Helios Spa & Resort Hotel, Golden Sands, Bulgaria
Hotel Information
Recent Price: £28
Hotel Class:
Hotel Description:
The Helios Spa & Resort is a brand new luxury 4-star spa hotel, built in 2003, with some of the most breathtaking views of the Golden Sands Resort. Together with the extensively refurbished and redesigned Crown Plaza 3-star hotel, Helios Spa & Resort offers its discerning guests a wealth of leisure facilities, including a spectacular spa and wellness centre. It has a fantastic location just a few minutes walk from the lively center of Golden Sands. loading...
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Helios Spa & Resort Hotel Reviews
" We stayed in the 3* (no choice when... "
Submitted By: Mrs J Leigh
We stayed in the 3* (no choice when we booked online). Rooms were OK although cock-up with booking when we arrived which we had to be very assertive about getting sorted.
Restaurant was ordinary and should be renamed from Gourmet to something more fitting.
Confusion about where you can get all inclusive drinks. Definite class divide between 3*, 4* and 5* which is perpetuated by the rude rep.
All inclusive is more like full board with a few free drinks.
Staff were nice though, especially reception and poolside bar.
Entertainment was wholly inappropriate. One evening the show had kiddies sitting very close to the stage and the animation team acted out sex below a sheet complete with orgasm noises and a sexy dance with 3 girls in short dresses opening their legs wide in front of the kiddies. The sketches seems to be about making fun of the tourists (their customers).
My 9-year old son was concerned that a couple of tourists wanted to take his photo. When I mentioned this to the rep she said "perhaps the hotel are doing photos for a brochure" and brushed it off. Hope it was innocent -you just can't take risks nowadays.
Restaurant was ordinary and should be renamed from Gourmet to something more fitting.
Confusion about where you can get all inclusive drinks. Definite class divide between 3*, 4* and 5* which is perpetuated by the rude rep.
All inclusive is more like full board with a few free drinks.
Staff were nice though, especially reception and poolside bar.
Entertainment was wholly inappropriate. One evening the show had kiddies sitting very close to the stage and the animation team acted out sex below a sheet complete with orgasm noises and a sexy dance with 3 girls in short dresses opening their legs wide in front of the kiddies. The sketches seems to be about making fun of the tourists (their customers).
My 9-year old son was concerned that a couple of tourists wanted to take his photo. When I mentioned this to the rep she said "perhaps the hotel are doing photos for a brochure" and brushed it off. Hope it was innocent -you just can't take risks nowadays.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Balkan Holidays
" All inclusive? Never again. The only... "
Submitted By: Ms Y Knight
All inclusive? Never again. The only soft drinks allowed are Pepsi cola (only in restaurant everywhere else is just cheap poor tasting cola), cheap fizzy orange, cheap fizzy lemon and lime, water. The only alcoholic drinks are local vodka, rum, whiskey, gin. All served with cheap soft drinks all of which taste vile. 3* bar on ground floor,4* & 5* bars are on 5th floor. Unfortunately it doesn't matter which star you are, the drinks are the same. Food does get better if you are 5*. However if you are all inclusive there are only a few biscuits available between meals. If you purchase drinks then you do get a far better quality. Rep doesn't want to know, she is well practised at given the answers learnt in training. If not all inclusive its ok, room cleanish. Usually a bit of a problem getting it cleaned or bedding changed during stay though. Reception staff are ok but others are quite rude. However reasonably close to beach and the pools are great.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Balkan Holidays
" just returned from Helios Spa (16th... "
Submitted By: Mr J Leonard
just returned from Helios Spa (16th aug 08) on an all inc basis. Stayed in the 4* part of the hotel, room was of a very good standard (maid in every day). The food was varied but sometimes not overly hot. The hotel was generally very clean and the staff were o.k towards us. Only real downside was the all inclusive drinks menu which did not include cocktails which we have always had elsewhere on AI. People staying in the so called 3* were complaining constantly about their rooms and food, after seeing their rooms for myself i can hardly blame them. please dont go here on 3* basis as this is a 1*at best. Daytime activities included football, volleyball, water polo and darts. Evening entertainment was mostly staff and audience participation with only a couple of outside acts.
Hotel location was spot on, with pubs,clubs,beach and shops nearby. Would go back to this hotel but only on 4 or 5* basis. Overall had a great time despite reading varied reviews.
Hotel location was spot on, with pubs,clubs,beach and shops nearby. Would go back to this hotel but only on 4 or 5* basis. Overall had a great time despite reading varied reviews.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook
" We stayed here for 1 week.
We... "
We stayed here for 1 week.
We arrived at this hotel at 2am in the morning. We had just a roll on the plane at 6pm.
