Royal Bay Hotel

The first thing that strikes you about this hotel is its location. There really is only one word to describe it. Idyllic. Situated right on top of a beautiful beach, complete with golden sand and crystal waters it couldn’t be more perfect. So it’s a shame really that I’m now going to tell you, that’s pretty much where the positives end.
We arrived after a 26 and a half hour plane delay tired and jaded, but were relieved when we saw the hotel. Being given a lift to the hotel on an electric golf buggy style car was very enjoyable. The enjoyment stopped there. We soon realised that the staff couldn’t have any less enthusiasm for their job if they had to do it blindfolded. They were unhelpful, miserable and had all the charisma of a door stop. There was the odd exception, but those members of staff were few and far between.
Then there was the food. Being one of those old fashioned folk who prefer there meat cooked, I didn’t fit in at the Royal Bay. Not only was it undercooked, but I’ve seen less repetitive clocks, and I’m far from a fussy eater. It was the same old stuff day in and day out. In fact, the whole dining experience was pretty awful. You were told not to bring drinks in from the bar. Instead a waiter would come and offer you one. If I really wanted a drink, I’d still be sitting there now. The table cloths were never changed or even tidied during service, which normally meant it wasn’t just your meal sitting in front of you. The plates were taken away; food was still left on the table cloth. You faced a ten minute quest to get your hands on a clean knife and fork. They were supposed to be put out again after being washed. There was more chance of finding a knife and fork at McDonalds. Instead you had to ferret around the draws they were put in, basically doing the waiters job for them.
If the whole dining experience wasn’t bad enough, it was made worse on some days, when the hotel owners and some of there friends decided to dine at the hotel. They were given knifes and forks wrapped in serviettes, different, better looking food, waiter service AND, the staff even smiled at them. Rub our noses in it why don’t you.
Still at least you could go and get a drink in the bar after, well you could, but often it was at the end of a 20 minute queue. When it did come, ice was considered gold dust and distributed minimally. Soft drinks were served in plastic cups, the selection was small and the solitary barman was more interested in chatting to his mate than serving you. Of course he expected a tip. The drinks themselves were also very basic. There was very little selection.
The pool was a positive. Never hugely busy, and very well cleaned. Shame about the HUGE swarm of wasps that were all too keen to use to as a sun-bed.
And the pool was about the only thing that was kept clean. The cleaners made the beds and replaced the towels and that’s about it. The floor was rarely cleaned and when you lifted up your foot, you could literally see the dirt on it. Proof of that came when one of our friends left a crisp on the floor. It was there for days. Whenever I witnessed the cleaner cleaning she wiped round the bathroom with her cloth, slung it over her shoulder and off she went in to the next room. If the food doesn’t make you ill, that certainly will. We were all extremely ill at various points in the holiday, I won’t go into the unpleasant details, but lets just say after I’d finished with the bathroom, the cloth needed replacing to say the least.
Still, at least you could go into the rest of the Elenite Holiday Village and enjoy yourself there. Well I say enjoy….
• Pizza restaurant – Not really a restaurant, you queue for 20 minutes for a substandard slice of pizza.
• Disco – I’ve seen a better atmosphere at a funeral.
• Aqua Park – Some good slides, some so cheaply made that they hurt. I saw two lads walking round with bleeding backs. Only really offers an hours worth of entertainment.
• Fitness room – It would have kept David Dickinson entertained. Full of antique equipment.
• Mini Golf – I NEVER saw anyone on it due to the extortionate price.
• Safety deposit box – Yes there is a safe, but it costs 100 Leva to use it for two weeks, you only get 10 of that back.
• Regular Entertainment – Sub standard, some you have to pay for
• Ice Cream 10:30am – 10pm – True but it was a 10 minute walk away
• Snacks and drinks on the beach – There wasn’t. The beach bar was closed earlier in the year as it was a pay bar and it was generating no business.
• “Drink at one of Elenite’s many bars” – The only one’s that offered any different to the hotel bar were the Irish Bar, which incidentally was as Irish as Gordon Brown and the Cocktail Bar. The staff were even worse in the Irish Bar, both were pay bars and the Cocktail Bar was very expensive.
So to conclude, to say I wouldn’t recommend this resort let alone this hotel is an understatement. Everyone cheered when the bus drove out the gates, a man sarcastically shouted “same time next year” and the thought of rainy cold England never looked more appealing. I spoke to many people in my two weeks in the resort, not one said they enjoyed it, not one said they’d come back and one said and I quote “I’ve been on 13 all inclusive holidays; this is by far the worst”.

