5-Star Hotels in Punjab, Pakistan

Having read that the Pearl Continental was a 5 Star hotel, made me look forward to staying there. Upon arrival, the staff at the reception desk were very courteous and professional. Check-in was slow due to some alleged computer issue. The rooms were nothing special and looked very tired and in need of renovation. Especially the bathroom, which was on par with a 1 Star establishment. Breakfast was acceptable and service reasonable. Definitely not to 5 Star standards. Again the reception desk staff professional and courteous upon checking out. The icing on the cake for me was when we checked out, I asked where would be the best place to get a taxi. They said they have a desk near the entrance and the staff there can arrange transport for us. So we approached the desk and told them where we wished to go. After tapping on a calculator for 5 minutes the chap told us the fare would be 10,000 Rupees. 10,000 I exclaimed! This was more than double for what the journey should be. I was expecting it to be slightly more as it was being arranged by the staff of a so called “5 Star” hotel. I shared my thoughts on the fare but the chap was not interested. I reluctantly accepted the fare, paid the 10,000 rupees in cash, whilst trying to convince myself that it’ll save me walking a few hundred meters down the road and haggling with the taxi walas in the midday heat. So we were escorted to the vehicle by the chap from the desk. The vehicle wasn’t anything special, just a standard saloon, which had seen better days. The chap from the desk, gesture for me to follow him back to the desk, whilst he asked my wife to make herself comfortable in the car, and the driver began putting our cases in the boot. I followed him back towards the hotel entrance and asked what was going on? He casually replied that he had miscalculated the mileage and would require more money. To which I laughed and replied that the cost was already more than double. How could he be asking for more! I shouted to the driver to take the cases out of the vehicle and asked my wife to not get too comfortable. I then told the chap at the desk that I have never been dealt with in such an unprofessional insulting manner. I voiced that these type of extortion tactics are very unbecoming of a so called “5 Star” hotel. I demanded my 10,000 Rupees, which he grudgingly gave to me. Suffice to stay, I will never be staying at the Pearl Continental in Rawalpindi ever again. It’s most definitely NOT a 5 Star hotel in any shape, way or form. With staff like the guy who tried to rip me off, not once but twice, in broad daylight, just highlights the festering desperation, greed and total disregard of any form of respect or decency that exists here. Absolutely no shame. Anyway we walked 6 feet outside the hotel and got a taxi for 4,000 Rupees for the same journey. Be careful, everything isn’t what it seems. Watch out for these smiling passions and daylight highwaymen.

The hotel has a great location, conveniently close to Lahore Airport, and the premises felt very secure with several security checks before reaching the lobby. I was warmly greeted by a hotel representative who picked me up and took me to the hotel. Both the buffet breakfast and dinner at the hotel restaurant were excellent, offering a wide variety of delicious food. The staff across all areas, including the reception and restaurant, were very respectful and helpful. I want to especially mention Muhammad Arslan, who stood out for his attentiveness and dedication to serving all guests with the utmost care. However, there are a few areas that could be improved. First, the prayer hall is located in an awkward and unclean area. I noticed a family struggling to find a suitable place to pray, and the staff was not even aware of the Qibla direction. They ended up praying in the executive room, which was not ideal. Secondly, the café and restaurant lacked alternatives like almond or soy milk, which is important for guests with allergies. Some in-room amenities, like the dental kit, were missing at check-in and appears the second day after the room makeup. The swimming pool ladder felt weak and was not deep enough, which could be a safety concern. Additionally, the iron in the room was dirty, broken, and leaking water, which made it difficult to use. Overall, I had a pleasant stay but hope these points will be addressed to enhance the guest experience further.

The hotel itself was nice, however they had a sports team staying here. They cordoned off areas and path ways, it was a lot of bother up until they left. I would suggest if you are staying here, check before hand if there is such an event going on. They give priority to the athletes and make you stop from crossing even the lobby and going to your room. I did wish I stayed at some other location instead while the team was here but as soon as they left things got a lot better.

Overall experience was good. I have been going to this hotel since I was a little boy in the 90s. The good: Quality service. Amazing breakfast buffet with local and continental options. Breathtaking view. Consistency across 3 decades. The bad: Facilities are very outdated and need a big upgrade. My 4 year old played on the same swings that I played at his age. Great for nostalgia and recreating old pics. However, shows how outdated things are. In fact, some were just broken. Table tennis and squash rooms that were freely available for guests years ago are closed and replaced with some 4D entertainment which wasn't functional. Not much for recreation for a resort-type hotel. Room TVs were not smart TVs.

打工人出門在外，最看重的就是性價比，這家酒店簡直是寶藏！價格親民，房間卻一點不含糊。空間寬敞，佈置温馨，各種設施一應俱全。衞生間乾濕分離，乾淨又衞生。而且還有免費的停車場，對於自駕出行的我來説太友好了。住了幾天，算下來比同地段其他酒店省了不少錢，以後出行就選這兒啦，強烈推薦給大家！

Brilliant experience and lovely staff. I had a great time and would like to come back on my next visit. Very happy with trip.com and Serena hotel . Just wow especially for my special occasion.

Very good service and hotel. A little outdate decor on 3rd floor but other than that nothing to fault.

Overpriced for the service provided. Asked for airport service but they couldnt reply even if they were online on whatsapp. Cleanliness was average. Dusty.

I chose this hotel as it was away from city, so it’s quiet & you can walk outside, roam in DHA freely. Clean environment, amenities are good.

This was the most beautiful hotel, and the breakfast was amazing with plenty of options to choose from! The location was brilliant and close to all the boutiques! I’d definitely recommend Nishat and look forward to another stay there in the future.