We arrived at the airport about 11pm. We sat on a coach for about 2 hours, while taking others to their hotels, never again. When we finally arrived at the hotel at 2am in the morning no food or anything was laid on for us. Which was absolutely disgusted?
This hotel is not suitable for diabetics or vegetarians.
My husband is diabetic and the only drink he could have all inclusive was water. Diet or light coke or other fizzy drinks, even asked for a hot chocolate and that you had to pay for which didn`t come under all inclusive had to pay which we dicided not too as we paid for all inclusive. The food was not all that great either, but eatable.
Found the hotel to be nice. Room was great.
Paid for sea view got a room on the main floor no sea view as trees were in the way.
Hotel offered us the next day a 6th floor room we said no thank you didn`t want a high floor.
Hotel was spotless clean.
This hotel should have never been an all inclusive as they have no idea what that means.
This hotel is ideal for half board or B&B only.
Anyone that is diabetic and go all inclusive don`t bother.
We arrived at this hotel at 2am in the morning. We had just a roll on the plane at 6pm.
We arrived at the airport about 11pm. We sat on a coach for about 2 hours, while taking others to their hotels, never again. When we finally arrived at the hotel at 2am in the morning no food or anything was laid on for us. Which was absolutely disgusted?
This hotel is not suitable for diabetics or vegetarians.
My husband is diabetic and the only drink he could have all inclusive was water. Diet or light coke or other fizzy drinks, even asked for a hot chocolate and that you had to pay for which didn`t come under all inclusive had to pay which we dicided not too as we paid for all inclusive. The food was not all that great either, but eatable.
Found the hotel to be nice. Room was great.
Paid for sea view got a room on the main floor no sea view as trees were in the way.
Hotel offered us the next day a 6th floor room we said no thank you didn`t want a high floor.
Hotel was spotless clean.
This hotel should have never been an all inclusive as they have no idea what that means.
This hotel is ideal for half board or B&B only.
Anyone that is diabetic and go all inclusive don`t bother.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2008
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:Thomas Cook( Balken tours )
" I might only be 14 years old but I... "
Submitted By: Miss K R Robe
I might only be 14 years old but I have very strong opinions over this hotel, I thought the staff were so rude there was only a few who were polite such as the bar staff and waitresses.
The shower was full of grime and the carpets were filthy, there was nothing for the younger ones to do such as myself. There was a few dangerous positions in the hotel which were not safe, my 3 year old nephew fell in a gap on the stairs and smashed all the front of his mouth.
So I would not recommend this for younger ones but its fine for Germans who were taking over the hotel which I was not happy with because there behaviour was a disgrace and so rude!
The shower was full of grime and the carpets were filthy, there was nothing for the younger ones to do such as myself. There was a few dangerous positions in the hotel which were not safe, my 3 year old nephew fell in a gap on the stairs and smashed all the front of his mouth.
So I would not recommend this for younger ones but its fine for Germans who were taking over the hotel which I was not happy with because there behaviour was a disgrace and so rude!
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- Date of Holiday:Sep 2007
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Balkan Holidays
" 7/10 for Helios spa not Helios park... "
Submitted By: Mr A.K Hibbomans
7/10 for Helios spa not Helios park (didn't stay there but didn't look nice)
4/10 convenients to towns
1/10 Hotel food
Ok - I'm going to write as accurate a view as possible.
Firstly- I do not recommend travelling with THOMSON as the flight was unbearably uncomfortable (I am 6 foot my girlfriend 5 foot) there was no leg room and the head rests were to low to put you head back (sleep) so doing the night flight home was really like a three hour torture. Staff were friendly though but wear a jumper on flight as its freezing!!! Transfers from airport to hotel was great (but it think its a sense of excitement at that point).
HELIOS SPA AND RESORT (Not the Helios park hotel).
Arrived at around 2am and first tired impressions were "seems Ok". Our room was simple, clean, air con with a ridiculous back view of lots of trees.
BREAKFAST- really is "Horrible" instant coffee, watery flavoured juice drinks, frankfurters, and generally nasty foods.
POOL SIDE - Three pools (one of them indoor). The pools are fun although the architecture of the hotel, blocks the sun so you will find yourself moving a lot to be in it. I particularly liked the hotel activity leaders offering "water Polo" etc. Water is cold (I'm a bit wimpy) and used the indoor one (heated), very easy access to all.
HOTEL STAFF - Seem to weirdly keep to themselves but when you do speak they seem to speak good english and are generally polite.
BULGARIAN PEOPLE- I felt safe and the Bulgarians seem to be great people.
HOTEL - This is a nice hotel, spa is lovely, bars and night bar are what you would expect from a "Cheap & cheerful package deal".
