Riu Helios Hotel

2 readers found this review helpful

We had a great holiday there in hotel helios!
The adult animation is always fun in the hotel, I hope the team is not going to miss us, but the probably will for a few days.
If the animation team reads this: we love you all, have a nice summer! Keep in touch!
Kristof and Ellen from Belgium!
I don't think you can find a better hotel in all bulgaria! Watch out for Tony! He made me cry the last evening, he is just to sweet.

1 reader found this review helpful

The hotel, staff and food was 1st class. The hotel was spotless, cannot find a fault with this hotel. Have actually booked up for the same hotel 2009. Would recommend it to anyone.
BUT NIGHT TIME FLIGHT NOT SO GOOD IE WITH KIDS............

2 readers found this review helpful

This was my first trip to bulgaria we went for 1 week, the hotel is fantastic arrived at 6.30am met by helpfull reception staff, our bags where taken to our room for us which was a blessing after been awake all night, the room was spacious down side was that it was twin beds which really could not be pushed together, the bathroom was great with a spacious walk in shower, the room was cleaned every day and the towels also changed every day, the view from the balcony was not great as it was at the back of the hotel, the 2 large swimming pools are great but abit cold, the food was first class was plenty to choose from was never disapointed until we tried the restaurant that serves a bulgarian meal we wished we had not bothered, their is plenty of things to do through the day my partner joined in the water polo and footy we also played bingo at the pool bar and won a bottle of wine but was abit embarasing in the evening when presented with a certificate for winning, the evening entertainment was good bar staff where very pleasant and some where very entertaining, treated myself to have my hair done at the on site hairdressers would not recommend unless you want to look like someone out of the sixties it cost me 35 lev for a wash and to have it curled alot of money when i had to go to my room to straighten it as it looked so bad, outside the hotel was brilliant especially if your a shopaholic great bargains to be had, plenty of bars to either relax or to dance the night away would recommend you take a cardigan or a light jacket as it does get cold at night, all the staff at the hotel did a fantastic job, would recommend bulgaria and will be going back again

I flew on 06/06/08 from newcastle airport to burgas airport, the flight wasn't great but when are flights ever great. When i arived at Hotel Helios i only had to look at the entrance and i knew the holiday was goin to be fantastic. As soon as i walked in i was welcomed by staff and showed to my room. My room was gorgous very spacious and i could of lived there. Because my flight was at tea time i arrived at Bulgaria at night and was ready for my bed. The next morning i went down for breakfast and i have to admit it was lovely you just have to be careful somtimes for the meat.
After that i went outside to find a lounger and i spotted Tony a lad from the animation team i thought he was extremely handsome haha and i couldnt keep my eyes off him the whole week. By friday it was his birthday and he came and spoke to me when i was looking after my cousin i nearly collapsed he was so kind and funny. I really enjoyed Bulgaria and i am still young but as soon as a turn 18 im planning on moving over there and trying to get a job as apart of the animation team. i will be looking for tony especially. Love you Tony see you next year. x x x x x x

The hotel itself was very clean, the staff were very helpful and couldn't do enough for you. The room was very clean and comfy but be aware we ended up with a room without a balcony and there wasn't a bath only a walk in shower so if you’re like us and have got a three year old who doesn't like showers it was difficult.
The food was very good, lots to choose from. Repeated itself a lot but went out a few times. In the dining room you got two sittings for dinner which was a bit rubbish as I like to choose when I want to eat.
The beach was lovely and the hotel is just off the beach so you can go for a swim in sea and go back round pool to sun bathe. All along the front there are market stalls selling all the same rubbish and people trying to get you in the bars they did our head in. Watch out not to get run over with the golf buggies there are everywhere and the three wheeler bikes.
We went to Nessebar on the boat but was not impressed, it was everything that was in resort, unless you went on the trip with Thomson then they showed you more.
We didn’t go on any trips as there wasn't any interesting to us and couldn’t rely on the weather. We were going to go to the water park as the rep said it was good but when we decided to go it was shut down for the winter.
Do not go to Bulgaria in September if you like the weather, it rained alot and at night it was freezing. You need a coat, in fact some people had hat, scarfs and gloves on but when the sun did come out it was lovely but not hot enough to sweat.

