Bulgarian Property
Property Services
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Accommodation in Bulgaria
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18.03.2008
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Accommodation in Bulgaria is currently in a state of flux, with many former state-owned hotels still trying to find their feet in a market economy, and a burgeoning number of new private places. While the choice of accommodation is undeniably wider than at any time in the past, standards and prices vary far more than previously, and you can no longer get an idea of what a hotel is like purely from its star-rating (if it has one). In addition, things are changing all the time - generally for the better, but not always so.
Hotel accommodation in Bulgaria
Hotels in Bulgaria come in all shapes and sizes, but can essentially be divided into two groups: those that were run by the state during Communist times, and those which were built by private individuals or enterprises from 1990 onwards. How much choice you have depends very much on where you are: in the cities and holiday resorts there'll be a reasonable spread of different types of hotel, whereas in provincial towns without a tourist tradition there may well be one, decaying, former state-run hotel on the main square, and nothing else for miles.
Mostly built in utilitarian, concrete high-rise style, most of the former state-run, pre-1990 places have now been sold off - although the companies that now run them don't always have enough money to reinvest in their upkeep and refurbishment, with a consequent decline in the standard of comfort. The main exceptions to this rule are in the big cities and holiday resorts, where those hotels which attract a significant turnover of foreign guests have received substantial injections of cash and have been re-fitted to Western standards - leaving Bulgarian holidaymakers to make do with the tatty unrenovated establishments nearby.
Some pre-1990 hotels are known as rest homes (pochivna stantsiya or pochiven dom), many of which were owned by trade unions and factories for the use of their workers, and are now open to all-comers. Many are no more than frugal holiday camps, but those built for the Communist nomenklatura can be quite palatial - the former Politburo ones at Primorsko and Sandanski, especially.
Meanwhile, hundreds of new hotels have opened in the main cities and resorts, along highways and in historic highland villages. These are often small, family-run establishments rather like B&Bs, although you'll also find sumptuous places on the Black Sea coast and in mountain resorts, and a growing number of smart business-oriented hotels in the big cities. All of these tend to be cleaner, friendlier and more attractive than the older, ex-state hotels. As a consequence of all this, there is little or no consistency in how rates are calculated. In most of Bulgaria, the going rate for a simple ensuite room with no additional frills is 15-20 euro. Expect to pay double this amount in Sofia, Plovdiv, Burgas, or in major holiday centres. Rooms with a functioning TV cost a few extra dollars; while a double with modern furnishings and minibar could set you back anywhere between 50-100 euro. Take a look the cheapest Bulgaria hotel accommodation in Burgas. Even hotels which have business-class pretentions, without necessarily providing the requisite levels of comfort, will try and get away with the latter price range. Some hotels charge on a per-person basis (which may or may not include breakfast), regardless of whether you occupy a single or a double; others will give solo travellers a double room and charge them a hefty proportion of the full double price. Acceptance of credit cards is unpredictable: smart places in cities or on the coast excepted, most places prefer cash. Although we've cited prices in dollars, most places prefer that you pay in leva.
It's seldom necessary to make reservations, other than during festivals or at popular rustic retreats such as Kovachevitsa in July or August. Although we've given phone numbers throughout the Guide, the odds of getting a hotel receptionist who speaks English aren't good except in big cities or resorts; however, faxes and emails sent in English will probably be translated and acted upon.
The adoption of the international star rating system (from one-star up to five) has proceeded in fits and starts in Bulgaria; many hotels either don't display a star rating, or invent one to suit their aspirations. As a new private two-star hotel is often much cosier than an old three-star block, the system is in any case fairly irrelevant, and it's safer to base your assumptions on the age of places. Hotels built in Communist times tend to conform to a few models. Postwar one-star places are gloomy warrens with shared facilities in the corridor and a sink in the room if you're lucky, while two-star hotels of the 1950s and early 1960s are mid-rise prefab blocks of matchbox rooms with ensuite bathrooms and erratic plumbing, where the only amenity that can be taken for granted is a bar. Three-star hotels built in the 1970s and 1980s tend to be high-rise or cuboid blocks with overblown lobbies and restaurants and cheesy basement nightclubs, while four- and five-star hotel accoommodation in Bulgaria usually feature similar facilities, but in a more luxurious style and managed with efficiency.
