Very pleasant experience. Highly recommended. I have stayed in many hotels around world, this is among the very best across the board. The staff are very polite, helpful and always ready to give a hand. Security is excellent. Wonderful ambience. It is value for money compared to many 5 star hotels I have stayed. Will come back again. francis

I have to say, I am one of few I know who actually relishes the prospect of a visit to Islamabad, and it is solely because I know I'll be staying at the Serena, quite possibly my favourite hotel! Everything about this place oozes charm. The marbled lobby is gracious and inviting, with traditional architectural features (wood carving, inlays, etc.) which are also found in the rooms. Staff are immaculately presented, always friendly and courteous, whatever their role may be. When I stay at a hotel for a couple of nights, I rarely request that my room be 'made up' as I quite like my privacy and can easily make do without having my sheets and towels changed every day etc. Quite by accident, I pressed the 'make up room' button on the handy bedside control panel, and within minutes a member of the housekeeping team was at my door, armed with all the necessaries to prepare the room. I popped out to do a few errands, and when I returned, I found the room had been given a thorough clean, all the towels/linen changed, the (complimentary) minibar fully restocked, (no alcohol in this dry country, sorry!) and all my scattered toiletries, (of which there are many, I'm far too vain!), had been organised on little mats on the bathroom counter. Very kind and not necessary but a lovely touch nonetheless, and much appreciated. The food here is fantastic, whatever style of cusine you go for. I like to stick to the curries, it makes such a pleasant change to experience wonderful, aromatic flavours that taste authentic and not mass-produced! I had a lovely room service meal last night, presented not on a tray as is the norm, but on a table, the food laid out from a hot cupboard underneath..it truly was a restaurant in my own room, graciously served and a thorough delight! Embarrasingly cheap, too, it has to be said, especially for this high standard. The hotel grounds are very well kept, lush gardens and a pleasant pool area with comfy sun loungers, well away from the hustle and bustle of the city; it is a true oasis of calm. Looking forward to my next visit!

Hotel was booked by my company, it was really bad experience. Before i stayed in Crown Plaza, Move n Pick, Holiday Inn , etc (Mostly in Dubai, Uk, etc). in Pakistan it was my first experience which was not quite good one. Rooms were small but the bed sheets and toilets were really terrible. Room service was not good. Strongly not recommend.

First off, Islamabad is not the safest city in the world to visit. Having said that, The Serena Hotel is about the safest place to stay in Islamabad. The entrance to the hotel is gated with a big barrier and manned by security guards. The hotel is on a hill while the parking lot is on the street level. A hotel car takes you and your luggage up the hill to the hotel. Your luggage has to go through an X-ray while you go through a metal detector. The hotel lobby is British colonial (very classy) and very spacious. The hotel staff is very attentive and polite. The hotel restaurant is pretty good ( I only had breakfast, which was included in the price). The rooms are a little dated but keeping with the British Colonial theme. Very big room (king bed) for one person. Bathroom was nice with granite or marble. Water pressure was good for taking showers. Room service was prompt and the food was pretty standard but good. Internet connection is available - I used the wired ethernet for my laptop. Overall, probably the nicest place to stay in Islamabad - its located right outside the diplomatic enclave.

I had the immense pleasure of spending two nights at the Serena..after having done the grueling Baltoro/K2 Base Camp trek in Baltistan and then having gone to Hunza for an extra visit. By the time I'd been sleeping in tents for 2 weeks, stayed in a hellhole in Karimabad for 3 nights and been on the KKH (Karakoram Highway) for 2 days, I was ready for exactly the kind of luxury the Serena provides. Since I'm a member of LHW, they upgraded me to a concierge floor. I was pleased as punch and rightly so. The room was luxuriously appointed, beautifully decorated and the bed was COMFORTABLE; the bathroom, with toiletries from Penhaligon, had all the bells and whistles one could want: separate shower, good lighting, comfy robe, etc. Service was top notch, from excellent, spot-on room service with super cuisine (all restaurants in the hotel are very, very good,) to laundry. dry clean and other valet services as they should be. The beauty salon had just about every service you would need; other services included transportation all over Islamabad (a must if you want to ride around in an air-conditioned, safe vehicle) and concierges who were very willing to help. The concierge floor has its own breakfast room, where a smaller version of the ample breakfast buffet is served. The business center has several computers available (free to those on the concierge floor) and the broadband connection is excellent. All in all, the Serena is a miracle in a country where the infrastructure is very compromised and most people would not even be able to afford a cup of coffee, much less stay in that hotel. But I was glad to do it, and would do it again. The Serena is on par with any luxury hotel worldwide!