Reviews of Ralitsa Hotel, Albena, Bulgaria

First comment about this...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2008

Tour Operator:

Balkan Holidays

Submitted By:

Mrs S Shrimpton

Comments:

First comment about this hotel.........it appears to be a German owned hotel, and certainly 90% of the guests were elderly Germans who mostly used the Spa facilities.



Second comment, it's more of a 2 star than a 4 star.



Our room on arrival had not been aired and had previously been occupied by smokers. We had to invest in a can of air freshner which cleared it after 4 days of constant spraying.



The staff were at best indifferent, and at worst rude, apart from one girl behind the bar who always had a smile and a friendly hello, and the bar staff would always serve the Germans before anyone else.



The air conditioning was turned off half way through our holiday beause the Germans were cold.



The food was ok (if there was any left after the German feeding frenzy!) but a bit hit and miss as to wether it was hot or not.



The alcohol was all proper stuff though, until they ran out, and were showing no signs of replacing stuff like brandy and baileys, until we complained to the Rep, and the bar stayed open until 0500hrs.



The animation team were largely unanimated during the day. but did come to life for the evening shows which were excellent.



Weather was bad and its worth noting that there is nothing to do in and around this resort during bad weather.



The Rep does not take Visa so take plenty of dosh if you want to do any trips.



Don't bank on a gourmet meal with Balkan airlines, the bun was either a cheese or ham sandwich, and a cup of something passing itself off as coffee. Eat before you get on the plane!



Finally, ater being picked up half an hour late for going home, our escort made sure we were all on board and then left us to it, so it was a good job there were no problems when we got to the airport.



Needless to say we won't be returning to Bulgaria!

This is the WORST holiday ever....

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Oct 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss L Cressey

Comments:

This is the WORST holiday ever. Everythng is catered for germans! the food, the tv etc. No one likes the english. You can hear everything in other peoples rooms. The staff are rude. There was nothing open even though we were told it would be. The sea is full of jellyfish, and there is nothing to do. We spent the whole week playing cards in our room eating rubbish food. Be warned!!!!!!!!!

first and foremost i cannot...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr L Eaves

Comments:

first and foremost i cannot believe some of the reviews i've read about this hotel,went as part of a group with kids,and before i get into it i'd just like to say one of the best holidays you could ever wish to have.upon arriving at the hotel you are aprehensive about how the holiday is going to start off but as soon as we got off the coach you could instantly tell it was going to be fantastic, granted there are 2 pushy porters but they are only trying to make a living as you could understand they were'nt in the eu and on pittance of a wage so cut them a break.hotel was fantastic indoor pool brilliant, never seen anything so clean and i am fussy.very helpful staff and the people in the bar in the hotel are funny,helpful and just some of the nicest people you could wish to meet.something must have really peed off some of these holiday makers reviews like not getting their own way or german haters,just grow up and enjoy.



food i cannot understand what people are thinking of....... not once were any of us ill or complained about the food,they had a good selection of fresh and well cooked meats, fresh salads, venison, which was in like either a gravy or a stew but the pieces of meat were that big it was like having a roast.all drinks brilliant pissed every night along with most of the bar staff till 5/6 in the morning who we miss emmensely.georgie, smiley and many others,evika was like a janitor there and a big man so go and say the hotel is not clean and the food is crap to him,you would'nt get very far, but what a nice man.sorely missed.



activities the pool is massive,clean,tidy,lifeguards are always on the ball,they've got bucking broncos which are a laugh a minute,basket ball courts,football pitches,jacuzzis,bungie rope and best of all a gigantic go cart racing track which we never stopped going back to,there are little trains outside the hotel that take you to these places and you can always get off and enjoy walking round different bits of albena.the animation team were brilliant,i usually hate anything like that but even i got up waving my hands in the air like a complete prat but really enjoyed it.



