Park Hotel Pirin

The setting is beautiful, the nature is stunning, and the spa is very good. What let the stay down was the staff: they were arrogant and rude, and hardly anyone spoke English. There were electrical problems in the rooms, and cleanliness was only average. The hotel has potential, but it misses the basics. I wouldn’t recommend it.

The hotel has good facilities and is in a nice area, so it could offer a great stay. Unfortunately, the staff’s conduct, especially toward foreign guests, seriously hurts its image. At breakfast, the kitchen staff were extremely rude. They barely greeted anyone, showed no willingness to help, and were often on their phones. I’ve travelled all over the world and haven’t encountered this kind of behavior elsewhere. The worst incident was at the indoor pool. At 19:45, with many people still there, including families, the pool attendant came in acting aggressively and inappropriately. Six babies under five were out of the pool and still wet. It was raining and 1-2°C outside, but he suddenly opened all the windows. He had already turned off the lights at 19:40, leaving the children in uncomfortable and unsafe conditions. I was ready to leave with my 3-year-old when he came straight over, pointed at the exit, and rudely said, “we are close, go”. It was provocative, intimidating, and completely unprofessional, with no respect for families with small children. I told him he had no right to speak to us that way and that it was still 19:45, with 15 minutes until closing. Other guests with children who were there also strongly complained about his behavior. It’s especially disappointing that reviews have mentioned rude staff for years, yet there seems to have been no real effort by management to improve things. The staff’s English is also very poor, almost nonexistent, which is a serious problem for an international hotel. One staff member even told me, “we are in Bulgaria”, implying that I should speak Bulgarian. That’s completely unacceptable for a hotel welcoming guests from around the world. It’s a shame for such a beautiful hotel, with so much potential, to employ staff who behave this way. After so many years of travelling, this is the first time in my life I’ve written a negative hotel review, and that says a lot. I sincerely hope management takes this seriously. With polite, well-trained, professional staff, Pirin Park Hotel could be excellent.

The rooms were lovely and clean, the atmosphere relaxed, and the staff helpful. There was a good range of tasty food at both breakfast and dinner. The pool water, though, needs attention. The smaller of the two outdoor pools was very dirty. Kids and plenty of adults were in and out all day; I saw small children pee in it, and there was a layer of dirt floating on the surface. Staff told me they change that water once a month, but some regular guests with apartments at the hotel said it happens even less often. With that much use, it should be changed at least weekly. The larger pool is only cleaned and refilled at the end of the season, and there’s no steady flow of fresh water. They explained that the water is recycled. The bleach smell is strong. Since this is a mineral spa hotel, it would be much better if guests could enjoy the water’s mineral content instead of soaking in so many pool chemicals. Even so, the atmosphere makes the place worth a visit.

The hotel itself is magnificent, with trees all around and a great mix of modern facilities, simplicity, elegance, and comfort. I had one of the best rooms I’ve stayed in, modern, spacious, beautiful, and equipped with everything. The bathroom was super clean, the swimming pool, sauna, and other facilities were great, and both the breakfast buffet and dinner buffet were excellent. Check-in was the fastest ever. But nobody at reception greeted me with a smile, and I didn’t get a smile from staff at any level. I guess they don’t like Asians or guests with brown skin. I’ve never experienced this anywhere else in the EU. Maybe the staff aren’t used to brown skin, or perhaps they think they’re superior to every other race. The only friendly person was at the entrance gate, where a polite man welcomed me with a smile. The rest were so reserved that one receptionist didn’t even answer when I said good morning. Still, the hotel itself is wonderful. Strongly recommended if you’re in Sandanski, Bulgaria.