Recommended Hotels

A wide variety of good, cheap accommodation has long been one of Bulgaria’s best assets as a tourist destination. Bargain hunters will never have to look far for a decent room at a fair price, while those looking to spend a little more on high-end luxury will likewise not be disappointed: the selection of first-class hotels both in the cities and the beach resorts is the equal of anywhere in the world.

It is worth noting, however, that whatever level of accommodation you choose, it pays to book well in advance. The ski and beach resorts in particular are often fully booked during high season, and if you turn up on spec you will pay far more than people on package tours. To arrange accommodation in advance www.bgstay.com is a good resource, as is www.booking.com.

A huge number of private apartments and villas have been built in the main ski and seaside resorts in recent years, and were mainly sold to foreign investors who let them out on a weekly basis. These can often be a good-value option, especially for families and large groups. The websites www.holidaylettings.co.uk and www.airbnb.com list thousands of Bulgarian holiday homes for rent.

€€€ more than 200 leva

€€ 100–200 leva

€ under 100 leva

Sofia

Art’Otel €€ 44 ul William Gladstone, tel: (02) 980 60 00, www.artotel.biz. Stylish hotel just off bul Vitosha. Just 19 elegant rooms, all individually decorated and offering good-value accommodation. The Tower Suite is the best.

Arena di Serdica €€€ 2–4 ul Budapeshta, tel: (02) 810 77 77, www.arenadiserdica.com. When the foundations were dug, the remains of a Roman amphitheatre were found, and the hotel built around the ruins. The results are spectacular and make the Arena unique. This is genuine modern luxury in the most ancient of settings.

Grand Hotel Sofia €€€ 1 ul Gurko, tel: (02) 811 08 11, www.grandhotelsofia.bg. Opposite the National Theatre, this outstanding hotel is classy from beginning to end. Smartly dressed doormen welcome you in, friendly reception staff meet and greet you, while the sheer opulence of the spacious rooms will ensure your stay is a pleasurable and luxurious one.

Hilton Sofia €€€ 1 bul Bulgaria, tel: (02) 933 50 00, www.hilton.com. This homage to glass was built in 2000 and is well positioned next to the National Palace of Culture (NDK). Even the standard rooms are large, let alone the executive rooms and suites. Excellent restaurant. This is one of the best Hiltons there is.

Holiday Inn Sofia €€ 111 bul Alexandar Malinov, tel: (02) 807 07 07, https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/sofia. Although the location in the Sofia business park is not the best for tourists, the quality is high and prices are surprisingly low, especially at weekends when the conference crowd is absent. There’s a huge swimming pool and fitness centre. A good choice for those with their own car.

Marinela €€€ 100 bul James Bourchier, tel: (02) 969 22 22, www.hotel-marinela.com. Now a Sofia icon, the Marinela was built in the 1970s by a Japanese businessman and designed by a renowned Japanese architect. Boasting large rooms with exquisite views, the Japanese garden is a highlight, and the hotel is home to the city’s best Japanese restaurant.

Meg-Lozenetz €€ 84 ul Krum Popov, tel: (02) 965 19 70, www.meg-lozenetz.com. Newish three-star hotel offering good-value, tasteful rooms. In a nice, residential area close to the National Palace of Culture (NDK).

Radisson Blu €€€ 4 pl Narodno Sabranie, tel: (02) 933 4334, www.radissonblu.com. This shining glass edifice is close to Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Fine, luxurious rooms and five-star service. Has a superb health and fitness centre, and offers superb in-house dining options.

Renaissance €€ 2 pl Vazrazhdane, tel: (02) 986 0939. Delightful over-the-top decoration complete with Renaissance-era reproductions at every turn make this an enjoyable place to stay. Large, good-value rooms and a sublime roof terrace.

Sofia Hotel Balkan €€€ 5 pl Sveta Nedelya, tel: (02) 981 64 51, www.sofiabalkan.com. The oldest of the city’s five-star hotels and still the number one choice of travellers for whom location is everything. A living piece of the city’s history, the Sofia Balkan stands imposingly on Sofia’s central square and offers all the amenities and luxury you would expect from one of Europe’s great hotels.

Art Hostel € 21A ul Angel Kanchev, tel: (02) 987 05 45, www.art-hostel.com. Delightful, well-priced bed and breakfast establishment on the same site as one of Sofia’s best hostels. Some (but not all) rooms have private bathrooms: be sure to check when booking. Great breakfast included in the price.

Sofia Plaza €€ 154 bul Hristo Botev, tel: (02) 813 7912, www.hotelsofiaplaza.com. Comfortable, reasonably priced accommodation close to Sofia’s main railway station. Rooms are on the small side of cosy, but are well equipped and brightly decorated.

Around the Country

Bansko

Avalon € 4 ul El tepe, tel: (0749) 88 399, www.avalonhotel-bulgaria.com. A terrific family-owned and -run hotel on a quiet residential street close to the city centre. The rooms on the top floor are the best, with the sloping ceilings and mountain views providing bags of character.

