Elenite Holiday Village

1 reader found this review helpful

I am staggered at some of the reviews on here and am wondering if people have been staying in the same place. I feel so strongly that I am sitting here in the hotel lobby to write this!
Firstly the good things... Bulgaria is fantastic. The place is lovely and the weather is just right.
Now onto the no so good. In my opinion the resort and the food are fairly important, especially considering the amount of money we all pay. There are issues with both....
The Elenite resort is in a great location even if it is out on a limb a bit. The room is ok, Although a little basic but of course this is not too much of an issue. The shower is broken and has been reported but has so far not been fixed. At least the maid seems to make a good job of clearing up all day.
The biggest issue is the food. To say the main restaurant is average would be a compliment. The food is the same nearly every night and it is for the most part cold. The queues for the eggs and pancakes in the morning is a joke. This morning all the coffee machines were broken and there was no normal tea bags (only speciality teas). We have been trying to find alternatives to the main restaurant as it is sooo bad. It is almost like they are completely unprepared for the amount of people that are here.
The staff are a mixed bag. There are some friendly ones, but the majority are so moody and rude...
Overall.... The experience so far is not good and this resort cannot be recommended. Admittedly, the kids love the pools and the adjacent mini aqua park, but the overall feeling at present is disappointment.
Avoid this place unless you are willing to put up with very very average facilities an food. I hope that things improve to I can update this when I return.

3 readers found this review helpful

After reading some other reviews, we weren't sure what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised. Unfortunatley When we arrived at 3.30am at our hotel, The Royal Bay Hotel, we found that there was no record of our booking for that day due, we later found out, to an administrative error. However, the reception staff were helpful and managed to arrange for 3 rooms to be cleaned for us, and we finally got to bed at 5am that morning! After that hiccup, things got better and better. Our hotel was right on the beach, at the end of the resort so it was faily quiet. The food was ok, if rather mass-produced and rather samey for both lunch and dinner. Some of the staff were friendly, others not so. The all inclusive included all meals and drinks from the bar. Note however that these drinks are all fizzy, i.e. no fruit juice available from the bar, so if you have any children who don't like fizzy, as we did, you might want to take your own. The resort was spotlessly clean, with several pools. The beach was lovely - plenty of sunbeds, crystal clear water, although a bit stoney underfoot to get into. The Aquapark was a big hit, big enough to while away a few hours, but not too big to attract hourdes of outside tourists. There wasn't much entertainment in the evenings apart from mini-discos and shows mainly aimed at the under 10s. If you are after loud nightlife and casinos etc head to nearby Sunny Beach, which is being so over-developed. A good range of excursions on offer, but we took a boat over to Nessebar old town which was a lovely day out. All in all, a great location for a quiet safe family holiday. Highly recommended.

1 reader found this review helpful

As with other holiday makers, we hadn't known quite what to expect from this complex as some of the reviews I had read on the web had been very scathing. However, I can honestly say that from our experience, we had a fabulous holiday here and would have very little to complain about. The apartment was just a few metres from the beach, and was nice and clean and kept well. We have a 7 month baby and they provided us with a travel cot but there is no drink making facilities, so if you need to make up baby bottles then take a travel kettle! When you first arrive you feel a bit lost,as it is a large complex and you dont really get a guided tour! But once you have found your feet and looked at the maps you will get to know your way around. The beach is lovely and the sea is fine for swimming. There are several swimming pools which you can use, and also the water park, which is excellent. There isnt much in the way of entertainment for the adults, but you can go on a day trip by catching the bus from outside the gates, and also a boat trip which you catch from the pier, which is very good. We only took one organised excursion which was to Sozopol and it wasnt really worth going on and was overpriced. There are some watersports available, but unfortunately they are expensive, it was 300lev for windsurfing so we gave that a miss, but i went parasailing, and my partner went on a catamaran trip for 1 hour for 40lev. Most of the bars on site will provide you with free drinks all day long, the food hall does get busy so I would recommend try and get there early for breakfast and later for dinner! There is a varied selection of nice, fresh food, although of course it can be repetative. We also visited their Nessebar restaurant which serves traditional Bulgarian food and this we really enjoyed! There is another a-la carte restaurant which we didnt get to, which does barbeque style, and there was talk of a new Italian style restaurant being finished soon. All in all, very enjoyable holiday for young couple and baby and excellent value for money.