PLEASE NOTE - There is a lot of stairs to get to the Hectic town although I think you can use the lift in the Helios Park hotel. I walked the stairs (as a fit young man) and found I was breathless when I reached the top or vice versa.
WEATHER - We had three and a half days warm sun, occasionally very hot with clouds, the other three days was a thunder storm, rain, grey day (late August to Sept).
Please don't book the Helios Park it really isn't top quality, Helios spa is to be fair a nice Hotel with nice spa facilities. Just nasty food and a bit of a steep walk to town.
GOLDEN SANDS - I was so surprised at how mass tourist the place was, I think its pushing to be a Falaraki with pub crawl girls on your case always (although they were polite). Plenty of " tourist things to buy" "Much of a Muchness". This end of the Golden sands is the more tacky but livelier end the far end is quite a walk is a bit less hectic and slightly classier. Golden sands is only for tourists no one even lives there. We got a taxi to Varna for day just to get out of "The Disney Land" for a day.
Overall pleased I went but no desire to go back if I did I wouldn't go back to Helios because of food and location. Golden Sands seems to be trying to be something they are not. I appreciate that its designed for tourists but they seem to be forgetting their own roots - MAKE IT MORE BULGARIAN.
4/10 convenients to towns
1/10 Hotel food
Ok - I'm going to write as accurate a view as possible.
Firstly- I do not recommend travelling with THOMSON as the flight was unbearably uncomfortable (I am 6 foot my girlfriend 5 foot) there was no leg room and the head rests were to low to put you head back (sleep) so doing the night flight home was really like a three hour torture. Staff were friendly though but wear a jumper on flight as its freezing!!! Transfers from airport to hotel was great (but it think its a sense of excitement at that point).
HELIOS SPA AND RESORT (Not the Helios park hotel).
Arrived at around 2am and first tired impressions were "seems Ok". Our room was simple, clean, air con with a ridiculous back view of lots of trees.
BREAKFAST- really is "Horrible" instant coffee, watery flavoured juice drinks, frankfurters, and generally nasty foods.
POOL SIDE - Three pools (one of them indoor). The pools are fun although the architecture of the hotel, blocks the sun so you will find yourself moving a lot to be in it. I particularly liked the hotel activity leaders offering "water Polo" etc. Water is cold (I'm a bit wimpy) and used the indoor one (heated), very easy access to all.
HOTEL STAFF - Seem to weirdly keep to themselves but when you do speak they seem to speak good english and are generally polite.
BULGARIAN PEOPLE- I felt safe and the Bulgarians seem to be great people.
HOTEL - This is a nice hotel, spa is lovely, bars and night bar are what you would expect from a "Cheap & cheerful package deal".
PLEASE NOTE - There is a lot of stairs to get to the Hectic town although I think you can use the lift in the Helios Park hotel. I walked the stairs (as a fit young man) and found I was breathless when I reached the top or vice versa.
WEATHER - We had three and a half days warm sun, occasionally very hot with clouds, the other three days was a thunder storm, rain, grey day (late August to Sept).
Please don't book the Helios Park it really isn't top quality, Helios spa is to be fair a nice Hotel with nice spa facilities. Just nasty food and a bit of a steep walk to town.
GOLDEN SANDS - I was so surprised at how mass tourist the place was, I think its pushing to be a Falaraki with pub crawl girls on your case always (although they were polite). Plenty of " tourist things to buy" "Much of a Muchness". This end of the Golden sands is the more tacky but livelier end the far end is quite a walk is a bit less hectic and slightly classier. Golden sands is only for tourists no one even lives there. We got a taxi to Varna for day just to get out of "The Disney Land" for a day.
Overall pleased I went but no desire to go back if I did I wouldn't go back to Helios because of food and location. Golden Sands seems to be trying to be something they are not. I appreciate that its designed for tourists but they seem to be forgetting their own roots - MAKE IT MORE BULGARIAN.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2007
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Thomson
" My partner and I have visited this... "
Submitted By: Miss T Taylor
My partner and I have visited this hotel twice in two years and will be going again next year .
The actual hotel and amenities are fantastic. All 3 pools are very clean. The staff and animation team are all excellent at their jobs.
The only thing that lets the hotel down is the menu, it repeats itself with the same food every day, although they change the names of the dishes, it’s the same thing. You can dine out cheap enough but it would be nice if they varied their menus.
Other than that you cannot fault the place.
The actual hotel and amenities are fantastic. All 3 pools are very clean. The staff and animation team are all excellent at their jobs.
The only thing that lets the hotel down is the menu, it repeats itself with the same food every day, although they change the names of the dishes, it’s the same thing. You can dine out cheap enough but it would be nice if they varied their menus.
