bhrubin

^

DirigoB

This is eerily accurate! I just finished a 3-night stay here and found it to be very pleasant. We were also upgraded to a suite overlooking the church (maybe the same one?) that looks like something out of the 1900s, but we found it to be very comfortable. The bathroom was oddly small and cramped compared to the rest of the room, but not a big deal.

Since I'm only a Gold and was upgraded, no lounge access so I can't comment on that, however there are plenty of bars and restaurants nearby that are very inexpensive.

The gym seems to be a reconditioned spa and kind of creepy, but they have a couple pieces of decent equipment and I used it twice.

The staff is friendly and helpful, and I was never accosted by "gentlemen's club" staff or given any fliers of any kind. We very much enjoyed our stay!

SkyTeam777

Is this hotel generous with upgrades for Golds?

SkyTeam777

Is this still an option? Really hoping to either pay for or receive comped Gold upgrade to this category.

ExpatSomchai

I actually paid for an Exec room

britbronco22

Just finished a 3 night stay. Fantastic value at 10k points total. We were upgraded to a large junior suite. The other gold in our group received an apology they couldn't upgrade on the first night and then got a junior suite the following 2 nights.
Only regret was paying 15 euro for breakfast each day, I'd have been better off going somewhere nearby.

alanslegal

Excellent value using points;

Breakfast in the restaurant is definitely mediocre and I wouldn't pay for it too, lucky it is free as a Platinum.

The gym is one of the weirdest gyms that I have seen in my life ... and don't mention the spa if one intends to get a massage treatment. I don't think I would ever feel comfortable down there.

lcpteck

I've spoken to the GM before, they were supposed to get a makeover for the Gym.

skrosvik

Dear friends,

I have some very disturbing news

This hotel has closed it's club lounge. They said they are not obliged to have a club lounge as a LC hotel, which is true. The Metropol Palace in Belgrade, the very same owner, has a club lounge nevertheless. I am wondering if this is closing down as well?

I can understand that having a club lounge you're not obliged to cost money, but on the other side I guess many guests actually book and pay for executive rooms. Beer and soda here in Bulgaria are cheap, so I am not sure how much they will save doing this. Now I am in the bar - I am the only customer and the restaurant is empty as well....all five waiters are standing by the bar chatting.

I agree that the offerings in the lounge was very limited, but the lounge was very convenientn for a beer or soda, so I think this is sad news. They still sell rooms with lounge access online though...and it is even mentioned in the room descriptions on their website, haha. I would be pissed if I paid for lets say a deluxe room with lounge access, and then arrived here to receive nothing. I guess we always have the option using the minibar - 12 EUR for a local beer

I still enjoy this hotel - they upgraded me to a huge executive suite this time as well

Tizzette

They do another odd thing and that is usually only queen rooms are bookable on points, not standard twin rooms.

gojko88

It's not. I don't mean to sound condescending (it's my hometown after all), but Metropol Palace has infinitely better brand recognition compared to Sofia Balkan, and it seems to me the business/occupancy is much better as well.

ajamieson

Well that should tell you something I agree this is disappointing but it wouldn't stop me staying here and the lounge was not a great place to hang out. To be honest I was surprised it lasted so long. There are plenty of nearby places to get a good value breakfast if the relative cost is an issue.

skrosvik

Nope, the lounge was never a great place to hang out, but it was very convenient to go in there to have a soda or a coffee or even a beer or a glass of wine.

I am back here again. The surly guy at check in seemed surprised that I wanted the breakfast instead of points as my plat gift. Suites are sold out, so I was "upgraded" to one of their supersmall executive rooms with non functioning A/C and a broken bed, the small bathroom boasts one handtowel and one bathtowel, haha. No Elemis stuff there, just that cheap greek stuff. Funny thing is that on the app and online my room state that I have "lounge access". I do like this hotel, but I find it frustratingly inconsistent.

Had a beer and a burger in the bar as it was quite late and raining outside. Some interesting business going on in that bar, and quite obvious.

I agree that the MP is way better, also in terms of smiles and greetings. The F&B outlets at MP was quite lively when I visited.

BTW - great breakfast!

I will be back for sure

airoli

Just finished a quick stay here, and while it was certainly adequate for the €75 / night I paid, it is beyond me that this property manages to sail under the "Luxury Collection" banner. Even allowing for the fact that it is in Bulgaria (an EU member country, anyways), it is a far cry from any other Luxury Collection hotel I have stayed at.

Here are a couple of things that the hotel missed at:

• No pre-arrival email inquiring for preferences and arrival time. They also neglected to mention that my rate would have included free transfer to/from the airport (and I only found out after checking out).
• Rooms that are about 10 years overdue for a renovation. The two I saw had loose fittings, unpluged lamps, and leaking showerheads.
• No bathrobes in rooms, and sheets & towels not pressed.
• Calls to the "Guest Services" line repeatedly went unanswered for minutes - I hung up eventually.
• No proper concierge desk, only 2 receptionists to deal with all guest inquiries and check-in / -out.
• The dungeon gym was already mentioned, and when I visited the elevator stopped working and I had to be escorted out via the back stairs by the security guard who mentioned that this happens "sometimes".

While there was no Plat upgrade, the hotel did provide a nice welcome amenity. And the location is excellent.

Again, all the above points are not things I can't live without, but would expect from the Luxury Collection, and I feel this hotel does a disservice to the brand. They should either charge more and deliver appropriately, or just become a Renaissance / Crown Plaza / Doubletree etc. hotel.

PointWeasel

I would agree with most of your comments, except for the pressed towels part. The towels in my suite a couple of weeks ago were perfect, and not pressed.

More importantly, the housekeeping staff forgot something every single day. I had double body lotion my entire staff and never got the conditioner I asked for twice. The face cloths count ranges from 3 to 1 to zero. The hand towels were there one day and then missing the next day.

I have stayed here many times over the years and a couple of the staff are great on the front desk, but training of the new ones is lacking. The phone not being answered is quite normal at the property I find as well.