Alekta Hotel - Free Parking

The room had decent mattresses, but when I looked more closely there were odd crumbs on them. On the terrace there were two chairs and no table, and the air conditioning switched itself on whenever it pleased. We were beside a busy road, the Wi-Fi signal was weak, and there was no “Do Not Disturb” sign for the door. There were some basics missing too: no waste bin, nowhere proper to put our belongings, and no hairdryer. The bathroom and drain were designed in a very peculiar way, there weren’t enough hooks or hangers for towels, and the sink was dirty, with some kind of crumbs near the mirror. There was a strange bleach-like smell when we entered the room. At first glance, the hotel seemed fine, and the first male receptionist was relaxed and friendly. But when we asked another, female receptionist for a packed breakfast to take with us because we were leaving early, she flatly refused and said breakfast was only served from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM.

The hotel is really well kept, with clean, bright rooms and a breakfast area, plus a beautiful terrace with sun loungers and a pool. Breakfast is nice, mostly continental with some eggs and sausages. There’s something for meat eaters and vegetarians, but not really for vegans. The staff are friendly and accommodating. We asked for a room with a view and got one. The location is brilliant: about a three-minute walk to the stunning coastline, then maybe another 15 minutes to a sandy beach for the day. We went to the beaches at Golden Sands one day, but honestly preferred the area around Alekta. Golden Sands is all resorts, very touristy, and about twice as expensive. The only reason I’ve given four stars instead of five is what happened when I went down for coffee early one morning, before breakfast. There’s no water or coffee in the rooms, but when I asked on arrival, the kind receptionist said I could get some from the bar whenever I needed. It costs 3lv, which is fine, and complimentary coffee and water are only available during the 8-10am breakfast. I’d been told it was totally fine any time, so when I politely asked a male staff member I hadn’t seen before, he just started shouting “go away, go away, later” over and over. He looked like he lived in the gym and acted like he was taking steroids. I’m female and was alone, and it was really intimidating to have this large man yelling at me. I was shocked. I later found out his name is Ilyad, so avoid him if you can. I told management, and they were very apologetic and offered to comp my coffee. I understand it wasn’t their fault. It’s a shame one person can bring down an otherwise perfect experience. Big thanks to all the other staff at the hotel.

We were a couple of kilometers from the city center, with the big seaside park nearby and some good restaurants around. We could park our car beside the hotel for free. Breakfast was simple but good, though there was no buffet. Our top-floor room had a sea view and a balcony. The bed was very good, and the bathroom had a great walk-in shower. The Wi-Fi in the room was very weak or nonexistent.

The air conditioning may need maintenance. At night it kept blowing warm air into the room even when switched off. The hotel is near the pleasant seaside park, about 2 km from the harbor and center. It’s a nice family hotel with friendly, competent staff and a good breakfast, either Bulgarian or buffet style. Our room had a balcony and sea view, decent beds and a good shower.