Other than that you cannot fault the place.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2007
- Board Basis:Half Board
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" A party of 3 arrived at 1am on the... "
Submitted By: Miss C Kiely
A party of 3 arrived at 1am on the 12th June to find 2 single beds and one sofa which wasn't made up to sleep in. Reception put the 3rd person in to this room for the 3rd night. However I do not think a sofa bed should be part of a 4 star hotel! We were then offered a camp bed!
The rep was new and didn't really know how to help, her manager was there guiding her, a local Bulgarian chap. He spoke with the hotel who wanted €300 for a single room for the week. No way Jose.
I left my discussions with the rep and spoke with the Head Receptionist who eventually moved us to a larger room with no extra charge and a double pull out proper sofa bed.
The hotel was lovely, the spa treatments are fantastic, the pool area was very nice and staff were so friendly at the snack bar. The snacks were tasty; they could offer a bit more choice.
The games the entertainment staff did in the afternoon were great to get you off your backside, water polo etc. The breakfasts offered a wide variety of food - the freshly cooked bread was to die for!
If I was going back to Bulgaria I would go to Albana as I really enjoyed the evening in there - the restaurant Poco Lock (I think) was very nice and they do good steaks.
Disappointing points about Bulgaria were mainly the food and some Bulgarians lack politeness and I'm not sure if they actually want tourists in their country! Was served up partially cooked chicken in a restaurant at the end of the main strip just before you cross over to the beach. When I sent it back I could see the chef behind going mental behind me!
The food was never hot and I agree with another person's comment that they don't care if you leave all the food on your plate. No offer to not charge you or a complimentary drink, nothing!
Also be careful when you’re ordering steak. Most of it is veal. Did find a nice restaurant down past the Indian restaurant nears the beach, it's a big white place. A little bit pricier but they have the best wine, best waiters and best garlic bread in all of Golden Sands!
Recommend a trip to Albana also, just 20 mins by taxi and much quainter and quieter than Golden Sands.
Weather was unpredictable in June, a few days with grey cloud coming in around 3ish and then thunderstorms but Bulgarians can do nothing about the weather!
The Germans do seem to like this Hotel and Golden sands ... it must be really cheap for them to get there!
The rep was new and didn't really know how to help, her manager was there guiding her, a local Bulgarian chap. He spoke with the hotel who wanted €300 for a single room for the week. No way Jose.
I left my discussions with the rep and spoke with the Head Receptionist who eventually moved us to a larger room with no extra charge and a double pull out proper sofa bed.
The hotel was lovely, the spa treatments are fantastic, the pool area was very nice and staff were so friendly at the snack bar. The snacks were tasty; they could offer a bit more choice.
The games the entertainment staff did in the afternoon were great to get you off your backside, water polo etc. The breakfasts offered a wide variety of food - the freshly cooked bread was to die for!
If I was going back to Bulgaria I would go to Albana as I really enjoyed the evening in there - the restaurant Poco Lock (I think) was very nice and they do good steaks.
Disappointing points about Bulgaria were mainly the food and some Bulgarians lack politeness and I'm not sure if they actually want tourists in their country! Was served up partially cooked chicken in a restaurant at the end of the main strip just before you cross over to the beach. When I sent it back I could see the chef behind going mental behind me!
The food was never hot and I agree with another person's comment that they don't care if you leave all the food on your plate. No offer to not charge you or a complimentary drink, nothing!
Also be careful when you’re ordering steak. Most of it is veal. Did find a nice restaurant down past the Indian restaurant nears the beach, it's a big white place. A little bit pricier but they have the best wine, best waiters and best garlic bread in all of Golden Sands!
Recommend a trip to Albana also, just 20 mins by taxi and much quainter and quieter than Golden Sands.
Weather was unpredictable in June, a few days with grey cloud coming in around 3ish and then thunderstorms but Bulgarians can do nothing about the weather!
The Germans do seem to like this Hotel and Golden sands ... it must be really cheap for them to get there!
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2007
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" First of all - you have to know that... "
Submitted By: Ms Terry Mandeville
First of all - you have to know that this hotel complex is really 2 hotels: Helios Spa and Helios Park. Although they use the same phone number, same address in advertising, same swim pools. They are really two separate creatures.
My two teenage sons and I stayed in the Helios Park Hotel for 5 nights at the end of our family homeland heritage tour of Bulgaria. So this is really a review of the Helios Park Hotel in the Helios Spa Complex.
Our room was spacious.
We had a cement balcony, with one broken plastic chair.
The double bed was adequate for two.
