Briz Hotel

The beach is just five minutes away, and the airport is about a 15-minute walk. My room was tidy, with a comfortable bed and a warm shower. It’s a little dated, but that gives it a cosy charm. For a two-star place, having free Wi-Fi, toiletries, tea, coffee capsules and a fridge included was a lovely surprise. It’s in a quiet area with a sea view.

The view and location are good, but the building could use repairs. The bathroom and beds especially need fixing or replacing. There’s no elevator, which is a concern for older people.

The location is handy, very close to the beach, and there’s a sea-view terrace on the top floor. My room had a mosquito screen on the terrace door. Towels were changed, toilet paper replenished and rubbish taken out every other day. It also came with good Wi-Fi, air conditioning, a kettle, glasses, a fridge and a small supply of tea and instant coffee. The room itself was dirty, though. Dust covered the furniture, the bathroom bin looked like it had never been cleaned, the shower had limescale and the grout was black. The fridge seemed not to have been cleaned in a year, and the table still had stains after I washed it twice. I even found a cockroach. The bathroom sink leaked, and the toilet smelled when I lifted the seat. Switches were sticking out of the walls. There was usually nobody at reception for most of the day, and nobody spoke English.

Being near Bourgas airport makes this a handy stop for one night before an early flight. The rooms are very basic, and ours wasn’t very clean. Although it was marked non-smoking, it smelled strongly of stale cigarette smoke.