After just returning home from a family holiday at this hotel I feel I must speak out. First the good things are the hotel rooms, spotlessly clean and the housekeepers do a brilliant job we asked for adjoining rooms and a pool view and got exactly that. The animation team do a brilliant job and my little grandson who was 2yrs the day we arrived fell in love with Dee Dee one of the children's animation team and still shout's her name now we are home.
Now for the not so good things, we were very disappointed with the all inclusive facilities if you went for the continental breakfast after 10am it was really poor never any cereals out, no toaster and always had to ask for butter and it all depended which waiter was on duty as to whether you got any butter. The 3pm snacks that were available were terrible if you wanted anything warm you had to toast yourself a toastie on a toaster that took forever, also plenty of choice at the main meal times but very repetitive throughout the week. The drinks are plentiful but varied in strength but there was always plenty of soft drinks and tea and coffee to help yourself to.
Yes the buggy's that you can hire and run along the beach front are a nuisance and dangerous in the hands of teenagers who drive too fast. Shops are plentiful but very repetitive in what they sell. In all I enjoyed the weeks hol but wouldn't go all inclusive in Bulgaria again not sure if I would even go back.

The hotel, staff and food was 1st class. The hotel was spotless, cannot find a fault with this hotel. Have actually booked up for the same hotel 2008. Would recommend it to anyone.
Sunny beach itself is a great area. The shops were fantastic and the Bulgarian folk were really very nice. Plenty of bars and restaurants outside the hotel, if you wanted to wander about and it was really cheap.
Great value for the money.

The Riu Helios was everything that we expected from a Riu hotel. We had stayed in one in Cyprus last year.
The rooms were large and very clean. When we first arrived the room that we were allocated smelt of cigarette smoke our request for a different room was greeted willingly, reception even phoned us the next day to make sure everything was satisfactory.
The staff are brilliant and the food is plentiful and excellent. The entertainment is a bit amateurish but they give it their all the best part was the night in the bar salon when the head barman juggled cocktail mixers to rock music and the barmaids danced on the bar.
Khan’s tent is a good night out but it’s not as good as the Benidorm Palace! Vicki the rep is a lovely gel always ready to help.
The resort is the usual mix of souvenir shops and bars ,the main thing to avoid is being run down by a hired golf buggy or an electric scooter( you can’t hear them coming} .The hotel has two swimming pools with lifeguards and plenty of sunbeds . A warning!!
Don’t let the children watch channel 25 late at night!! Nuff said.

On arrival we were helped with our bags and taken to reception to check in. On the way a waiter greeted us with a glass of bubbly, I thought wow this is a good start. It only got better as we were taken to our rooms by the waiter. The hotel was spotless and there seemed to be an array of cleaners on all the time. The food in the hotel was excellent even though it was a bit repetitive but its quiet cheap to eat out a three course meal including drinks would probably set u back about 30euro.
The hotel is ideally situated beside the beach and close to all the bars and restaurants. The nightlife is quieter than Spanish resorts but I preferred this as I wanted a quiet break. There were plenty of sports available on the beach, jet skis, pedalos, and paragliding which were very cheap and great fun.
I’d recommend this hotel to anyone as its staff are very helpful, and the hotel is spotless, foods good, and there’s plenty of choice in food and drink. I have already booked again for this year and returning with my family again.

The hotel was very clean, the housemaids work hard and do an excellent job cleaning and tidying always polite. The bar staff were very friendly and always had a laugh with them when you gave them a tip they would go mad and shake their
rattle and shout 'ayeee ayeee ayeee'.
The food was excellent there was very good choices you always had a clean table they would be there straight away to take away your plates so you are ready to choice your next course.
The animation team were very friendly trying very hard to get you to join in the sport activities. Swimming pool was very nice. There were plenty of sun lounges and you only had to walk out of the gate and the beach was there.
There are lots of shops we didn’t do them all because there are so many. Some of the evening shows were a bit boring but we had a laugh. Some of the trips were not very good value for money sozopol & riverboat, varna the gem of the black sea but I do recommend khan's tent it is excellent food and cabaret it is definitely worth the money. This was our first holiday abroad and we enjoyed it that much we would go again.