Europe Sofia Hotel

I loved staying here, and loved Bulgaria too. The beds were comfortable and the staff were lovely, though the rooms are a bit dated and not really Western Europe four-star standard. The area felt safe, unlike most of Western Europe now. I’d love to stay again. I’m already looking for flights.

The room was very clean, and the location was good, close to the bus and metro. But at check-in I was given a much smaller room than the one I’d booked. They gave me the requested room after I asked. The mattress was so old they’d covered it with a layer of foam and put a sheet over it. Everything is very dated, and the photos look like they might have been taken years ago. Definitely not four stars, two at most.

The hotel felt shabby, dirty, smelly, and spooky. There’s no sound insulation, so you hear everyone heading to their rooms. I’m half deaf, and even I found it bad. They spray a “good” smell everywhere to cover the stench, but it burns your throat. The downstairs, windowless “gym lobby” is creepy on top of everything else. There was mold on the wall and carpet, and my first room was so bad they moved me to one with less mold. The interior looks at least 25 years old, and the heavily stained carpets seem to have 25 years of grime embedded in them. You don’t want to walk barefoot on that. The furniture had crumbs on it. Towels were stained and had holes, and the curtains had holes too, though that’s minor. The bed linen looked clean, and I checked the bed without finding bugs, at least a relief, but some of it was very old and needs replacing. Breakfast was low quality, served in a windowless basement room with stained tablecloths. The elevator seems about to stop working with you inside at any moment. There’s no annual inspection report displayed, so I guess none are done. The pool is only 5 m long and has a high level of bleach. The air conditioning is like sleeping next to a generator, though it’s OK now that it isn’t warm anymore. I had cups in the room to make instant coffee, but one saucer had clearly been used for food before. They never took away the used cups or replaced the water bottles.

The prices are fair, even low for what you get, though the hotel may not really be four stars. The rooms are big and there’s a pool, and the staff were helpful. Breakfast had everything from bacon to croissants, with various drinks included. The location is perfect. The restaurant is open again, with a gorgeous menu and service. There aren’t too many dishes, but there’s something for everyone, plus a very good selection of wines and drinks.