Hotel Winpalace

The restaurant was good and its staff were nice. The rooms are spacious enough, though not very clean, and okay if all you need is somewhere to sleep. We hadn't realized when booking that the pool was open to the public. It got very crowded with people from outside the hotel, and the outdoor jacuzzi was being used as a kids' pool instead of a place to relax. The staff seemed fine with that. If you're visiting Veliko Tarnovo and also hoping for a relaxing pool break, think again, at least on weekends.

It looks lovely at first, with beautiful grounds and a great pool. The rooms, though, were awful. In ours, the shower cabin, bathroom door, lamp and mattress were broken. That many problems in one room was overwhelming.

The restaurant was a major disappointment. Meals were included, but we couldn't choose what to have, and after receiving a poorly prepared dish we weren't allowed to replace it. The SPA area was tiny, with a small pool and a sauna for two, and children occupied it for much of our visit, making it hard to use. One window in our room was broken and felt unsafe when I tried to open it. Based on this experience, I wouldn't return or recommend the place.

This place used to be great, but now I'd avoid it. Pool and restaurant service were ridiculous, and the prices were too. They charged 10lv for kids under 5 and 15lv for adults. They said the high children's price was because the pool water was heated, even though it was summer and 36-37 degrees celcius. A woman kept chasing me to pay the entrance fee, even after I explained we'd eat first and I'd pay on the way out. She followed me right into the water, like a police officer, saying I had to come pay my 25lv. The restaurant staff were rude and didn't seem happy in their jobs, or I don't know. Prices were higher than at the elite restaurants in town: a small pizza, soup and sparkling water came to almost 24lv.