Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: Thomson Holidays
June 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : sue parry (43,40,13)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
we went to albena beachclub for a week in june 2007, had a great time but have to say the food WASNT GOOD and the bar service was AWFUL, limiting drins to two per person! Yet in the restaurant the foreigners could eat and waste as much as they wanted and were arrogant enough not to queue not like the british.... but failing all that bulgaria is a must if u wanna chill, weather was really hot. met sum loveley people, english, germans, romanians an bulgarians. sue,john an joe.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice - June 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Mcalindon (30, 29, 9, 5)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just back from a week All Inclusive at the Albena Beach Club Hotel.
Weather was fantastic, couple of thunderstorms but cleared up very quickly. Transfer time was 3 hours from Bourgas Airport which wasnt so good since in the brochure it says 45 minutes and Varna airport is only half an hour from the resort. Hotel room was nice, we were on the fourth floor with a sea view. Very clean, maid service every day with fresh towels. Minibar stocked up every day with juice, chocolate and alcohol, very tempting! Beach was lovely and clean. Kids and husband enjoyed the watersports closeby. We generally used the pool at the sister hotel as it was larger and had a kids pool as well. Was a good place to go if looking for a relaxing weeks break but not if your looking for plenty to do. Little or no entertainment at night so made use of the train going into the town most nights which was cheap and regular, train came every ten minutes.
Big problem we found was the food. Lack of variety, strange concoctions, (sausage stuffed with cheese anyone?) luke warm and unappealing. Kids and I lived on chips pasta and rice, even husband who'll normally eat anything struggled to find something edible. Snack bar does pizza, chips and mini burgers every day but even they didnt look very appetising. Found that the majority of the foreigners didnt grasp the queuing system at the buffet! Ate out at the steak house nearby which was nice, staff friendly and attentive, cheap prices. Avoid the chinese in the town, not that the food was bad but the curry was anything but and had raw carrots all through it!
Apart from the food situation we did have a fab weeks break, would definitely go back to bulgaria but probably somewhere a bit livelier and with a shorter tranfer time.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice - May 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Terri Neugebauer - March (67,58,55,49,31,26,5,4,1)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Hi have read some bad reviews for this hotel,,, if you are booked dont worry we had a fantastic holiday.
Albena is a great resort, the hotel could not be any closer to the beach and the Bulgarian people are very friendly if you are to them.
Bulgaria is also still very cheap to buy anything and everything.
The hotel is imaculatly clean and the food was fantastic. Some of my group found it a bit samey towards the end of the two weeks as with any all inclusive.One of the my children is very picky about what he eats but there was always something he liked.
We did not want to come home...
There is not much entertainment in the hotel and when there is it is such a tiny space that not many people can sit and watch, but we made our own entertaiment being in a big group.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: first choice - 2007
Opinion submitted in July 2007 by : naomi coates- lancaster ( 52, 44, 22 ,17 , 2)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
we arrived in albena for our 3rd vist so knew the resort well , we expected from the hotel our usual friendly bulgarian greeting, how wrong were we .
the reception staff cold not get us checked in fast enough no friendly smile at all. the rooms ( we had 2 ) were comfortable i must admit , we were sold this holiday as a 4 * but would struggle to give it 2 * . the bar staff were everyones worst nightmare, the hotel is all inclusive but you are regulated by 1 surly bar lady to 2 drinks even though in our party there were 4 adults.gets to 10.50pm and she goes into overdrive with this as after 11pm you have to pay for your drinks. we got into a group of english people every night and thats when she really went for it , accusing us of getting everyones drinks for them as if that mattered to her we were as i stated all inclusive. several of us complained to the reps and were told the bar was their worst nightmare and they had told them but nothing changed, the food was recycled night after night and was very poor, all the people we made friends with went down with severe tummy bugs and sickness lasting several days.
the resort itself is very clean and cheap.i would not reccomend this particular hotel to anyone.there was no entertainment at the hotel it was all next door and very poor, nothing at all for my 2 year old grandson.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice - 2007
Opinion submitted in June 2007 by : Bruce, Barbara, David 43, 42, 10
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
This was an all inclusive holiday. It consisted of 2 sister hotels, S & M. We stayed in the S which was the quieter one of the two, the M had a large reception area, consisting of comfy seats and a bar with several bar staff and the ice hockey table games which you couldnt see but could hear. This was ideal if you wanted to be in a noisy busy atmosphere. The S hotel bar/reception was much calmer, there were some nice comfy softas and a TV screen and a couple of computer games screens set up, a small stage where the entertainment was (on a small fairly intimate scale) - we only stayed for one Mr & Mrs game one night, only because in the evenings we liked to walk into the town (about 20 mins walk - or you can catch a 'noddy' train very cheaply and frequently)and get some fresh air and have a couple of drinks somewhere else etc. So the other evening entertainment we cant comment on. The bar in the S hotel was only manned by one person, so it never got really busy whilst we were there. All the local drinks, ie gin, vodka, rum, wine, beer etc are all free you have to pay for anything imported, ie baileys, and cocktails. The measures were very generous.