to start with our plane was delayed by 6 hours and when we asked the customer service they couldnt explain why it had.when we got to the hotel the porter rtook our bags off us and helped us to our room, which was nice service but then stood at the door for 15 mins waiting for a tip! but we hadnt got any leve on us and when we told him this he walked off muttering something in bulgarian. the positives are the hotel is right on the beach with lovely views.the room was really clean and spacious and the maid did a wonderful job all week.however everytime we let the water out of the bath it come back up through the drain in the floor and brought up sewage.we told the staff and they shrugged thier shoulders and laughed.i tried telling the rep but couldnt find him anywhere. and as for the food, where do i begin!!! it was the same every day, it was all under cooked and the chicken still had blood in it. every time staff brought you a drink they expected a tip, and the wasps were a pain.but we got used to it. on the fifth day me and the people i was with went down sick and for the last two days didnt eat or drink anything.i came back on monday and ive never been as happy to be back in england.ive been to the doctors and they have said its more than likely food poisoning. im still not eating as i cant keep anything down.this was my first holiday abroad and was really looking forward to it but this holiday has changed my opinion, i dont think ill be going abroad anytime soon, ill take my chances with blackpool!!! i would advise you to think twice about going here!!!!

1 reader found this review helpful

Jusr returned from a fantastic holiday! Do not believe some of the guff written here. The Hotel is lovely, very clean and bright. Our room was great and well cleaned every day. The staff were really nice and helpful.
We went with 2 young children and they had no problem with the food. They ate plenty of fresh fruit and veg every day. If you do not like pork or veal then yes, you might find it a bit limiting but we had no complaints at all about the food. Oh and yes sometimes the tables need reset during lunch and dinner but it is hardly the end of the world as some reviews would have you believe.
Resort itself is clean, well kept and well lit at night. The gardens are lovely. The beach was great. Couple of days when the tide turned it became very choppy but most of the time it was calm and a great place for the kids to swim.
The worst part of our holiday was sitting at a table next to an English and a Welsh couple who moaned for a good 40 minutes about everything and we eventually went and sat somewhere else. They were the type of people who could not be pleased by anything other than staff running around after them 24/7 and bacon, egg and chips for tea every day. I felt so sorry for their children as all they could hear was what a rotten holiday they were having. Funny how people who stay in the same place and eat in the same place can have such a different experience. Then one of the said ' It was not like this when we went to America' Of course it was not! This is Eastern Europe not FLorida. No pleasing some folk.
My kids had a brilliant time and I would recommend squeezing a games console in your luggage, no decent TV channels to watch and it was useful in the evening. So I would recommend Elinite this if you are looking for a quiet, chilled and easy going holiday with a lovely clean beach and no club music pumping till all hours, perfect for families with younger children.
If however you think egg and chips are all you can eat, your kids are too fussy and wont eat fresh veg, hate clean sand and need to be entertained by someone else all day every day, you like the sun but not when it is too warm etc etc etc then go somewhere else!
Loved it!

1 reader found this review helpful

Went with an open mind as read all reviews. Everywhere clean, food repetitive but none of my party of 7 had any sickness. Pool, beach and waterpark great, didnt bother with sunloungers as we were in the water most of the time. Food not available after 9.30 so made rolls up and left in fridge in room. No problems with any staff, they all seemed polite and helpful and hard working. No powercuts in the 2 weeks we were there. A big problem is wasps, but no mosquitos which is a big bonus. There are queues for the bar in reception, but we either tipped the waitress a couple of lev to get our drinks or went to the morris bar where there were hardly any queues. Overall i would say a holiday is what you make of it so go and enjoy it.

