Elate Plaza Business Hotel

I still haven’t received my money back, even though more than 20 days have passed and I’ve contacted the hotel several times. They haven’t answered my requests or refunded the 85.56 USD charged to my card after I canceled within the free cancellation period. I booked through Booking.com for August 16-22, 2025 in Sofia, with no prepayment required. The reservation details were Confirmation number: 5913670639, PIN: 7649. This feels like a scam, and I don’t consider it professional. Be careful booking here. In my experience, the hotel didn’t follow the terms I booked under and took money after cancellation. I’ll keep sharing what happened here and with Booking.com until the refund is processed so other travelers know.

Breakfast was disastrous, and my children couldn’t eat any of it. There wasn’t even juice. The area also didn’t feel very nice, and the hotel’s parking was just four spaces, occupied by abandoned vehicles. We were told that parking along the road was fine, but in the morning we saw tow-away signs. We stayed with our children, including a baby who needed facilities to clean bottles. Our one-bedroom suite was meant to have a kettle, but there wasn’t one. There was no fridge either, and the air conditioning didn’t work. The room had no curtains, city view, TV, table or chairs, or mirror. The electrical sockets were hanging out of the walls. The towels, toilet, shower, sinks, beds, sheets, blankets and pillows were extremely dirty. It didn’t feel hygienic, especially with kids. The night shift man was rude, miserable, and no help. We’d paid by credit card through the booking website, and the payment was pending before check-in. After we checked out, they canceled that pending payment and then wanted cash or for us to pay again, which was very odd. They also charged extra for a dirty travel cot and 5 lev for a bottle of water that cost 0.19 bgn. The breakfast was supposed to be “very good.” I’ve stayed at plenty of hotels in different parts of Bulgaria because we have a house here, and this was by far the worst.

We were lucky to end up here after Europe Assistance brought us in when our car broke down. The hotel was pleasant, clean and nice, and the food was delicious. Everyone on staff was polite and helpful. I’d recommend this quiet, pleasant place.

Nothing here really stands out, but it’s a dependable, comfortable place to stay. The rooms were clean and orderly, breakfast was satisfactory, and the staff were friendly and accommodating.