Pearl Continental Hotel Rawalpindi
by the TopOfHotel team
Pearl Continental Rawalpindi is Pakistan's original 5-star chain on the old-city side, an easy walk to Raja Bazaar and closer to the airport than the Islamabad hotels themselves.
Pearl Continental Rawalpindi is Pakistan's original 5-star chain on the old-city side, an easy walk to Raja Bazaar and closer to the airport than the Islamabad hotels themselves.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Walk into the lobby at Pearl Continental Rawalpindi and you feel it right away: this is a "grand hotel" in the old sense — high ceilings, chandeliers, thick carpet, a line of staff waiting to greet you. It carries the air of a long-running Pakistani chain, formal in a way you won't find in the newer boutiques. The multi-floor tower holds about 200 rooms and suites, split into standard, deluxe, and suite tiers. Rooms lean classic and warm — brown, cream and gold tones, carpeted floors, heavy drapes, big soft beds, and marble bathrooms with a tub in the upper categories. Many face the central garden and pool for a green, leafy view, while rooms over Liaqat Road look out on the buzz of old Rawalpindi. Plenty of reviews agree the rooms run larger than the city average and hold sound well. If you like a classic grand-hotel feel with someone still pressing the elevator button for you, this lands.
Food and amenities
The heart of a stay here is how complete it is under one roof — five restaurants to pick from. Start with Bukhara, the homegrown Pakistani kitchen serving biryani, barbecue, seekh kebab, and tandoor dishes that smell good enough to stop you in the hallway; reviews rate it above several outside places in the area. Tai Pan is the Cantonese-style Chinese room where local families settle in for dinner. Marco Polo runs an international buffet for breakfast and lunch, everything from fresh-baked bread to continental plates to local food. And Café Bamboo is the 24-hour coffee shop that becomes a lifeline for transit guests and anyone back from a late flight. Don't miss the bar lounge, done up with a faintly British touch — no alcohol, per Pakistani law, but it pours tea, coffee, mocktails and snacks. Outside, green gardens wrap a large outdoor pool that fills with local families in summer, and the gym and spa are fully running. The hotel is also known for a big ballroom and meeting rooms that host the city's VIP weddings and conferences.
Location and getting there
The hotel sits on Liaqat Road in central Rawalpindi, the twin city pressed against Islamabad about 14 km to the south. The appeal here is clearly different from staying in Islamabad proper — Rawalpindi is the old city of fresh markets, narrow lanes, roadside tea stalls and real Pakistani heritage, while Islamabad is the newer, more planned capital. The first draw is Raja Bazaar, the famous old market just a 10-minute ride away — the answer if you want to shop fabric, spices and local jewelry and see how people actually live. A little further out is Ayub National Park, a big city park with a lake where locals picnic. The second draw, and the important one for travelers, is Islamabad International (ISB): roughly 30-40 minutes by car, closer than most Islamabad hotels, ideal for transit or an early or late flight. Crossing over to Islamabad for Faisal Mosque or the F-6 and F-7 districts also runs about 30-45 minutes. The hotel runs an airport transfer, and taxis wait out front around the clock, so getting around is easy without your own car.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The first thing to grasp: Pearl Continental Rawalpindi is in Rawalpindi, not Islamabad. Plenty of people book it seeing "Islamabad" on the booking site and assume it's in the capital, then arrive surprised because the feel is so different. Rawalpindi has heavier traffic, more dust, and none of the clean, tidy walking districts like Islamabad's F-6 and F-7. If you're mainly here for Faisal Mosque or meetings in the Diplomatic Enclave, budget the cross-town time and taxi fare. The second point is the building and decor — even as an original 5-star chain, much of the tower and many rooms look older than a modern 5-star standard, with reviews noting dated furniture, old-style bathrooms and well-worn carpet. If you want contemporary design, ask for a renovated deluxe or suite over the older standard rooms. The third is noise — the hotel fronts a big road, with traffic and car horns all day, and road-facing rooms hear it clearly. Request a garden- or pool-facing room at booking or check-in. Last, a small thing: by Pakistani law the hotel doesn't serve alcohol in public areas. If you need it, it's ordered through your room for foreign guests only and involves a few steps, so set your expectations.
Our take
After reading through the real reviews and weighing it against the other hotels around Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Pearl Continental Hotel Rawalpindi is Pakistan's original 5-star chain selling everything-under-one-roof, a location closer to the airport than the Islamabad hotels themselves, and the chance to soak up real Pakistani heritage on the Rawalpindi side. It fits business travelers in and out of ISB often, transit guests who want a comfortable stay in a familiar 5-star tower, and anyone who'd rather touch fresh markets and local life than the modern capital. But if the heart of your trip is wandering clean, tidy districts, seeing Faisal Mosque, or working in the Diplomatic Enclave every day, this location may be less convenient than a hotel in Islamabad itself. Overall we give it 8.0/10 — a solid pick for anyone after real Pakistani heritage, airport convenience, and a chain standard you can trust, at $100 to $205 a night.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- This is Pakistan's original Pearl Continental chain, with consistent service standards and staff who speak good English. Reviews single out their attentiveness and quick thinking when helping international guests.
- The location sits closer to Islamabad International (ISB) than most hotels in Islamabad itself — handy if you're in transit or have an early or late flight.
- Five restaurants live under one roof: a homegrown Pakistani kitchen, a Chinese dining room, an international buffet, and a 24-hour coffee shop, so you never have to go looking for food after dark.
- A large outdoor pool and shady gardens wrap the tower, with a full gym and spa — a genuine oasis in a city that's heavy on traffic and dust.
- It sits on the old-city side of Rawalpindi, about a 10-minute ride from the famous Raja Bazaar, so you soak up real Pakistani heritage far more than you would in newly planned Islamabad.
- It's in the city of Rawalpindi, not Islamabad — if you're set on meetings in the Diplomatic Enclave or wandering Islamabad's F-6 and F-7 districts, that's a 30-45 minute cross-town ride depending on traffic.
- The building and decor look older than a modern 5-star standard. Some reviews grumble about dated furniture and old-style bathrooms, so anyone expecting contemporary design may be let down.
- The streets around the hotel are busy and noisy, and rooms facing the road catch clear traffic sound. Ask for a room facing the garden or pool — it's much quieter.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Islamabad
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Islamabad — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in IslamabadAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- If you have an early or late flight, arrange the hotel's airport transfer ahead of time — it saves real time, since you're on the same side of town as ISB.
- Ask for a room facing the garden or pool rather than the Liaqat Road side — it's quieter and dodges the car horns that run all day.
- Don't skip dinner at the hotel's Pakistani restaurant; order the barbecue and the homegrown biryani, which reviews rate well above the outside places in the same area.