just back from 2 weeks. cannot understand all the bad press this place has received.
some of the positives - staff were very friendly, possibly cos u dont pay for anything in hotel bar/restaurant & tips harder to come by. The food was plentiful, & the choice was good, tho it got maybe a bit repetitive after 2 weeks. Rooms excellent, cleaned daily fresh towels daily, bed sheets prob 3/4 times during our stay.
The pools were spotless, & its surrounding area was, it seemed, cleaned hourly. loungers plentiful but u have to be up early to beat the Germans!
beach is also spotless, cleaned each evening and raked smooth by tractor, u dont see that every day! the Sea was waist deep to what seemed like 100 yards out, few large stones on way into sea immediately in front of Royal bay but sandier once past hotel. Did spot a jellyfish or 2 but was told they are fairly harmless!
TV - BBC world news & National Geo (some programmes in Bulgarian tho).
Aqua park excellent for kids, but you do pay for loungers/parasols - fairly cheap tho.
not much in way of entertainment at night for adults we just sat round lapping up the free beverages or visiting the beach bar where lovely cocktails are served at 11 lev each, the price of a pint at home so not too dear. if you wish to leave the resort you can always take a bus into Sunny Beach/Nessebar for 3/4 lev 1.50/2 euro.. taxi 25/40 respectively. Plenty of choices of places to shop & eat in these towns. would recommend Nessebar ahead of Sunny beach, it is much nicer. buses get bit packed tho & no such thing as a queue! so we took taxi sometimes.
negatives - the bar in Aqua park was a little pricey, packed bus trips in 30 degrees
I would highly recommend for families with young kids, or people who are just looking to relax as there is no late nite entertainment.

1 reader found this review helpful

I went to Royal Bay Hotel for 2weeks and i would recommend this holiday to anyone!!! I'm fourteen and i loved it, i didn't want to go home!
Came off coach and got a golf buggy to the hotel, which was great fun and we took in the midnight surroundings.
I went with my step-mam, dad, little brother, auntie, uncle and 3cousins, where the ages vary from 3years to teenager to adult.
I don't know what people are saying about the staff being un-friendly and the dinner hall being un-clean as the staff there reguarly asked if you would like a drink, cleaned the tables straight after you ate and greeted you when you entered. Me and my cousin made friends with the staff even though they didn't say much English, but they waved at us and always smiled!
The entertaiment was just a five minute walk to animation hall where shows for kids to adults took place. The shows i suppose were ok and the animation people clearly worked hard.
You could also get your food from various different places: Royal Bay Hotel, small boat by the beach, Nessebar bar (where you could get biscuits, drinks, ice-creams etc.) snack bar right next to Royal Park (where you could get pizza, kebab etc.) and there was also a barbeque that you didn't have to book for dinner. The choice was extended more than people think. There was also a water park where entry was free! The slides varied to kids slides to the bigger ones further back. Drinks and food weren't free but they have to make a profit somehow!!!
The rooms were spacious and cleaned constantly by maids who worked very hard from early morning to late night. Everyday they cleaned the rooms and maids also worked around the hotel (lobby and pool area etc.) to make sure the Royal Bay Hotel was clean, which it was. Clean towels were also provided everyday and there WAS English channels, but only 2.
The beach/pool were kept very, very, very clean! Cups, bottles and just basic rubbish were also swept away and the beach was safe and you can go for a great swim!
Overall, i don't see how anyone can say this hotel is in anyway un-clean, the staff are un-friendly and the food was limited. I would deff go back again next year as the staff, room etc were fantastic!!! Highly recommended!!!

Having just returned from 2 weeks from a holiday from hell, on arrival we were dropped off at the front of the Royal Park, and advised that a buggy would take us to our hotel The Royal Bay, after about 5 mins I approached a bell boy and he said that some one would collect us, shortly afterwards we were collected and taken at snail pace to the hotel at the other end of the complex. Then it all started big time, we went into the restaurant and the place was horrible, dirty tables, no cutlery, no plates, eventually we found a table, cutlery and plates, sat down and started to eat, it was disgusting under cooked pork just to start with, cold chips and not cooked, and then during the 2 weeks the meals were all of a muchness and the only other choices were either chix or beef, but again these were not cooked properly. There was no dress code for lunchtimes, therefore you were allowed to go into the restaurant in swim wear provided you were young and slim, as the restaurant staff ogled you as you entered the restaurant. On the 1st Sat we had a power cut of approx. 6hrs, and although this was aproblem for the whole area, you would of thought that they would ahve abck generators for occassions like this, as we were unable to get cold drinks or food, and also during this time there was odour in the restaurant to which the Head Chef came out and sprayed furniture polish everywhere inc over the food.
The entertainement for the hotel was only in existance if you paid for it or were of a very young age, or if you fancy watching strip shows with your children.
As this was an all inclusive complex, they only thing that was included was the food if you dare it, and the drinks, and you would think that you can use the facilities in the whole complex - you can't! You are only able to use your own facilities apart from the ship in the middle but they shut at 16.30ish and don;t serve food continuious thorough out the day. There are 2 additional restaurants that you can use but you have book them between 10-11am each day for that night - why the hell should we book to go and eat when we have already paid they need to get there priorities right.
If you get chance read the right up in a national paper on Monday 14th July, it tells you what the other hotel in the complex was also like, and its all true!
IF YOU HAVE ANY SENSE DON'T BOOK AND STAY AT ELENITE VILLAGE, BULGARIA