Chateau Vaptsarov €€ 23 ul Solun, tel: (0700) 12 622, www.chateauvaptzarov.com The stunning Chateau has large, comfortable rooms (although not as luxurious as the exterior may suggest), plus a large health complex with sauna, steam bath, hot tub and massage. Price includes daily transport to the gondola lift.

Evelina Palace €€ 98 ul Ikonom Chuchulain 34, tel: (087) 819 60 43, http://www.evelinapalace.eu/en/. Large bright rooms and a wonderful swimming pool, complete with separate children’s area, make this attractive hotel a hit with families. Staff are the friendliest in town and the buffet breakfast is superb.

Kempinski Grand Arena €€€ ul Pirin, tel: (0749) 888 88, www.kempinski-bansko.com. Next to the gondola lift, the location of this huge, luxurious hotel could not be better. Nor could the service, staff, rooms or restaurants. Set over five interconnected buildings, this is one of the few Bansko hotels that have genuinely tried to blend with their mountainous surroundings. The spa and wellness centre, with a huge indoor pool, will keep non-skiers occupied.

Pirin €€€ bul Tsar Simeon, tel: (0749) 981 13 86, www.hotelpirin.com. This historic hotel close to Bansko’s central square is one of the best in the resort. Indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, sauna, solarium, steam room and excellent mehana.

Borovets

Note that in Borovets and Pamporovo the streets have no name.

Ice Angels €€ tel: (075) 032 045, www.iceangelshotel.com. Located quite literally on the slopes, Ice Angels offers big rooms, amazing views and a superb buffet breakfast. Rooms usually sell out months in advance.

Rila €€€ tel: (0750) 326 58, www.rilaborovets.com. For many years the monolithic Rila Hotel was Borovets, and it remains very much a resort within a resort. Recently extended, it now has a glorious indoor swimming pool with mountain views, fitness centre and kindergarten. Rooms are large but spartan.

Vila Stresov €€€ tel: (02) 980 42 92 (Sofia office), www.villastresov.com. Stunning, Swiss-style villa in a lovely setting. Rooms are luxurious, and there is a sauna, jacuzzi and leafy garden. The best accommodation in Borovets, it comes at a price.

Yastrabets €€€ tel: (0750) 322 12, www.hotelyastrebets.bg. One of the most luxurious hotels in the resort, complete with huge wellness centre. It is located at the foot of the Yastrabets ski runs, close to the gondola lift. The terrace here is the resort’s most popular – when the weather is good enough to use it.

Pamporovo

Extreme €€ tel: (0879) 933 308, www.hotel-extreme.bg. Despite the name, you do not have to be an extreme snowboarder to stay at this elegant contemporary hotel. Rooms are large, the restaurant is very good and the bar is one of the resort’s liveliest. There is après-ski massage and relaxation in an onsite spa centre too.

Finlandia €€ tel: (030) 218 367, www.hotelfinlandia.com. Looking as Scandinavian as the name suggests, the interiors of the Finlandia may be a little dated but it is a comfortable and great value option. It is a bit of trek to the slopes, but there is a free shuttle bus.

Malina Village € tel: (088) 813 70 07, www.malina-pamporovo.com. Cosy two-level chalets in a quiet part of the resort offer a back-to-nature way to enjoy Pamporovo. Most chalets have en-suite saunas, and the village has a restaurant.

Mourgavets €€ tel: (0309) 58 190, www.murgavets-bg.com. Ugly as hell but as comfortable as heaven, the Mourgavets is as plush on the inside as it is brutal on the out. Offers terrific views from its upper floors and is very good value for money.

Mursalitsa €€ tel: (0309) 540 00, www.mursalitsa.com. Closer to the slopes than most Pamporovo hotels, the Mursalitsa offers a variety of comfortable rooms. Nice communual areas, complete with a lounge with log fire during winter.

Plovdiv

Coco Guest House €€ 32 ul. Hristo Dyukmedzhiev, tel: (087) 880 1883, www.coco-plovdiv.com. Small boutique guest house in the heart of The Trap – Plovdiv’s trendy cultural hub. Classically furnished rooms come with all mod cons. Staff are incredibly helpful and friendly.

Noviz €€ 55 bul Ruski, tel: (032) 63 12 81, www.novizhotel.com. Small but reasonably smart, if old-fashioned, four-star hotel opposite Budjarnik Park. All bathrooms have a tub – a definite plus in this part of the world – and prices include a good breakfast in the hotel restaurant.

Grand Hotel Plovdiv €€€ 2 ul Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, tel: (032) 93 44 44, www.grandhotelplovdiv.bg. Situated on the northern bank of the Maritsa River, this sparkling five-star is Plovdiv’s best hotel. Overlooking the gorgeous slopes of the Rhodopes, it is close to the trade fair grounds and is often full during May and September. Reservations are essential.

Odeon € 40 ul. Otets Paisiy, tel: (032) 622 065, www.hotelodeon.net. Gorgeous little place in the heart of the old town. Rooms are small and yet wonderfully furnished with bags of character, from the plush carpets to the wooden-beamed ceilings. The hotel restaurant is one of the city’s best.

