Family Hotel Shoky

The owner was unfriendly and dismissive toward us as guests. Calling this place a hotel is a stretch; it’s a regular single-family home with rooms to rent. We rented three rooms in summer. When we rang the bell at what looked like the main entrance, the owner eventually appeared looking unhappy and scolded us for using the wrong door. We got the keys in a lobby/restaurant/café area, which seemed like the only shared social space in the building. The owner said we couldn’t stay there because it wasn’t open, and that it would open for breakfast the next day. The rooms were poorly furnished, though at least they didn’t smell of cigarette smoke. The mattress deserves a price if you can sleep on it: it’s more like a torture device, with very little padding over a metal wire frame. I could feel wire cutting into my ribs all night, whatever position I tried. My parents were on the top floor and said their room was very uncomfortable; they also had a hard time using the shower because they couldn’t get into the space where it was built. The next morning we went to the shared area to check out and leave the keys. The same lady, the owner, didn’t even lift her head to speak to us, just took the keys from the counter. I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. It’s not hard, but rather normal, to find rude and unfriendly service in Bulgaria. Unfortunately, this place perpetuates the status of Bulgarian service as the lowest in Eastern Europe.

The restaurant’s Bulgarian food is some of the best around, and the chicken hearts are worth trying. The hosts speak English and are happy to do whatever they can for you. It’s a family-run hotel with a lovely atmosphere and local prices.

The staff were really friendly and polite, and the food was good too. Everything was very affordable. A nice place to book for your next trip.

Lovely people, a clean room that always smells nice, and a beautiful view. I’d definitely recommend it.