The Moon Boutique Hotel

I had one of the most comfortable mattresses I’ve ever slept on, but the hotel couldn’t tell me its brand and there was no label. The place is central, small, family-run, nice, and clean, but there are a lot of operational hassles, and no elevator. When I tried the air conditioner, I was told I couldn’t use cold air while another guest was using the heating function. That made no sense to me. They suggested opening the windows for fresh air, but there were no mosquito screens, so mosquitoes came in and buzzed around all night. The staff mean well, but seem limited by what they have to work with. At check-in I chose my breakfast, but they forgot about me in the morning and I had to wait to get anyone’s attention. They didn’t have the whole grain bread I’d selected and didn’t know what sunny-side-up eggs were. Then, half an hour before checkout, housekeeping barged in while the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign was on the handle, apparently assuming the room was empty. It might be an okay choice if you can put up with these issues, but paying over $120 for it? Probably not.

It’s a lovely family-run hotel, quiet with no road noise, even when I had the window open. The bed was comfortable and I especially liked the bathroom. The main social street is only a 4-5 minute walk away, while the hotel itself is in a quieter spot and just a minute from the metro. Breakfast is prepared and set on the table for the time you request, so make sure you’re there then. All in all, I had a very nice stay.

The staff are polite and helpful. They have restaurant suggestions ready, can make a reservation, and will call a taxi for you. It’s a great place for a business trip or a visit as a tourist. The hotel is right in central Sofia, only a few metres from the metro and close to plenty of restaurants and sights. It’s beautiful, the rooms are very clean, and there’s delicious breakfast every morning. There’s also a bar for cocktails or good coffee in the morning.

We expected much more, and this was the worst hotel experience we’ve had, especially for the price. We’re not difficult guests, but the hygiene was awful. There was poop on the floor in the ground-floor communal toilets, and the whole hotel smelled of it. We told staff twice, but 20 hours later it was still there. Our room was dirty too: urine on the toilet seat, stained sheets, and small black curly hairs in the bed. The minibar wasn’t full even though we hadn’t taken anything, so it felt as if someone had already used the room. It was hard to communicate with staff. They said booking a morning taxi to the airport wasn’t possible because there were no cars available, and breakfast arrived too late. We would have liked to discuss the problems with them, but after the day we’d had, we didn’t believe they could resolve them. We emailed the hotel afterward and got no reply. I felt I had to update this review: two weeks have passed and there’s still been no response. I’ve also seen some new 5/5 reviews that seem fake to me. Ocean view? It’s right in the middle of the city. Don’t go to this hotel!