2 readers found this review helpful

Went to Elenite and stayed in the Villas - After been told what a hell hole this place was we weren't looking forward to this holiday. However, first impressions were good - the room was clean and we had a great view of the beach. The cleaners did an excellent job, room was cleaned daily and towels replaced every couple of days.
Pool/Beach cleaned by an army of cleaners and the area was spotless and the grounds were well maintained.
Food - don't expect a la carte! The food is mass produced for the mostly russian guests - good to see fresh bread/fruit and salad daily but just watch how fast the the fruit goes (you will see how greedy some people can be and when they don't eat the stuff they have got it's a real shame to see how much food is wasted by these people) Best time to go for your evening meal is about 8 in the evening - there's a lull and it's really quiet.
Great place for the kids - the kids club is excellent and they are well looked after and kept busy. The waterpark is well worth going to
Staff - pool bar staff were friendly and manners/friendliness go a long way to getting good service. Reception not so, it just depended who was on duty during the day.
Only problem was the return to airport at Bourgas - bus was late, no rep on duty there and it was organised chaos in the airport!
Overall, good holiday and would consider going back there.

2 readers found this review helpful

i stayed in the villas at elinite with my husband,my daughter and soninlaw and 6yr old grandaughter were staying in the villa next door we spent 2weeks there and thought it was great my grandaughter loved every minute of it.the only thing for me were the steps up to the viila and resturant (i am a youg 64 ha ha).The complex is very very good for families the food was a bit repetative but always something there you like, i would not hesitate .to go back the first mornig i looked out all i could say that this is paradise island.

1 reader found this review helpful

I went to Elenite in July 2005 & again in July 2006 and I am going back in July 2009. It's been a few years since I last went to Elenite but I found it to be an absoloutely brilliant holiday both times. The weather was great, views were to die for and the fabulous beach was right on your doorstep. Ok, so the food was a bit repetitive but that happens on All Inclusive. Yes, it was different to what you get in the UK but your in a foreign country so what do you expect. I went with my boyfriend and our 2 boys - none of them had dodgy tumms - me on the other hand did have to pop a few immodium - however I get that even when I cross over the border at Carlise so don't think it was anything to do with the food. I really don't know what people are complaining about - maybe they have got nothing better to do with their time.
The resort is very safe, guarded entry gates, so unless you are a guest there with a wrist band on - then you can't get in, you can let your kids wander around on their own and they will be fine. The rooms are pretty basic, but let's face it all you want is for your room to be clean and tidy and somewhere to sleep for the nite - otherwise you are not likely to spend much time in it, it does the job just fine.
My boys absoloutely loved Elenite and can't wait to return. The water park is especially good and there is always something for them to do during the day in the evening. It's not a party till you drop resort and you will not see anyone completely bladdered out their brains and falling around drunk (if you want that then go to Sunny Beach) it's all very relaxed and family orientated.
There are a few shops on site, small supermarkets and souvenier shops and even a couple of tattoo shops (got my tattoo done their in 2006). You have just got to try the candy floss stall - it is amazing and the floss's are huge.
If you like shopping on holiday then head for Sunny Beach, there are loads of shops and stalls selling everythig you can imagine. Sunny Beach is a bit like Blackpool in the sunshine, but it's ok if you just want to go for a day - something different for a change. There is a McDonalds in SB if the kids are getting fed up with the hotel restaurants.
Overall - love it and can't wait to go back, so all you moaners and compensation claimers -give it a rest. Can't wait to go back - only 10 more weeks!!