Ramada Trimontium €€€ 2 ul Kapitan Raicho, tel: (032) 60 50 00, www.trimontium-princess.com. This grand, classically designed hotel dominates pl Tsentralen. The hotel casino is a favourite with visiting businessmen. The rooms are enormous, and recent renovation has returned them to former glories.

Veliko Tarnovo

Arbanassi Palace €€€ Arbanasi, tel: (062) 630 176, www.arbanassipalace.bg. Luxurious and understandably expensive hotel on a small side road leading from the village-museum of Arbanasi, a 10-minute drive from Veliko Tarnovo. The bathrooms are bigger than most Bulgarian apartments, and the view from the terrace towards Veliko Tarnovo is nothing short of wondrous. From riding school to Roman bath – everything you could ever wish for is here.

Premier €€ 1 ul Sava Penev, tel: (062) 61 55 55. The best hotel in Veliko Tarnovo itself, with rooms offering great views of the valley and the rest of the town. All rooms have internet access and large bathrooms. Two rooms are fitted out for use by travellers with disabilities.

Tsarevets €€ 23 ul Chitalishtna, tel: (062) 60 18 85, www.hoteltsarevets.com. This is a delightful hotel, situated on a quiet street in the heart of old Veliko Tarnovo. Originally a merchant’s house, built in 1891, it has been completely refurbished, yet all the rooms remain elegantly and classically furnished. The high ceilings are wonderful, as are the views from almost all the rooms.

Yantra Grand €€ 2 ul Opalchenska, tel: (062) 60 06 07, www.yantrabg.com. Centrally located with views of the mountains and – in some cases – the Tsarevets Fortress, the Yantra combines modern amenities with decent service in a classical building. There is a casino for high rollers next door, operated by the same people.

The Coast

Nessebur

Arsena Beach €€ Yujen Plaj, tel: (0554) 46 610, www.mpmhotels.bg. Elegant hotel on Nessebur’s South Beach (Yujen Plaj). The modern, chic interiors provide a stark contrast to the Old Town, visible across the water from the balconies of most rooms.

Marieta Palace €€ 45 ul Lyuben Karavelov, tel: (0554) 44 111, www.marietapalace.com. Looking not unlike a huge cruise ship, the hotel is in the commercial heart of Nessebur. Futuristic in design, it has fantastic swimming pools and a wide range of comfortable rooms.

Nessebur Royal Palace €€ 19 ul Mitropolitska, tel: (0554) 46 490, www.nessebarpalace.com. In the heart of the Old Town, next to two historic churches, this hotel perfectly blends the old and the new. Rooms are large and classically furnished, the bathrooms quite remarkable. Terrific restaurant on site.

St Nikola € 2 ul Kraibrejna, tel: (0554) 46 686, www.hotel-st-nikola.com. Good, simple and very well-priced accommodation on the northern side of the Old Town, with views towards Sunny Beach. Staff are friendly and helpful. Note that breakfast is not included in the price.

St Stefan €€ 11 ul Ribarska, tel: (0554) 43 603, www.hotelsaintstefan.com. The best-value hotel in the Old Town. It blends perfectly with the ancient surroundings, and besides big, comfortable rooms has a good fish restaurant and lovely garden.

Balchik

Antik €€ 16 ul Primorska, tel: (0888) 205 020, www.hotelantik.eu. The Black Sea coast’s best kept secret: a smart little family-run hotel offering great-value rooms on the seafront: most rooms have balconies looking out to sea. Superb terrace serving outstanding seafood.

Thracian Cliffs €€€ Bozhurets, Kavarna, tel: (057) 092 200, www.thraciancliffs.com. Luxury hotel complete with championship golf course on the Kavarna peninsula, just north of Balchik. Besides amazing rooms with superb views, the hotel has its own private beach.

Varna

Aqua €€ 12 ul Devnya, tel: (052) 63 90 90, www.aquahotels.com. This large, modern hotel opposite the railway station is popular with tour groups, and in high season it can often be fully booked. The suites are great value. Reservations recommended.

Capitol €€€ 40 ul Petko Karavelov, tel: (052) 68 80 00, www.capitol.bg. Probably the classiest hotel in Varna itself, the Capitol offers large, stylish rooms and a splendid restaurant in a location close to the entrance of the municipal beach.

Grand Hotel Varna €€€ St Elias Complex, Sv Konstantin, tel: (052) 36 14 91, www.grandhotelvarna.com. The best hotel on the coast is actually outside Varna, in the satellite resort of Sv Konstantin, a 10-minute drive from the city centre. Every luxury is on offer in the 296 rooms and 35 suites. There are indoor and outdoor pools and the beach is a short walk away.

Panorama €€€ bul Primorski 31, tel: (052) 68 73 00, www.panoramabg.com. In an enviable location at the end of Varna’s main promenade, with magnificent views out to sea, this is central Varna’s top hotel, and is priced accordingly. It does come with plenty of free extras though, including underground parking, a rarity in these parts.