albena itself loads of places to eat out(poco loco, tropical bar)plus loads more to go to.loads of street shops,i could'nt believe some of the prices as we were buying loads of stuff and i still had a wad of cash in my pocket,you could hire bikes that were like a car 4 seats with pedals if you know what i mean to get you round albena and they were dirt cheap.the beach was absolutely amazing i've never seen anything so clean in my life,the water was hard to describe it was brilliant,you could walk around at night without any fear of anything.we got burnt to a crisp on that beach and loved every minute of it,when it was time to leave i've never seen so many sad faces and we will be back one day to all those german haters if your ignorant to them they'll be ignorant back so grow up,by the way a quick hello to andy bothe, his wife tina his sons yannick and luka we miss you.



read this review take no notice of all the bad ones because i'm telling you,you will not be dissappointed if you go to the hotel ralitsa in albena.can't wait to go back.

After reading the comments about...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jun 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss MAC Insley

Comments:

After reading the comments about this hotel made by other travellers, i had practically made my decision that i wasn't going to enjoy this holiday whatsoever. HOWEVER, me and my boyfriend who were 18 stayed here from jun 25th to 2 july and the weather was brilliant. It was at a constant degree of 38 or more and only got a couple of downpours which only lasted about 2 hours at the most each time, but that was expected due to the fact that they had recieved 3 weeks of this heat prior to our visit.



When we arrived at the hotel it was around 5am, due to a late transfer to Bourgas airport instead of Varna. It took us about 3 hours on the couch but all i did was sleep and look at some of the different towns nightlife and environment. We got greeted by the hotel's front desk staffs, they are fairly pleasant, however look a bit scary. then ur bags get dragged away from a porter. ADVICE=make sure you hold on to your bags unless you want to pay a tip when you have no change available, which was about £7 for us. The rooms are lovely and are spotless and cleaned daily, but air con has to be paid for and this is around £15 for a week. ADVICE=give the maid £5 tip for the week and she will do a really nice job, but this is not essential.



The food was ok, could have been better but there is plenty of variety for all ages of people really. Breakfast contains pancakes, croissants, fruit, cereal, english breakfast and plenty more, lunch and dinner are also very similar in terms of choice. The alcohol is poor except the beer and spirits, and if you pay a little more for a cocktail it is well worth it.



The pools are v v clean and there is plenty of entertainment in the day especially for kids. We found that the pool closest to the restaurant or as we called it the rock pool was the nicest and best for sunbeds, sun and shade. They also serve pizza, pasta, sausage, burgers, chips and salad in the bar area next to this pool all day and the pizza was homemade and lovely. However, it became very repeatitive after a week and you got the greedy germans and french taking three slices at a time for themselves arrrggghhhh. Be warned there are millions of them!! The beach was beautiful and the sand is white and very clean once again, there is plenty of sunbeds and the sea is warm. We also went for a jog along the beach on come across a river that ran straight in2 it, this water was very cool and had fish in it that swam around your feet.



The nightlife was not great in the hotel and ther wasnt much choice in the town. On the other hand there are a few great bars, especially the one, that has the staff from a dance school that also puts on shows for breakdancing, latino, hip hop etc. It was fantastic!!!



I do recommend this holiday, but if it's affordable chose the 4* alternative instead,

Thank you Marie

We have just returned from 2...

Overall Rating:

6/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr Bond

Comments:

We have just returned from 2 weeks staying at Hotel Ralitsa. I have to say it wasn't as great as our travel agent made out when we booked. Within the Ralitsa resort there are 3 hotels - Ralitsa 4*, Ralitsa 3* and Vita Park and we were under the impression that regardless of which hotel you stay in you would be able to use the facilities in all 3.



We stayed in the Ralitsa 3* and found that unfortunately this was not the case when we were turned away from the restaurant and spa facilities located in the 4*. The hotels are German run and there is definitely a preference towards German guests - they are even issued with a different coloured wristband so that the bar staff serve them first!



