Tiara Beach

I got home from a Jet2 trip to Tiara Beach Hotel in Bulgaria, and this was the worst holiday I've ever had. Reception staff were miserable when we arrived, and things got worse through the week. Nobody spoke to guests, whether at reception, in the restaurants or among the cleaners. The food was cold and cheap, and often so burnt you couldn't tell what it was. The cakes looked nice, but were hard from being old. The coffee machine kept playing up. They might try to fix it during a busy spell, leaving you with half a cup if you were lucky. We had been told our roomy room would come with one bottle of water for the week, with refills after that, but there wasn't even a bottle. Good thing we brought our own coffee, because the room had no supplies, not even a plastic spoon or stirrer. The room cleaners came once. We had to ask for the bed to be changed, and on other days all they did was throw the towels onto the bed. The gym is listed on the website as open from 7am, but each morning I had to stress over getting a key from the miserable staff because the bell boy was asleep. I actually had to argue with a receptionist to get it, while she swore under her breath. I tried to get an earlier flight home but couldn't. The old TV had just two English channels, one for wildlife and one for history, and I couldn't use my stick with it. While we were there, they posted Instagram reels showing food that wasn't available and sunshine when it was raining. The rain wasn't their fault, but that was dishonest advertising. My advice is not to come to this hotel, or even Bulgaria, since outside the hotel wasn't any better.

The location is superb, just a five-minute walk from the beach, and the food spread is really good, with top-quality meat options. All-inclusive drinks are good too. Rooms are spacious, clean and very nice, while the pool is clean and has lots of sunbeds. There are different games and shows during the day, plus a sauna and a small gym that's good enough. Wifi works perfectly everywhere. One little thing to improve: the glasses aren't always the cleanest. Still, this is an excellent beach hotel with great food.

The beach is just five minutes away, and there's a nearby bus stop for trips to Nessebar. Lots of clubs are around as well. The staff are professional, the hotel is very clean, and the food is delicious with plenty of choice. It suits families, but solo travelers can relax here too.

The staff were great, and the daytime entertainers were too. I'd consider coming back if Bulgaria were affordable again and the weather was good, though I think there are more luxurious choices farther up the coast toward St Vlas. With some improvements and fine-tuning, this place could take off. I think three stars is fair, even if that sounds harsh. It's advertised as four-star, which might fit compared with what's around in Bulgaria. The hotel itself is tidy and spacious, has the right facilities, and is mostly clean. What holds it back is the setting, cleaning and food. The surroundings feel cold-war-like, almost like a forgotten town. Cleaners tidy up, but only change sheets and vacuum once a week, and even then I'm not sure how well. The food is fine, but some salad dressings are watered down and the variety is below par.