Included breakfast was adequate, lots of German things, pickled herring, hot dogs, some cheeses and hard boiled eggs, instant coffee and hot water machines - stale bread, fruit flavored juice water, plums and fruit cocktail.
It did have air conditioning. That was a relief.
The 3 pools were great. Except that all deck chairs were taken by 9am, and the pools closed early evening.
Entertainment was interesting. One night was the hotel daycare kids singing songs. There was an Elvis impersonator night. Karaoke one night. A fashion show. One night was a lip synched dance show by the staff. And a movie in English, with Bulgarian subtitles.
Most of the staff spoke English. Out of the entire staff: One bellhop was helpful and friendly, and showed my 16 year old son all around. One female desk clerk was friendly and helpful.
Bad Points
Our taxi did not even know there was a difference in hotels. He let us off at the Spa Hotel desk. They did not have our reservations and did not offer to help us in any way. Finally, with noses in the air, they moved us off to one side and called for a bellboy from the Park Hotel to escort us down the hill and through a maze of hallways to the Park reception desk. All without a word of explanation or help.
We booked this room far in advance, through a Bulgarian friend who used a Bulgarian travel agency. We provided the same information as we did for our stay in several other 3 star Bulgarian hotels across the country. Let me tell you.... what a difference. This hotel cost at least double what the others did... and was far, far inferior. Plus after we got there they told us that they hadn't charged us enough and wanted more money!
Our room was moldy and mildewy. In fact the first day we returned to the room midday to find a worker, unannounced, scraping paint onto our toilet kits in the bathroom and painting, while we had rented the room! The room smelled of paint for the rest of our stay!
Access was easily gained by anyone coming down the crowded public stairway via our "balcony" and in fact my sons got into the room that way once when they did not have a key.
The people in the room next door were very noisy till all hours of the night, although one of them did quiet down when we said something. Found out later that they were staff in the hotel.
The room was for 3 people. The double bed was adequate for two, but the fold out bed for the third was a joke. It was too narrow for anyone, a child would fall out, and it was too small for a teen.
The elevators in the Park Hotel were downright scary. The were tiny, hot, and stopped between floors, jerking up and down, and sometimes missing floors altogether even though the button was pushed.
Other meals, forget it if you are not on the all-inclusive plan. They aren't set up to take money. even getting a snack at the pool bars proved difficult and time consuming.
Most of the staff spoke English but for some reason communication with them still was very difficult. It was hard to get information out of them and then most of the time it turned out to be wrong information. It was even difficult to get a taxi or pre-arrange anything through the desk. We left tips for staff, food service people, housekeeping... but that did not seem to make any difference in the level of service.
We had a Bulgarian friend trying to call us, and when she asked for our room number she kept getting the same room number in the SPA hotel, but no one at the hotel desk would help her get the right room. Another friend could not get directions how to get down to the desk at the Park Hotel, and we ended up having to hike up the hill, through the maze to the Spa Hotel desk.
General Comments
I would never stay in this hotel again. Unfortunate to end our stay in a wonderful country like Bulgaria with this as the finale.
My two teenage sons and I stayed in the Helios Park Hotel for 5 nights at the end of our family homeland heritage tour of Bulgaria. So this is really a review of the Helios Park Hotel in the Helios Spa Complex.
Our room was spacious.
We had a cement balcony, with one broken plastic chair.
The double bed was adequate for two.
Included breakfast was adequate, lots of German things, pickled herring, hot dogs, some cheeses and hard boiled eggs, instant coffee and hot water machines - stale bread, fruit flavored juice water, plums and fruit cocktail.
It did have air conditioning. That was a relief.
The 3 pools were great. Except that all deck chairs were taken by 9am, and the pools closed early evening.
Entertainment was interesting. One night was the hotel daycare kids singing songs. There was an Elvis impersonator night. Karaoke one night. A fashion show. One night was a lip synched dance show by the staff. And a movie in English, with Bulgarian subtitles.
Most of the staff spoke English. Out of the entire staff: One bellhop was helpful and friendly, and showed my 16 year old son all around. One female desk clerk was friendly and helpful.
Bad Points
Our taxi did not even know there was a difference in hotels. He let us off at the Spa Hotel desk. They did not have our reservations and did not offer to help us in any way. Finally, with noses in the air, they moved us off to one side and called for a bellboy from the Park Hotel to escort us down the hill and through a maze of hallways to the Park reception desk. All without a word of explanation or help.
We booked this room far in advance, through a Bulgarian friend who used a Bulgarian travel agency. We provided the same information as we did for our stay in several other 3 star Bulgarian hotels across the country. Let me tell you.... what a difference. This hotel cost at least double what the others did... and was far, far inferior. Plus after we got there they told us that they hadn't charged us enough and wanted more money!
