My wife and I had to visit Rawalpindi in an emergency and had never been to Pakistan.before. Someone recommended the Shalimar hotel to us and we decided to take the risk.

When we arrived outside the hotel, we were a little disappointed and very worried as to what we had got ourselves into. My wife is very picky and choosy, so you can imagine, I was worried. However, as soon as we went in, we were pleasantly surprised. The room was was clean and all the basic necessities that we required. The beds were clean and comfy and the bathroom was clean and again, did the job, the only problem was that the pressure of the shower wasn't great, but tat that price you couldn't complain.

The room was airconditioned and it worked very well, remember we were there in the peak summer season. We were both taking malaria tablets, but there were no signs of mosquitoes or flies. This was a great relief.

Room service was excellent and timely. We constantly ordered food and teas/coffees etc and they were of a good service and very reasonably priced. The laundry service was excellent and I on a number of occassions had clothes ironed and washed at short notice. On a few occassions I asked for my shirts to be ironed asap and they were returned in 15mins..
Our room was cleaned everyday and were given fresh clean towels on a daily basis.
We had a mini bar in the room, no alcohol, but soft drinks only, aswell as the 'God Send' bottled Nestle water with a seal on it. (be careful not to drink any other brand of water other than Nestle and always check the plastic cellophane seal).

The hotel staff were very helpful and a true display of 'Service with a smile'.
Breakfast was complementary and was a buffet with a wide variety of things to choose from.

Had a swim in the pool, but I was worried about whether it had been treated properly for use, so I kept away. But saying that, it did look beautiful.

The hotel is opposite the Pearl Continental (better known locally as the PC), but the Shalimar is at the 3rd of the price.

I would really recommend it.

Shalimar Hotel is a great 4 star hotel. The rooms are clean and beds comfortable, tho a bit hard. The swimming pool is awesome as is the food in the restaurant. They have live music during dinner. I would return. It is located right next to the Pearl Continental Hotel.

When I arrived in June, I was somewhat put off by the constant banging of hammers and drills, but upon my return in August was astounded at the imporovements they had made to the rooms. They are almost uncomparable to the old ones. But if you go, ask to stay in one of the new suites (aka only some of the rooms have been renovated). Overall, AGAIN Excellent stay and outstanding service from the hotel staff. A great value/quality ratio at about 108 USD a night standard (most tour agencies can get the price down to about half that.) Will be staying there next year without question!!!

Nick RIce

I stayed at the Shalimar Hotel Apr 4-20 2005 and I couldnt have been happier about my stay there.

The rack rate is about $100 a night there but I stayed for about $50 a night which was a good deal for that hotel.

This was my first trip to Pakistan and I only knew a few people there before I arrived. They were more helpful than I could have hoped. From the shift managers to the doorman, everyone was more than pleasant and as helpful as they possibly could be.

The rooms are honestly not the nicest that you will ever stay in but are comfortable and clean with a very receptive staff.

The Beds and blankets were very nice and new. The TV was not new but worked well with a good selection of Paki and American channels.

The furniture hasnt seen the attention to detail that would make it look like a luxuious hotel but if you are not going to sit in the room and critique it, should be fine.

There is a comp buffet breakfast every morning from 7:30 to 10:00 am with a good selection of breakfast foods.

The pool was not open at that time and looked as though it might not be for some time.

The lobby and the lounge were both comfortable and attractive.

This was a different sort of stay for me as I was looking to meet Pakis, to learn about the culture and to see how the common people live there. I would often meet people from all backgrounds from the city and the hotel staff was very protective of me with the people that would call or stop in to see me.

Aside from being very patient with my near constant requests for botttled water and taking my many phone messages, the shift managers would "interview" my visitors for my safety. I wouldnt expect that from just any hotel or just any group of caring people.

The Peal Continental is right across the street from the Shalimar but if you are looking to do some kind of business in Pindi/ Isb and arent looking for gold plated toilets and the like, I'd suggest staying at the Shalimar for about half the price.

I hope to go again this fall, it's a great place to stay...and wonderful people there.