1 reader found this review helpful

Myself, husband and 2 childen, 2 and 4 have just returned from a 2 week holiday at the Royal Bay. The hotel was fantastic, the room was very spacious for the four of us, the food was also very good, I managed to put on a stone and the kids were more than happy with the selection, I had read bad reports about the food but honestly there is no need to worry about it.
The hotel was kept very, very clean. The pool was safe for the kids, the only thing was we felt we had to put our towels down on the sun beds about 7.30 in the morning.
As for the beach, it was fantastic, the water was safe with no sharp drops. It was kept very clean, with cleaners constantly collecting plastic cups and other bits of rubbish.
Bar staff and dining room staff all very good, we felt that the receptionists could have been abit more helpful, but their English was very limited.
There was a kids disco at night in the Animation hall about 5 mins walk from the hotel, but you had to queue for about 40 mins before the disco if you wanted a seat, they had a kids carnival one night which my boys loved but we had to pay approx £7.00 per costume to hire them, so a good tip would be to take one with you, girls in princess dresses and boys in spiderman costumes.
After dinner the only snacks to eat were biscuits, we had to buy crisps from the shop in the hotel, but they were quite expensive so if we were to return I would pack a selection of crisps and sweets and some diluting juice as the only things for the kids to drink was coke, lemonade and water. A magazine in the hotel was about £3.00, so take a pile with you.
It costs approx £50 to hire the safe for 2 weeks, so be prepared for that. On the last day our flight wasn't until 5.30am and we had to be out the room for 12pm the previous day, which wasn't ideal with 2 small kids, so we tried to book the room for 5 hours at night time so the boys could get a sleep, but the receptionist said that it was't possible, so we spoke to our rep and again he said no, but luckily the manager overheard and she was very helpful and we got a room, but it did cost £10 per hour, but worth it, so if you are looking for a room at night ask for the manager.
The water in the waterpak was very cold, so we only went once and didn't stay very long, we also went into Sunny Beach one day but as a family with young children, its not really somewhere I would recommend.
Overall we had a fantastic holiday, we all totally enjoyed it, the tv in the room had no English channels, but you can plug a scart lead into it, so a games console or small dvd player might be handy because if the weather is not great there isn't much to do.
Would have no reservations in returning, but only while the kids are still young.

just back from royal bay hotel, had booked villas but was upgraded at last minute due to it being beginning of the season. arrived at the village and was transported by golf buggy to hotel ,which was great because you could take in the surroundings. first impression was great. checked in and went up to room views from balcony were lovely.plenty of space in room and storage. food was good plenty of choice also 3 other resturants you can use but have to book on the day you want to eat there. bbq was nice. the beach was fantastic and plenty of sunbeds. pools you had to get there early for a space tho. aqua park was great for families and free . except had to pay for sunbeds, but not expensive. entertainment day and night if you want it , but set away from the hotel so no noise.staff were friendly and helpful, room cleaned daily,and all hotel was spick n span with cleaners all hours of the day. all in all couldn"t fault it and have already booked to go back next year.

hi to all of you who have been or thinking of going here , just like to say that my wife and i have been to the Royal Bay Hotel , Elenits 3 time's now and are going again on the 2 june this year . we have read some of the letter's on here and think some of you went to the wrong hotel ??? yes there is a small wall on the Balcony but it just to stop you from falling in to the sea
As for the food we think it very good again don't know where some of you went to eat ? let just renember your not in the U.K. now , but did you know you can also go down to the Elenits to eat as well and drink but no one can come up to the Rayal Bay only you there are snack bar where you can get hot-dogs , pizza , kebeb , est est
Entertainment OK not much in the Rayal Bay there is some in the day if you like to join in or just sit drinking all day if you like going to disco or that thing some one calls bingo or anything else go for a walk down to the Elenits or royal park
that about it from now but if you like to ask me anything or want to know more you can e-mail me at shane2376uk@hotmail.com