Our room was moldy and mildewy. In fact the first day we returned to the room midday to find a worker, unannounced, scraping paint onto our toilet kits in the bathroom and painting, while we had rented the room! The room smelled of paint for the rest of our stay!
Access was easily gained by anyone coming down the crowded public stairway via our "balcony" and in fact my sons got into the room that way once when they did not have a key.
The people in the room next door were very noisy till all hours of the night, although one of them did quiet down when we said something. Found out later that they were staff in the hotel.
The room was for 3 people. The double bed was adequate for two, but the fold out bed for the third was a joke. It was too narrow for anyone, a child would fall out, and it was too small for a teen.
The elevators in the Park Hotel were downright scary. The were tiny, hot, and stopped between floors, jerking up and down, and sometimes missing floors altogether even though the button was pushed.
Other meals, forget it if you are not on the all-inclusive plan. They aren't set up to take money. even getting a snack at the pool bars proved difficult and time consuming.
Most of the staff spoke English but for some reason communication with them still was very difficult. It was hard to get information out of them and then most of the time it turned out to be wrong information. It was even difficult to get a taxi or pre-arrange anything through the desk. We left tips for staff, food service people, housekeeping... but that did not seem to make any difference in the level of service.
We had a Bulgarian friend trying to call us, and when she asked for our room number she kept getting the same room number in the SPA hotel, but no one at the hotel desk would help her get the right room. Another friend could not get directions how to get down to the desk at the Park Hotel, and we ended up having to hike up the hill, through the maze to the Spa Hotel desk.
General Comments
I would never stay in this hotel again. Unfortunate to end our stay in a wonderful country like Bulgaria with this as the finale.
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- Date of Holiday:Jul 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:Lida Tours
" We have just returned from a week at... "
Submitted By: Mrs D Smith
We have just returned from a week at the Helios resort and had a great time. 18 of us all with children stayed here and found the hotel very good.
The food although repetitive had a huge choice so you could eat different every night. Out of the 18 of us only 1 of us had any stomach upset. The All Inclusive drinks were slightly limited as only included the local coke for example that tasted like syrup but soon found an alternative!
The staff were friendly enough and didn’t favour non all inclusive guests as a lot of people have written.
The entertainment was ok and the children loved it (so that is the main thing). It was a shame though on an evening to watch the entertainment we had to sit around on sun beds by the pool as there were no tables and chairs.
My only complaint about the hotel would be the slippery floor around the pool area, I saw at least 3 guests on crutches by the end of the week and lots fall over. This caused a problem for my 17 month old as he couldn’t walk around by the pool at all due to it being like an ice rink for him.
We paid approx £180 for the week to upgrade to a suite and this was definitely worth the money for us, we had a huge room with excellent facilities. I would go back to this hotel.
The food although repetitive had a huge choice so you could eat different every night. Out of the 18 of us only 1 of us had any stomach upset. The All Inclusive drinks were slightly limited as only included the local coke for example that tasted like syrup but soon found an alternative!
The staff were friendly enough and didn’t favour non all inclusive guests as a lot of people have written.
The entertainment was ok and the children loved it (so that is the main thing). It was a shame though on an evening to watch the entertainment we had to sit around on sun beds by the pool as there were no tables and chairs.
My only complaint about the hotel would be the slippery floor around the pool area, I saw at least 3 guests on crutches by the end of the week and lots fall over. This caused a problem for my 17 month old as he couldn’t walk around by the pool at all due to it being like an ice rink for him.
We paid approx £180 for the week to upgrade to a suite and this was definitely worth the money for us, we had a huge room with excellent facilities. I would go back to this hotel.
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- Date of Holiday:Aug 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" When we arrived after a very... "
Submitted By: Miss Morris/Box And Chapman
When we arrived after a very stressful time at Varna's tiny airport our bags were taken to our room where we were asked for a tip! We attended the welcome meeting in the a l'a carte restaurant as instructed. The Rep was late and having found the rep we were then advised it was now in the main restaurant. When we got to the main restaurant we were informed it was now back in the a l'a carte!
The Rep was new having only been there a week herself, however there was basic information that she should have known and did not give.
The reception staff were rude and unhelpful and would continue to chat amongst themselves when you were waiting, with the exception of Thomir. The Animation team were very friendly and worked extremely hard.
The breakfast had a good selection, we only ate an evening meal once in hotel restaurant because it was raining and this consisted of pink chicken and no selection for children.
The hotel had good facilities and entertainment however the pool was dirty and very cold. The Spa facilities and treatments were very good and what should have been an enjoyable pamper was spoilt by the manner of the staff.