Private hotels are largely unclassified by the official star system, and in many cases simply make one up for display purposes. Most run to ensuite bathrooms, and the ritzier ones to cable TV and mini-bars. Though shoddier efforts are already showing their age, the majority are comfortable, clean and well looked after by owner-managers who have sunk their savings into the venture and have every reason to make it succeed. Most places have a small taverna and summer garden, and some have saunas, solariums, fitness centres or even swimming pools. Another factor worth considering is the time of year. In the old one- and two-star hotels, hot water may only be available in the morning and evening, which is rarely a problem at the height of summer but can be a real pain in winter, when rooms in even three-star establishments may be poorly heated. If travelling at this time of year, it's a good idea to opt for a family hotel or a private room (see below), where the provision of basic comforts can be taken for granted.
Private rooms accommodation in Bulgaria
Private rooms (chastni kvartirl) are available in Sofia, Plovdiv, Ruse, Varna and a number of other tourist destinations, especially along the coast or in picturesque highland villages. They're bookable through local tourist offices, accommodation bureau (kvartirno byuro), and private or cooperative firms that specialize in renting out rooms - addresses are given in the Guide. Even when the accommodation bureaux are closed (from early September onwards in smaller coastal towns), you can often find a room unofficially, by asking around. If you stay in someone's home you're meant to register with the police within 48 hours. While agencies should regster you automatically, few hosts take these formalities seriously, putting you in the position of being an illegal alien for the duration of your stay (not always as dire as it sounds).
The size and quality of private rooms varies enormously (it's rarely possible to inspect the place first), but they are always clean. Spacious rooms in nice old houses seem to be the rule in smaller resorts such as Sozopol and Nessebar on the coast, and Koprivshtitsa inland, while in the cities private rooms are almost invariably situated in apartment buildings. They are often let by pensioners, who find it hard to afford repairs but keep things tidy. In mountain areas the houses can be warm and cosy or ramshackle and primitive, depending on the wealth of the owner. While some are B&Bs, the majority are not, though few landladies will refuse to provide breakfast for a few dollars extra.
Prices vary according to where you are. Expect to pay 25 euro for a double room and 20 euro for a single in Sofia; 22 euro for a double and 18 euro for a single in Burgas; and on a per-person basis almost everywhere else, from 10-15 euro in Sozopol, 10-20 euro in the Rhodopes and Pirin, and 5-10 euro off the beaten track in northern Bulgaria.
Campsites, hostels, mountain huts and monasteries accommodation in Bulgaria
While most towns of interest once had a campsite (kamping) on their outskirts, many have now closed down or face an uncertain future, and it is only on the coast and at Pamporovo and Rila that they are they still going strong. Most of these charge around 3-5 euro to pitch a tent, and also have two-person bungalows available for rent at around 5-10 euro a night. Note that many campsites close down in early September, as soon as the summer rush has slackened. Camping rough is illegal and punishable with a fine.
Cheap, very basic hostels (turisticheska spalnya) lurk in the backstreets of many provincial towns. In some, you'll be offered a bunk in a large, twenty-bed dorm; in others you may be in a two- or four-bed room. Prices range from 5-10 euro per person; contact the Bulgarian Tourist Union (Balgarski Turisticheski Sayuz), bul. Vasil Levski 75, Sofia 1000 (02/873409) for details. In highland areas favoured by hikers there are scores of mountain huts (hizhi), some primitive, others more like comfortable hotels. Costs at all but the most expensive will rarely come to more than 6-8 euro per night. Upon arrival you may have to wait for the custodian to turn up before being allocated a bed. You can reserve beds in some parts of the country through local tourist offices or Odysseia-ln in Sofia.
The larger of Bulgaria's monasteries tradiitionally accommodated guests in their cells, but closed their doors to Westerners in the early 1980s. Nowadays it's up to the individual monastery to decide, with popular ones such as Rila, Troyan and Bachkovo allowing foreigners to stay for US-15 per person. The rooms are usually quite comfortable, with a wash-basin and some form of heating, but you're unlikely to find hot water laid on.
Source: The rough guide to Bulgaria
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