There is plenty of choice of food at mealtimes but day after day this gets repetitive and aside from the soup which was piping hot, the remainder was lukewarm. Several members of our party came down with tummy bugs which lasted the duration of our holiday. We were also limited to the use of one restaurant on site - only 4* guests can use the others.



Our room was very small but clean and habitable. TV worked but only 1 english channel (News 24) compared to the half dozen German channels.



On a brighter note - there were 3 pools in total which were kept remarkably clean and there were plenty of sun loungers for use. Unfortunately the weather wasn't fantastic - we had 2 days of solid rain, 4 days of overcast weather and sun for the rest. There is nothing to do at the resort in bad weather!



Albena town is within walking distance of the hotel but the variety of shops is very limited. The beach just beyond the town was very nice - the only downfall is that there are hardly any toilets and when you do find one you have to pay to use it! Aside from one very seedy club there is no nightlife whatsoever. I suggest if you are looking to shop, pay 40 lev for a taxi and head over to Golden Sands - the difference between the towns is remarkable!



Overall I did enjoy myself but feel let down by Thomas Cook who led me to believe things about the hotel which simply weren't true. I may return to Bulgaria in the future but probably wouldn't stay in Albena.

We travelled to the Hotel...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

arnieandcaseysma!

Comments:

We travelled to the Hotel Ralitsa with First Choice from Glasgow on 17/09/07 to stay all inclusive for one week. We had booked it as a bargain break and were pleasantly surprised.



After reading some of the reviews I did not know what to expect but we were pleased. On arrival (in the middle of the night!) we were greeted by reception staff, checked in and given AI bracelets to wear. There was a sandwich (granted it wasn't great) and some fruit to help ourselves to as we were shown to our rooms.



We had heard a lot of bad things about the food, but either I don't have high expectations or I found that there was nothing wrong with it. I tried just about everything on the buffet table over the course of the week and there was nothing wrong with any of it. I did hear some folk complaining but to be honest, if they want double egg and chips then they should stay in the UK and go to Blackpool.



The restaurant is up a slope which can be a bit slippy, or steps which were fine and had plenty seating either in or out door. The a la carte restaurant served us very nice food, again we had heard complaints about this as well, but we couldn't fault it.



There was no German/English divide and the staff treated everyone fairly, even down to the bar staff getting to know what you were drinking that night and had it ready for you on the bar when they saw you approaching.



I heard one lot complaining that no-one spoke English and that if they wanted English people to go on these holidays then English people shout be employed at the resort. HELLO! Can any of us speak a word of Bulgarian? Not many eh? In fact, the only person in one week I came across that didn't speak a word of English was our driver on the Jeep Safari who didn't need to, he was entertaining enough with his driving without needing to speed!!



The Hotel Ralitsa was very clean and had cleaning staff on from early morning until midnight so if there was even the smallest amount of water spilled it was soon mopped up.



There are 3 pools on the complex, one small indoor pool, a large free-form outdoor pool which has two bars and the daily entertainment takes place there to keep kids (and adults) occupied in the sunshine, and a further quiet pool where there is no music and could be a more peaceful choice at the busier times.



The hotel has internet access which you pay 8lev for 1 hour which is reasonable enough as no-one wants to use the PC loads on holiday. Also some video games as well for the older kids.



We didn't sample the evening entertainment as we went for walks in the evening or to the lobby bar so can't comment on this.



My partner took unwell on holiday (flu) and undoubtedly from what I heard there some people would have blamed it on the hotel but we certainly could not. The First Choice rep was very useful in this and directed me to the nearest pharmacy where the pharmacist spoke fluent English and I was able to but excellent remedies for a fraction of the cost of home.



A great holiday for the two of us and I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel to anyone who was looking for a break to Bulgaria. At the end of the day, we went to experience the food and culture of a country we had never visited, not to try and find another Britain abroad.

Me and my girlfriend booked this...