After taking the long way to the beach we found the short cut which consisted of 115 very steep steps! This is definitely not for the elderly or infirm! There is a train which takes you to the "Riviera" but this turned out to be another hotel quite a way from the beach! and on one occasion it decided to leave before its allotted time!
The quality of the food in the restaurants was very poor, however there were a few restaurants towards the top end of the resort which were acceptable, although being vegetarian was a challenge and I never want to see another pizza! The pancake stand opposite the Admiral hotel was friendly and very yummy of which we par-took every night!
A couple of restaurants we went to did not seem to care whether we liked and ate the food or not, our starters and main courses were brought together and when we asked for the main to be re-heated it was a massive effort.
The beach was fairly good but the sea contained a lot of sea weed and jelly fish.
The weather was unpredictable, mixed between hot sun and thick cloud and most evenings were chilly.
If you like jewelry then Diana the bead shop was excellent, some of the pottery was nice but there were also a lot of tacky stalls.
The Forest Fiesta trip is well worth the money but there appeared to be little other worthy trips. We did Varna on our own by a taxi as the one we had booked and paid for was cancelled 5 minutes before we were due to leave!
Return flights were recommended to pre-book the seats which we did, on arrival at Varna airport we found one member of our party was seated 4 rows behind and when First Choice rep at the airport was questioned they stated we had to get a refund from the person we had booked the tickets with! (This was back at the resort!). This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Tina as once again we had a noisy flight with 20 kids screaming and shouting!
There were not many English people compared to the amount of German holiday makers who were popular with the Bulgarians due to their ability to tip even with poor service.
Over all we made the best of our holiday.
Would we return to Bulgaria not alone the Helios Spa we hear you say?
Not in this life time! - They need to get to grips that they are now in the tourist industry!
The Rep was new having only been there a week herself, however there was basic information that she should have known and did not give.
The reception staff were rude and unhelpful and would continue to chat amongst themselves when you were waiting, with the exception of Thomir. The Animation team were very friendly and worked extremely hard.
The breakfast had a good selection, we only ate an evening meal once in hotel restaurant because it was raining and this consisted of pink chicken and no selection for children.
The hotel had good facilities and entertainment however the pool was dirty and very cold. The Spa facilities and treatments were very good and what should have been an enjoyable pamper was spoilt by the manner of the staff.
After taking the long way to the beach we found the short cut which consisted of 115 very steep steps! This is definitely not for the elderly or infirm! There is a train which takes you to the "Riviera" but this turned out to be another hotel quite a way from the beach! and on one occasion it decided to leave before its allotted time!
The quality of the food in the restaurants was very poor, however there were a few restaurants towards the top end of the resort which were acceptable, although being vegetarian was a challenge and I never want to see another pizza! The pancake stand opposite the Admiral hotel was friendly and very yummy of which we par-took every night!
A couple of restaurants we went to did not seem to care whether we liked and ate the food or not, our starters and main courses were brought together and when we asked for the main to be re-heated it was a massive effort.
The beach was fairly good but the sea contained a lot of sea weed and jelly fish.
The weather was unpredictable, mixed between hot sun and thick cloud and most evenings were chilly.
If you like jewelry then Diana the bead shop was excellent, some of the pottery was nice but there were also a lot of tacky stalls.
The Forest Fiesta trip is well worth the money but there appeared to be little other worthy trips. We did Varna on our own by a taxi as the one we had booked and paid for was cancelled 5 minutes before we were due to leave!
Return flights were recommended to pre-book the seats which we did, on arrival at Varna airport we found one member of our party was seated 4 rows behind and when First Choice rep at the airport was questioned they stated we had to get a refund from the person we had booked the tickets with! (This was back at the resort!). This turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Tina as once again we had a noisy flight with 20 kids screaming and shouting!
There were not many English people compared to the amount of German holiday makers who were popular with the Bulgarians due to their ability to tip even with poor service.
Over all we made the best of our holiday.
Would we return to Bulgaria not alone the Helios Spa we hear you say?
Not in this life time! - They need to get to grips that they are now in the tourist industry!
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- Date of Holiday:May 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" I have just come back and would... "
Submitted By: Mrs J Moxon
I have just come back and would definitely not go back to this hotel again. We were all inclusive but nearly everyone we saw was and the food was terrible. Grilled meats, sometimes still pink (especially chicken) and even the salads had meat in. The meals at lunch time were nearly the same as the evening meal so there wasn't much to choose from.
There are so many Germans at this hotel they get treated with respect from the staff and on a few occasions we heard English people complaining about the way they were treated at reception. The reception staff struggled to understand us and often left us standing while they chatted amongst themselves.
