghan capital's hotel and restaurant scene that marks a fresh avenue in the country's efforts to rebuild following decades of war.