I came to this hotel expecting great things, and was extremely disappointed. Possibly to drum up business, the management had filled the place with day-trippers for the week-end, clearly paying a fraction of the $150 I paid. Tacky amusements were laid on for these trippers in the grounds, such as air-pistol stands for bursting balloons, the pool was filled with loud mouthed louts, there was shouting in the corridors throughout the night - genuinely awful.

The room I was assigned (541) was located by an exhaust fan from the kitchen, so that the stench of cooking (oddly smelling of barbecue sauce) was present 24 hrs a day, so that you could not open your balcony door without smelling this stench.

The room was OK, but pretty dated and in need of redecoration.

I regularly stay at other Pearl Continental hotels, including the gorgeous Muzaffarabad one, but the Bhurban one had none of the refinement of these.

I suppose because of the day trippers, there was an aura of mistrust among the staff. When I was checking out, I was accosted by a security guard because I didn't have a tag put on by the porter, as if I was trying to steal luggage!

The view in the morning is wonderful, but that kitchen stench put a damper on things. For the high price, this should be a refined spa-type experience, not something comparable to a Pakistani bus station.

A genuinely awful stay. I strongly dissuade any of my colleagues from going there (for the record I am a foreigner working in Pakistan).

As locations go, this doesn't get any better. Two hours' drive from Islamabad up winding mountain roads - as you get higher, you can actually smell the pine forests - a lovely contrast to the busman's fart you get so used to in South Asian cities.

The views from the hotel are just mind-blowing. The gentle rolling Murree hills in the foreground, and the snow-capped mountains of Kashmir in the distance.

Murree was, famously, an old British hill station - and a lot of the Raj lives on today. Nowhere is this more true than the obvious love of gardens - the hotel gardens, which go on for acres, are pure EM Forster meets Gertrude Jekyll.

The PC at Bhurban really is the only place for a foreign visitor to stay. It's totally comfortable, nut not outstanding. The rooms are spacious - obviously built in the 1960's with a recent "cat's lick and a promise" makeover to give them a more contemporary feel.

Food is acceptable, but not memorable. The service in the Chinese restaurant resembled the speed of rock erosion. And, compared to hotels in the cities, it's expensive - but I guess that's the price you pay for staying in such a beautiful spot.

We had an executive room - with views of the mountains.
Room with balcony- very well presented, very clean
Room service - excellent - you get whatever you ask for at any time of the day or night
LAN internet access - Rs800 for 24hours (of use)
Restaurants - nice buffet style at the Nadia restaurant
They also arranged to pick us up at the airport in Islamabad. Chauffeur service available at reception for exploring the area.
Excellent customer service, highly recommended.

A stay in PC Bhurban should be on any ones list who would like to explore the majestic beauty of Northern Pakistan. The area is simply stunning, the layers of distant mountains, the fresh air and open spaces would be a delight for anyone.
PC Bhurban, is probably the best hotel in this area, its clean and has great views and lovely open spaces. You can tell that this once was a 5 star hotel in its pomp. It is in need of a little updating however and does look dated, probably not much more that a 3 or 4 star hotel.
Food was nice, service was excellent and they organised a driver and 4x4 to help us explore the area...all priceless for our holiday.