The hotel is on a hill and you have to walk down over 100 steps to get to the beach or resort centre. There is a short cut through the sister hotel next door where you can use their lift which takes you down 7 floors so you can imagine how many steps there are!
We heard the reception accusing an English lady of taking some of the towels when she checked out and they wanted her to pay for them so we told her about the reviews people have left on this site where they were also accused of stealing towels. It was so busy when we checked out they didn't have time to accuse us.
Every evening we went out for our evening meal to the Happy Bar & Grill in the centre of the resort, the staff were so friendly and welcoming and they always put your national flag in the middle of your table.
There is a water park 2 mins from the hotel which was great and we also had a trip to a dolphinarium which the kids loved, but I don't think we will go to Bulgaria again, its too German for us.
There are so many Germans at this hotel they get treated with respect from the staff and on a few occasions we heard English people complaining about the way they were treated at reception. The reception staff struggled to understand us and often left us standing while they chatted amongst themselves.
The hotel is on a hill and you have to walk down over 100 steps to get to the beach or resort centre. There is a short cut through the sister hotel next door where you can use their lift which takes you down 7 floors so you can imagine how many steps there are!
We heard the reception accusing an English lady of taking some of the towels when she checked out and they wanted her to pay for them so we told her about the reviews people have left on this site where they were also accused of stealing towels. It was so busy when we checked out they didn't have time to accuse us.
Every evening we went out for our evening meal to the Happy Bar & Grill in the centre of the resort, the staff were so friendly and welcoming and they always put your national flag in the middle of your table.
There is a water park 2 mins from the hotel which was great and we also had a trip to a dolphinarium which the kids loved, but I don't think we will go to Bulgaria again, its too German for us.
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- Date of Holiday:Jun 2006
- Board Basis:All Inclusive
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" Lovely new/clean hotel in which we... "
Submitted By: Miss V Stone
Lovely new/clean hotel in which we stayed for a week on a B&B basis (which is probably the best choice as I think all inclusive in this type of hotel would be boring and a waste of money). There are two very nice outside pools and a nice indoor pool (incase the weather isn't great).
It is only a very short from the hotel to the nearest bars/restaurants - Golden Sands itself is a great resort with lots of choices for places to eat and drink. The food was pretty cheap and a good enough choice. The drinks were very cheap and very good (especially the wine!).
The people were really friendly and generally all spoke really good English.
I would definitely go back to this resort and hotel but probably in June rather than May as the weather was fairly unsettled and we had several quite cold evenings.
It is only a very short from the hotel to the nearest bars/restaurants - Golden Sands itself is a great resort with lots of choices for places to eat and drink. The food was pretty cheap and a good enough choice. The drinks were very cheap and very good (especially the wine!).
The people were really friendly and generally all spoke really good English.
I would definitely go back to this resort and hotel but probably in June rather than May as the weather was fairly unsettled and we had several quite cold evenings.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2006
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:First Choice
" This was our first holiday abroad for... "
Submitted By: Mr R S Poole
This was our first holiday abroad for 3 years and boy did we need it. We arrived at the Hotel at 12.00 (midnight) and booked in (very quickly) and went for a relaxing drink in the 24 hour lobby bar. The girls that bought your drinks to your table (not available on all inclusive), were very helpful and always wanted to make sure you were looked after.
The Hotel was very good, 2 big outdoor pools and one heated indoor pool, with a very good wellness spa. The food was not bad (although people who were all inclusive got a bit bored with it). The hotel was spotlessly cleaned by very efficient cleaners. The only down side to the hotel was that a few people claimed they were being charged for stolen towels when they left the hotel.
The Resort of Golden Sands was good (very cheap - a beer was around 50p and a 3 course meal around £5.00). It is ideal for people who like things cheap and sometimes a little tacky (although you find that everywhere).
Please be aware that there are about 140 steps from the back of the hotel to the resort centre, so not ideal for elderly or people who have difficulty in walking.
Would I go back, yes, but not until next year.
The Hotel was very good, 2 big outdoor pools and one heated indoor pool, with a very good wellness spa. The food was not bad (although people who were all inclusive got a bit bored with it). The hotel was spotlessly cleaned by very efficient cleaners. The only down side to the hotel was that a few people claimed they were being charged for stolen towels when they left the hotel.
The Resort of Golden Sands was good (very cheap - a beer was around 50p and a 3 course meal around £5.00). It is ideal for people who like things cheap and sometimes a little tacky (although you find that everywhere).
Please be aware that there are about 140 steps from the back of the hotel to the resort centre, so not ideal for elderly or people who have difficulty in walking.
Would I go back, yes, but not until next year.
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- Date of Holiday:May 2005
- Board Basis:Bed & Breakfast
- Tour Operator:First Choice
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