This village was lovely; staff were pleasant and helpful.
We went for one week AI and done one excursion.
The excursion it self was not worth going; we went up to the mountains to a small village and looked round a house, then on for a meal (which for a vegatarian wasn't very good and at the time of booking did not state that there was a set menu) Due to the bad weather in the mountains on that day we could not use the sky line to cross from one to another which is what most of the group were looking forward to.
Apart from the excursion the whole holiday was a blast. If we were to go back again we would go at a different time of the year; May was warm but you couldn't go for a swim as the water was too cold.
As we were one of the first guests for the season, the hotel gave us a complimentary bottle of champagne and fruit basket in our room and a late check out.
Overall, Bulgaria is one the best destinations I have been to and would recommend it to anyone.

I read a lot of reports before i went and was a little worried. When we got there the first couple of days was good but then we were ill off the food and it was the same boring stuff everyday and meal. We found a place the second week just outside the premises called "tacos" its just like a hut. It was brill very good food and cheap drink for english beers not like the prices in the hotel. The main problem was believe it or not was towels, the maids took them and never replaced them only when they were tipped, at the end of the holiday they charged you over the top for them and if you didnt pay, the hotel and the security held you there at the hotel and wouldnt let you get on you travel coach for the airport. We all had to have a wip round for one lady with 4 children as they accused her of pinching towels and charged her the equivelent to £80 or she couldn't leave to go home. All the security was standing around her like bouncers. She was devastated. Sunny beach is dear, but the trips are brill and scenery is lush. Dont expect too much with food, drink and hospitality out of the hotel and take extra money to eat and drink out. Honestly, we are not fussy eaters and are average to please, but this place was the pits!!!!!

My wife and have have just returned from our 1 week stay at elenite village.
We would recommend you give this place a wide berth.
when we arrived repless and dumped outside a neighbouring hotel in pouring rain at 6am in the morning it took us an hour to get anyone to understand what we wanted and where we wanted to be. Lewis Hamilton eventually took us to our villa on the back of a golf buggy, (interesting). Must admit the villa type room was in a great location with a sea view and beach just 20ft from our door, but the room was very damp.We located the dining area that breakfast but sadly the only thing we could eat was eggs and toast as every other bit of the food was stone cold, this was the same every day, salads was just topped up from previous meal sessions,uncooked chicken, freezing cold chips etc. the only thing we ate from there at lunch was soup and rolls. drinks where not strong at all and barmaids used hands to put in ice.at one point kitchen staff brushed crumbs from tables with a floor brush and pan. we ate outside the complex at evenings along with many others at Pako's bbq bar, if he wasn't there then god help us.Customer complaints where very few, if you had the nerve to complain firstly they would just laugh in your face before the mobsters where summoned to deal with you.we met several families from the ajoining sister hotel Royal park who had recently had food poisoning and told us of people actually being beaten up by mobsters and the police for staging a complaint.We have travelled to many places around the world including 3rd world countries but have never experienced anything like this place before,Having said that Nessabar is worth a visit and we met some good friends. but we found the locals to be very unfriendly.we spoke with many many people on our return at the airport, and never before have we experienced so many people under the same impression as ourselves and vowing never to return. To sum up the best thing we got from our time in bulgaria was our return boarding pass.

1 reader found this review helpful

Overall we had a fantastic holiday, and would reccomend families with young children. We have four children 10, 7, 4, 1. The three older children attended the kids club daily they loved the staff , HERE they were very friendly! There is a choice of three pools and two for the children. The resort is kept very clean and tidy and looks very impressive, we would go back!! The rooms are ok but would agree with some of the other reviews that they could be cleaned more then once a week!!! The views are fantastic!!!! But to be fair it is rated a 3 * not 5 *, so you are getting what you pay for, it was every thing we exected and more!! Things were over priced such as drinks at the beach bar etc, but we did not not feel the need to use it!!! Smoking was a problem but then that may only be because we have now got use to the smoking ban in the UK(I am a non smoker). The staff in the animation hall did have the courtesy to ask guests to not smoke throughout the show as there was a lot of young children!!! The hall is very modern and funky we were impressed by the design! The only problem we had were the bad manners of the reception they had a stinking attitude and never smile!!! Be warned they will try to charge for the slightest thing wrong with your room! So there you have our review, we loved it,I hope you find this useful .......