Overall Rating:

4/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr R O''rourke

Comments:

Me and my girlfriend booked this holiday at a very good price for 2 people all inclusive for 2 weeks, when we got there we soon found out you only get what you pay for.



Firstly I would like to notify any potential customers of First Choice, the transfer time from Burgas airport is not 1 HOUR, it is 2 AND 1/2 HOURS, with a 20 minute break, so it will be 3 hours after you land in Burgas, you will arrive at a clean and tidy hotel with very unfriendly PRIMASOL staff who do not understand the concept of smiling or interacting with holiday makers. Only their friends who also work in the resort of Albena and a guy who thinks he should decide on the of tip you give him for taking you cases to your room, via the lift may I add, fair enough if he carried them 5 flights of stairs, but he didn’t, then he wouldn’t leave our room until I gave him more money.



This country is a poor country, but it is by no means 3rd world, surely any tip should be received gratefully, apparently these folk earn around £80 - £150 per month so if you are give a tip of £1.50 by each group of guests, that adds up very quickly for an easy half hour work, give me the job! I don’t mind giving a good tip if I have received a friendly decent service, but simply these people don’t offer that.



Albena is situated near Romania so trips can be arranged to Romania, not advised, as a trip that was organised by First Choice went wrong for a small group of guests who crossed the border and then their bus broke down and were told to make their own way back to the resort.

Albena is a few miles north from the boring city of Varna, dont go to Varna, everyone I spoke to was unimpressed, Golden Sands however was a pleasant place to visit, and would have been better to stay in.



Albena is very quiet with a lot of its tourists are either German or almost dead. The Ralitsa had nothing much in the way of entertainment, some shows that were pretty much all the same, they all finished well before 11:00, this means you can sit by the pool or at the bar in the hotel and drink overly gassy lager (which stops being all-inclusive at 11) or drink cocktails that the waiters cannot seem to put the proper ingredients or same amounts into every time, they always tasted totally different every time.



The hotel is a good 10 minute walk from anything in the town so you have to go to bed when the barman decides to shut the bar, sometimes its 11, sometimes 11:30 or on a good night you might get the privilege to buy something right up to midnight.



Then we have primasols finest moment ladies and gentlemen, THE FOOD, apparently the stuff they call food is prepared by a chef, I think all he does is prepare it, he certainly doesn’t cook it, I think he heats it up a little bit before he puts his creations into large stainless steel containers where you can help yourself, or not (we did not, we ate in the local bars and restaurants), seriously the only thing that was edible was the chips, but you always need to take more than you want because when you get back to your table you realise that half of them are rotten.



I don’t care if they try to tell me its is customary for the Bulgarians to eat their food warm and not piping hot, I didn’t see one paying Bulgarian in the restaurant, so come on Ralitsa cater for your customers, I don’t expect full English breakfasts or steak and guiness pie, just a description of what is actually staring at me and for it to be cooked. I could go on all day about every meal blow by blow, but I won’t.



To summarise:

If you are ready to join the queue to gods waiting room then this resort is ideal for you.

If you want to be disturbed by the man sneezing or coughing next door through the paper thin walls then this is for you.

If you like people begging for your hard earned cash then this is for you.

If you like unfriendly staff then this is for you.

If you can survive for 1 or 2 weeks on uncooked food the this is for you.

If you want to go to your bed early when you are on holiday then this is for you.

If you don't want to do anything on holiday then this is for you.



The resort is clean and crime (at a tourist level) seemed fairly low, but there is nothing to do but look at the same fake clothes in every other shop.



Bobby and Ashleigh.

Just returned from my worst ever...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr Mj Weir

Comments:

Just returned from my worst ever 2 week holiday, landed at Bourgas airport believing we had a relatively short journey to Albena took 3 hours including a pit stop at a shop in the middle of nowhere, inhabited by a pack of stray Alsatians. Finally arrived at Hotel Ralitsa at 5am to be greeted by one receptionist and two pushy porters who will grab your belongings then hang around waiting for a tip at 5.30am. Not many holidaymakers have spare change to give.



