Hotel Gloria - All Inclusive

We were in Room 220, and the stay was so bad that we left early because we couldn’t stand staying any longer. Another family we spoke with did the same. We would not return or recommend this hotel. The place was dirty and needed a thorough clean. The bedsheets were itchy and uncomfortable, and didn’t feel fit for guests. The hotel smelled stale throughout, as if it hadn’t been aired out in years, and the closet had an awful odor that made it unusable. For a room for two adults, there was only one balcony chair. The bathroom had no ventilation, and the shower flooded the whole floor. No towel was provided to dry it. Food was generally poor. The bread rolls were the one decent thing, but there was no butter. One day we had severe stomach problems with symptoms consistent with food poisoning. Two other families told us they had similar symptoms. When we reported it, the manager accused us of lying and said no other guests had complained, even though we’d spoken directly with others who had the same issue. That dismissive response was unacceptable. The pool itself was clean, but the surrounding area wasn’t. The loungers were filthy, the patio clearly hadn’t been cleaned in a while, and some poolside drainage was broken and a safety risk, especially for children. The lifeguard, an elderly man, spent most of the day asleep. We don’t blame him personally, but that’s not a safe or responsible arrangement for guests. Communication was incredibly difficult. Apart from the bartender, no one seemed to speak even basic English, and staff didn’t use simple courtesies like “please” or “thank you.” The front desk was unhelpful throughout. My car was damaged in the hotel car park, and staff took no responsibility or action. There were no bottled drinks available, even for purchase, so we had to go to Lidl to get something decent to drink.

We stayed in June 2025 and had a wonderful time. The hotel has everything you need for a quiet seaside break. The food was excellent, with delicious Bulgarian dishes and something new each day, including meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, juices, cheeses, sausages, and sweets. The staff were friendly, and bartender Titomir was super professional.

The Bay area beach was a blessing and saved the holiday, with warm, calm water and generally reasonable prices for good drinks. The hotel itself was disappointing, though. My family had stayed here years ago and remembered a much nicer place. It needs renovation, even though the location seems good and there are beaches nearby. The sheets and pillows had hairs on them, and the decorative blanket had odd reddish spots. In the next-door room, the cabinet containing the fridge was broken. The bathroom shower was clogged, leaving water pooled on the floor after every shower and creating a slipping hazard. Reception staff were okay, but one bartender was rude. There weren’t many drink options, and the staff’s English was weak. The food was pleasant, and most of the time you could find something to suit you. Since this wasn’t my first time in Bulgaria, this wasn’t the best experience there.

I came back to the same place after 12 years, hoping at least for basic conditions and a peaceful stay. It felt like going back in time. Nothing seemed improved, and some equipment or services may even be worse than they were in 2011. I paid for a quiet place, expecting relatively low occupancy in June, when families with children would usually be in class rather than on holiday. Instead, there was general chaos from a group of 80-100 children attending a water polo competition. The children weren’t to blame for the disturbance, and perhaps their coaches were, though they can’t really be called teachers or educators. The main responsibility lies with hotel management, which did nothing to ensure the basic conditions for tourists who had come to rest. The children should at least have been kept out of the pool from 10.00 to 16.00, and the cleaning schedule should have been followed. The elevators were almost impossible to use. The lobby bar was constantly full of children carrying drinks and food. The sofas stayed wet and dirty, tables and chairs at the bar were always occupied, and there was constant commotion. The pool bar was closed, so to get a beer or juice you had to get dressed and go to the main hall. Maybe that was done to limit consumption. Children constantly took over the pool, jumping in and playing with polo balls, making it uncomfortable all the time. There was water everywhere, and the bathroom was always wet and busy. The showers “were very good but completely missing.” The lifeguard was there but had no authority. Basic hygiene at the buffet was lacking too. Children came in wet, and girls with long, wet hair were constantly crowded around the food area. The cooks serving the hot buffet wore dirty clothes, moved food from one tray to another by hand, and had their hair loose and only partly covered. The young people in blue T-shirts at the restaurant were constantly making an effort, and deserve a 10, as do several others: the woman at reception, whose name may have been Eleonora; the bar staff Tihomir and the boy with the tattoo, The wolf; and one of the girls from the Milena restaurant/lobby bar. Several tourists appreciated them. I recommend hotel management reward them or treat them differently from the others. Shame on management. Leave your job, you have no idea.