Duni Royal Resort - Marina Royal Palace - All Inclusive

The staff worked hard, smiled and treated us warmly, and check-in was easy. The entrance looks clean and attractive, and our room was clean too. I was disappointed, though, that we couldn't get a queen bed and had to push two beds together. The food tasted good, but the main dining resort needs more variety. They served the same fish items every day, along with cuftes or kabache, though sometimes sliced chicken or pork from the other grill was mixed in. After a few days it got boring. I got injured during the trip and couldn't believe the staff had no first aid kits available. The medical center wanted €60 to clean my wound and put on a Band-Aid, after I hurt myself on a chair on their beach. The beach and pool furniture is in bad shape. The 4x4 beach umbrellas barely give any shade and remind me of something from the Communist days. The beach needs cleaning or raking in the off-season; there are lots of cigarette butts and other trash and debris in the sand. The activities were nice, including stretch classes, water aerobics and crazy pool games. The evening shows were OK, but at the after party there was once again no staff around. Tables were covered in trash and bird poop, with no one cleaning them. There's a big sparrow problem at the resort. I'd come back, but probably not for more than five days. And if you want to tip the staff, give it to them directly. They don't get the money from the tip boxes.

The garden, views and cleanliness gave us a good first impression. The lobby is elegant, the garden is well cared for, and the rooms are spacious enough, with comfortable, modern bathrooms. Housekeeping was excellent: the room was cleaned every day. We also liked the sea view from the terrace, the organized main restaurant and bars, the good food and attentive service. Pools were cleaned daily, and the gardener clearly knows his work; the flowers and greenery are beautiful. Still, much of the property falls short of a five-star stay. In the busy season the parking lot is completely full, with no way to reserve a private spot. Most reception staff were unwelcoming and didn't communicate, leaving us feeling unwanted. The hallways are dark and dated, with poor lighting and windows that look as if they haven't been cleaned from the outside in years. Large parts of the complex had no working lights in the evening, which made walking around unpleasant and even unsafe. Our room had two single beds pushed together instead of a proper double. The third bed we paid for, for our child, was a very uncomfortable pull-out sofa. Neither my child nor I could sleep on it. The tiny off-brand TV was awkwardly set on a large desk, not what you'd expect at a luxury hotel. The pool bar wasn't operating during our stay, which was a big letdown. The outdoor snack pavilion for sandwiches and ice cream was poorly managed and felt like an afterthought. The pools were clean, but visibly old, like much of the hotel's infrastructure, and need renovation. The beach was neglected too. The sand was dirty and hadn't been cleaned in a long time, and the water nearest the hotel smelled strongly of sewage. The beach toilet was horrifying, dirty and neglected, far below an acceptable standard. The place has potential, but maintenance, infrastructure, service and basic comfort all need urgent improvement. It may look like a five-star resort at first, but it doesn't live up to that.

We had the best vacation here and would definitely come back, preferably in early September like we did this time. The hotel base might be questionable for five stars, but the peaceful, quiet stay made it easy to overlook the small flaws. Our room was spacious and comfortable. A very nice lady cleaned it and changed the towels and sheets every day, and left little surprises to brighten our mood. The food was delicious; even though some things repeated daily, we always found something new to try. The Bulgarian corner was especially tasty, with traditional cooked dishes. We needed plenty of choices for our one-and-a-half-year-old, and there were two soups for lunch and dinner, fresh vegetables, cooked meat and purees for very young children. We also appreciated that there were no queues at all in the restaurant, unlike at better hotels where we'd had a bad experience with that. The pools were very clean, with chairs and shade always available. The beach was beautiful, with clean sand and water and a perfect view and location. We enjoyed the entertainment for children and adults, especially the dancers.

We had a great experience here, with very tasty food and friendly, professional staff. Please don't believe the negative reviews. They may have been written by people who stayed in Duni Resort, not Marina Royal Hotel. We met dedicated people at the restaurant, pool and bars who did everything to make us feel good. Towels and sheets were changed daily, which showed care for guests. The Bulgarians and Uzbeks on the hotel staff all made an effort to look after us. Special thanks to Martina and Gabriela at reception, who helped us professionally when we ran into serious problems during our stay. I also want to thank Radjaboi and Timur for their service on the restaurant terrace. There is a so-called boss, Ivan, who you should avoid. He's very rude. One downside: the hotel parking is always crowded. But nothing is perfect on holiday, right?