I really wanted to give the place a chance but was continually disappointed, I found the food inedible at times, the local beer was given in plastic cups that held less than a half pint and you could drink it all day without any ill effects. We also found our First Choice rep unhelpful, any problems were met with 'this is Bulgaria thats just how it is' (warning to any scottish travellers do not take scottish banknotes you have more chance of spending monopoly money).



All in all if you want to visit Bulgaria spend a little bit more and head to Sunny Beach.

Upon arriving at the Ralitsa we...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss S Peters

Comments:

Upon arriving at the Ralitsa we were given our rooms, as we opened the back door there was a drunk man asleep near the tree which did scare us a bit. We tried to go to sleep then more people arrived, they were so loud I could not sleep at all - so I got my room changed in the morning. Which out of all fairness was good of them Maria on the desk is the only one who can understand what I was saying, I think that if these people want the English in their hotel then they should employ people who speak a little English.



The staff around the pool were the only one's there to make our holiday a little better, otherwise we would have gone insane. The weather was shit most of our holiday, my sister is disabled and when it was raining she could not even get up to the restaurant via the stairs or the big ramp that when wet is very slippery, so if you have got a disability or you are old don’t bother coming here.



The food is the same every single day, pork or chicken and mainly raw. When I said something to the rep about this they told me it’s the best food in Albena... I would hate to think what the rest of the hotels food is like around here if this is the best. I asked one night for a little drop of milk so I could make my sister a cup of tea and the staff was so rude about it they tried to charge me 2 lev's in their money. I told him no way so I went to the pool bar and the bloke there never hesitated to give me some.



In all I would never ever come back to Bulgaria and all the people I met there said the same, there's nothing here for the children at all, no proper entertainment.

Anyone planning on booking to go...

Overall Rating:

2/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss J Butterwoth

Comments:

Anyone planning on booking to go here don't! It was the worst holiday I have ever been on! The food was horrible, it was always cold, the staff were ok but I noticed it was all catered for Germans and they were the most obnoxious people ever.



The rooms were ready to fall apart, cracks in our walls and wires hanging out. We did try and get moved but they were having none of it. We stayed out of the hotel most of the time and went down to Golden Sands that was brilliant.



So if your booking to go anywhere I'd go there! First Choice more like last choice!



Jennie Wirral

DONT GO !!!!!!!!!!! This is the...

Overall Rating:

1/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mr B D Mace

Comments:

DONT GO !!!!!!!!!!! This is the worst holiday I have ever had, I would rather spend a week in cardboard city. The food is not fit for consumption, the rooms were very basic, sheets don't get changed, the staff treat you like dirt (Germans get better treatment), there is nothing to do for the kids unless you want to pay and there is not to much to do in the resort . Everyone we met all had the same feelings about the holiday, most said they will lodge a compliant with First Choice.



YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED DO NOT GO !!!!!!!!!

We have just returned from a...

Overall Rating:

5/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Sep 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss L Wain

Comments:

We have just returned from a week in the Ralitsa Hotel (3*), Albena, Bulgaria.



Our first impressions of the place was ok, the rep warned us all on the transfer bus to the hotel that if you didn’t want help with cases to your room to ignore the baggage men, as they will demand money for their trouble (The last thing you want when you have been travelling all day / night). We didn’t except the help, but was not pointed in the correct direction of the room either, but was pretty easy to find.



Our room was nice, it was very clean and consisted of two single beds (Which were comfortable) and bunk beds. The walls in the hotel are very thin....therefore, I would suggest taking ear plugs if you are a light sleeper.



The bathroom was very clean, had a walk in shower, sink and toilet. The only thing I would add about the bathroom which was a letdown, it had a window that everyone could see straight in....we just put a towel over the window so it wasn’t much of a problem for us.



