Hotel Kuban

I'm into my second week, and with shops closed at the end of the season, something we weren't told about, the stay has been miserable. The welcome pack only listed tours, and it took us ten days to find out where the evening entertainment was. Staff are very rude and act as though they don't understand anyone. Jet 2 shouldn't be selling this holiday. After this experience I won't go back to Bulgaria. I should have listened to the reviews and gone to Benidorm. Food has been the same day after day. If you like chicken, they cook it four or five ways, but everything else repeats too. There are no hot puddings, just the same pastries at every meal. I tried the snack bar's cold burgers on very stale bread and ice-cold pizzas. Children run wild in the lifts. The noise at reception is deafening, with kids screaming and climbing on seats and tables while their parents let it happen.

We came home two days early. The rep, Diana, was arrogant and nasty, and the girl at reception was arrogant and no help at all. The beds need to be higher. Food was a bit repetitive, though it was presented well. The outdoor food, like the burger batches, was inedible.

The pool and snack bar are excellent for kids, and there was always something to eat, though the food was only okay. The location has both good and bad sides: shops, the beach and main strip are close, but it's noisy. With no blackout curtains, disco lights and morning sun made it really hard to sleep. The rooms were clean, but seemed to have been decorated a hundred years ago, with threadbare carpets, and badly need renovation. Music by the pool blares from 9am, with no quiet time.

The pool is the big draw here, with seven slides in the aqua park and a children's pool and area. It opens at 9am, and people queue at the doors 45 minutes early to grab sunbeds before breakfast. The hotel says towels can't be used to reserve loungers, but that rule isn't enforced. There's also an arcade with billiards and video games, a fitness room, and a spa, sauna and massage for an extra charge. Hotel Kuban is a four-star hotel on Flower street in central Sunny Beach, a couple of minutes' walk from the beach. It's one of the few all-inclusive hotels there, with bars and a snack bar open through the day. The nightlife is nearby, though it wasn't too noisy at the end of August as the season was winding down. Staff are friendly and speak English well. They can arrange a rental car with hotel pickup and drop-off. The buffet at breakfast, lunch and dinner is fine, with okay-quality food. Lunch and dinner dishes rotate daily, so you don't get the same meal every day. Standard rooms are small and basic, with a fridge and AC that struggles to cool the room on warm days even at full power. There's no charging outlet by the bed, and the beds are very low, making it a bit of a sport to get out of them. WiFi is great in and near the lobby, but poor or unavailable at the pool and in the room, at least on the 15th floor. Be patient with the elevators, especially when the pool opens and at the lunch and dinner rush. Don't take one down at 6pm when dinner starts unless you want a long wait and some annoyance. If your departure is late, late checkout may be available for an extra 60 LEV (30 euro). I'd call it a decent three-star place for a week or a week and a half if you want to relax by a great pool. It would rate four stars for me with beds raised by 40cm, better AC, proper room WiFi and a charging outlet near the bed.