Mikado Hotel

Getting into the hotel was confusing. I wasn’t sent the access code beforehand, so I had to call late at night to get it, and there were no staff on site during my stay. Arriving after dark also felt unsettling: the hotel is in a quiet, dark area, and I wouldn’t recommend it for solo travelers, especially women. The room was much smaller than the photos suggested and smelled strongly of cigarette smoke. Since I have asthma, I had to sleep with the window open, which made for a very uncomfortable night. I raised these issues with the hotel and got a dismissive response. I know other guests may have had a better experience, but I wouldn’t stay here again.

The rooms are quiet and cozy, which made this a good choice for a business trip. It’s near the start of Burgss, somewhat secluded, and the location is decent. Renovations were underway, so the cafeteria wasn’t open, but I still found it a good place to stay.

We ended up missing the breakfast we’d paid for because the receptionist didn’t speak English and couldn’t tell us it finished at 9:30. I’ve never run into that kind of schedule or communication problem at a hotel. Speaking an international language should be part of the job, and Booking should make clear if the hotel is only for Bulgarians. The breakfast cutoff feels far too early for a relaxing vacation. The towels had a strange smell and didn’t seem very clean, and I felt the room wasn’t clean either. Guests pay for these services, so the hotel should pay more attention to what they need. For customers coming from outside Bulgaria, this place feels like a joke.

The beds were comfortable and the air conditioning worked, but that was about all we liked about the room. It was tiny, the shower had no door so water got all over the floor, and with no bathroom ventilation we had to dry things with our towels. Without a car, getting around is a challenge. Public transport is okay, but nothing is in English and no one seems able to help, while the hotel is far from the center. We tried to cancel one night and spoke to the receptionist through Google Translate. She told us to wait for a reply on Booking because nobody was working that day or the next, apparently due to a holiday. There was no chance of a refund, and the cancellation never came through, so we stayed. Breakfast was good the first day and just okay the second; the croissants tasted like they were from the day before. The fresh orange juice was the best part. If you’re Bulgarian, it may be perfect, but visitors from elsewhere should look for somewhere different. It’s hard to understand how a place providing a service can hire people who can’t communicate in English.