The beach is to the right, the
boulevard below!
by Jason&Raliboulevard below!
We stayed on the 6th and 9th floors- Currently the 6th floor is completely remodeled, but if you prefer to be higher you won’t notice the difference much, except in the colors of the room decorations. There are no bathtubs (have yet to see one in Bulgaria!).
Summary:
Excellent views- the best of any hotel in the city! Very close to the beaches and city life- right on the main walkway! Small Restaurant/nightclub on 14th floor open from 7pm to 4am. Casino on 2nd floor.
J-n-R Rating: 9/10. We both loved it- I could have moved in for the year. I recommend spending at LEAST ONE night there if you are on vacation in Varna- it is an absolute MUST!!!!
Pros: Central location, great views (for morning views, less sun and more ocean views, the north-east side is the EVEN numbered rooms, starting on the East side of the building and moving West; for evening views and more sun, the South-West side is the odd-numbered rooms…). Bathrooms were above average in size. Single beds can hold two people in a pinch no problem, and the double room beds CAN be moved together (despite what the employees say!). Most rooms now have…Air conditioning!!! Yay!!!!
Cons: Tiny old elevators (pre 1980; 4-5 persons max, no luggage), which are congested in the evening or morning when people are using them to get to the restaurant on the 13th floor or the evening club/small pub like place on the 14th floor. Lobby hasn't been dusted in a year or more (typical though of Bulgaria). Food is only ok, though there is coffee in the morning and all you can eat (8-10am). No pool, but you’re less than 8 minutes walk to the beach; you can see it from the upper floors of the hotel!
TAXI ADVICE: walk one block north or east to the roads and flag one down rather than wait 10 minutes for one to navigate the alleys (and other vehicles) to pull up in front of the hotel.
Other notes: The 3 tiny elevators hold only 4-5 people without luggage and take sometimes almost 5 minutes to show up, so if there is a line in front of you, be prepared to wait for your elevator, especially at breakfast time and after 7-8pm when people are going up and down to the club at the top (it’s not noisy even for the top floor rooms though, so no worries there). It won’t matter in a fire as you can use the stairs. Heart condition people- consider a hotel with faster elevators that could hold you and a medical team as well as get the ambulance to your front door in an emergency. Also, be prepared for a 8-11 leva difference in price depending on who is working.
Prices: 40 leva single, 80 leva double or more with air conditioning. Some rooms are 100 levas.