The food in the hotel is a bit hit and miss.....Breakfast was nice, I had Pancakes with chocolate sauce on most mornings and fruit. The food did seem to be sat about and not particularly fresh, but we did manage to find something to eat, someday I just had Chips and Salad.



We found the staff at the hotel to be rude and unhelpful. The Animation team however were very polite and couldn’t do enough to help out.



Most things are outside in Albena so if you are going end of the season, I would suggest taking some warmer clothes. We only packed small summer stuff, and got caught out and cold....however that is not the hotel or resort fault.



Our first choice rep we found to be extremely false....she would be pleasant to you if you were to speak to her.....but we got the feeling she didn’t really want to be. (Probably because it was coming to the end of the season).

I visited this hotel last year...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Jul 2006

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Miss M O Owen

Comments:

I visited this hotel last year and found the stay very enjoyable. I found hardly anything to complain about.



However if you are a fussy eater and prefer your chip shop fish n chips then I would not suggest this hotel, as the food is very different from English.



The cleaners were extremely nice and folded my clothes every day.



There was one woman at the front desk I did get a few looks off though, but other than that the rest of the staff were very friendly.



If you are staying there I would recommend the jeep safari. I had a lot of fun and found some of the stuff very interesting. The water fights were hilarious as well so if you do go take a lot of water!



The hotel is about 5 minutes away from the shops which I found very helpful as well.



So other than one horrible member of staff and the rather different food this is an excellent hotel and very enjoyable especially for young families.

After booking we read some...

Overall Rating:

8/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs M Coates

Comments:

After booking we read some shocking reports about this resort and hotel. Needless to say we were very worried about going. I am pleased to say we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived. The staff were helpful, cleaners lovely, rooms were clean and well stocked, linen changed regularly and fresh towels when needed.



Food was good with plenty of choice. Snack bar was the same most days but still nice.



You do have to get your last drinks before 11 pm as they will not serve you even if you are in a queue.



Not to many Germans in the Ralitsa but there were more in Vita Park which is linked with the Ralitsa. They certainly were not a problem for us.



I think this Hotel deserves the 3* rating that it has. It does not have the extras of a higher rating but you cannot expect more for the money paid.



We had a great time. The weather was lovely. We did enjoy listening to one family moan about everything (none of it was justified!). It was a bit of a joke for us!



A'la Carte was not all that but it was edible. Funny man in there who said please every time he gave you your food. Worth visiting for the experience but you may want to eat something first as it is not to everyone's taste.



Nice stroll to the shops and beach but there is a free bus if you would prefer. Shops are very samey but Poco Loco restaurant is worth a visit.



If you buy air conditioning and you have more than one room, only pay for one as the controller works all rooms!



All in all we had a good time. Just do not expect a 5* when you pay for a 3*.

I got back on the 28th Aug after...

Overall Rating:

10/10

Board Basis:

All Inclusive

Date of Holiday:

Aug 2007

Tour Operator:

First Choice

Submitted By:

Mrs M J Martin

Comments:

I got back on the 28th Aug after two weeks with my 9 and 4 yr old and husband and mum and dad. Well, we did read some pretty bad reports and was dreading it as we haven’t been away for 16 yrs!



Well the room was cleaned every day the pool was great, weather was fab, food like every where there was definitely something for everyone we didn’t get ill, it was a little busy and there are a lot of rude people but we still smiled, don’t take someone’s toast.



We did eat out twice at poco loco and that was just for a change, we had our money worth on pop, lager, pizza, ice cream, etc, go for a visit to the Dobruja hotel and have a coffee on the 15th floor you can see all over Bulgaria and it is really amazing.



The dolphin show was good but only 20 minutes and then you get 2 hrs in Varna, I would of rather gone to Varna for the day as it was lovely, go to the water park, and also the beach was beautiful.



So come on you people out there who really slated it give some credit, we had a lovely cheap hol, I would go back but I do want to see other places. I do think people want the Ritz well go top class!!! People where nice an animation team were brill. Well done.