Branching out: Isil opens a five-star hotel in Iraq

The popular 262-room hotel had fallen into Isil hands when the militant group took over Mosul, who reopened it

The Islamic State, infamous for its extremist militant tactics, apparently has added a new feather to its cap. It has opened a five-star hotel for its commanders in the Iraqi city of Mosul.

Reports in Arabic media claim that the notorious Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has taken over the Ninawa Hotel in Iraq's second largest city.

The hotel, that offers 262-rooms, is first of its kind in the so-called 'caliphate.'

It is worth mentioning here that the Isil had previously forcibly closed all hotels in areas under their control in Syria and Iraq.

Read: Iraq in turmoil: ISIL militants take Syria-border post

The group, which has been bombarded by US and an Arab coalition, has manged to route enough resources to get the hotel functioning, offering commanders rooms and even cater to weddings.

Inexplicably, it has also managed to get itself registered on travel website TripAdvisor. Four reviews of the hotel on the site, from before it had fallen into Isil hands, had rated it as "Excellent."

According to one user, the hotel was "very suitable for a family meet" with a "nice wedding room". Another reviewer praised it for its "affordable room rate" and facilities including a swimming pool, tennis court and gym.

A key draw of the hotel, as pointed out by one of the reviewers, was the "view from the balcony" for rooms facing the river.

Images of the hotel that surfaced online after falling into Isil hands showed how members of the outfit had destroyed and painted over the hotel’s friezes.

Read: Tikrit offensive: Iraq mounts aerial assault on ISIL

But the group had kept the hotel’s gleaming wooden bar intact – albeit without its traditional contents.

The images also showed a reopening ceremony of the hotel with candy-colour balloons alongside black Isil flags.

The article originally appeared on The Telegraph