The hotel was clean, the rooms were clean, - we did have a faulty lock on the sliding doors to the balcony but we reported it and it was fixed that morning. We had a great view overlooking the beach which was lovely - the sea was safe for kids etc as you could go out quite a way before it got deep. The location of the hotel is brilliant, right on the sea front. two small pools belong to the hotel plus a small indoor pool but the nicer bigger pool area which we used belongs to the Gegano hotel next door. One thing I dont know if it was the time of year we went but at 6.00pm everybody had to dissappear from the pool area so the pool man could put all the beds away.
We were very satisfied with the food in the hotel, plenty to choose from, all varieties from plain meats, ie roast beef, chicken, to local type dishes mainly pork and chicken varieties, vegetables, plenty of salads, bread, sweets and the fact you could just go and pour yourself a glass of white or red bulgarian wine however many you wanted was fantastic. The staff do like to keep tidying up your table and clearing dishes, so if you do have something on your plate and you go off to get another drink or something, eware your plate might have disappeared when you get back!
During the day the animation team set up volley ball games, bowls, darts if you wanted to join in.
All in all we had a great relaxing holiday, we didnt venture out of the resort only to go to the aqua park in Golden Sands, but there are plenty of places around that you could visit, taxis, buses etc are all reasonable prices.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice- October 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Louise Sayer- Peterborough (24 & 24)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
The beach in Albena is beautiful. It's very clean and the sand is so soft. Maybe it was just the time of year but there were a lot of jellyfish in the sea which meant we couldn't really go swimming.
The resort center is again clean, with lots of greenery. A good view is from the panoramic hotel in the center called DOBRUDJA, this also does very nice cakes!
There are some shops runing down one street, and there are 2 small trains to get you round the resort but it can be walked quite easily.
Going out at night in Albena in October is not that exciting, most places are shutting down for the winter. People who are open welcome you in but there is a lack of atmosphere when you are the only 2 people! Anyone going in October should consider this as we didn't expect it. In the height of the season I'm sure it would be much better and there are some nice bars around.
The hotel was poor. We had read some bad reviews on different sites about the hotel but I believe you should judge yourself. I wish we hadn't. The food is quite bad and very repetative. It just feels like being in the school dinner hall. We went out to eat quite often which obviously is not the point of all inclusive. Getting a drink meant waiting for one poor bar man to serve you a weak half pint in a plastic cup- only 2 drinks at a time which was fine for us but a pain for families i'm sure.
Our room had a very damp smell to it, even the bed covers smelt damp which was awful and it was quite cold as the room never got any sun. This room was 212. The hotel was full so we couldn't move sadly.
We also ended up giving a tip to the porter which annoyed me because all we had was large notes as we had just arrived. I have no problem giving tips but I felt this was a little unfair.
I wouldn't stay at this hotel again, really the only positive was that it was right on the beach but so were many other hotels. For couples of our age I would suggest staying in the resort of Golden Sands which has more to offer and the hotels look much nicer.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: Bulkan Holidays- September 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : Tom Wilkinson (61,60)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
I would not recommend Albena Beach Club to anyone,
the Hotel was clean and our room was fine and kept clean. The food was terrible, most of the hotel staff unfriendly some even rude. Entertainment was rubbish and at another Hotel ( Gegano) where drinks had to be paid for even though you were on an all inclusive holiday. one day it rained all day and the animators were no where to be seen, so there was nothing to do. Albena Beach club has a lot to learn about all inclusive. I agree with previous comments about this hotel.
Albena is lovely and there are some great places to eat out and very reasonably priced, if we went again it would be on a Bed & Breakfast basis and to another Hotel.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: August 2006
Opinion submitted in January 2007 by : Linda,Ray,Nikki and Richard (57,69,30,46)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Reading other reviews I have to agree that this hotel is not up to scratch. It is a shame because the position is wonderful and the beach is lovely. The rooms were cleaned very well but I too saw the ice cream cone and wondered how long it would be before someone picked it up. When we arrived our toilet was leaking,making the room smell. We reported it several times but it was not sorted out for a week, when the First Choice Rep.had us moved us to another room. We noticed that someone else was soon in the room, presumably without the toilet being mended. The Rep (I think her name was Maya) was excellent, the best we have ever had.
The food was the worst thing, it was never hot. Three of our party were ill. I had a stomach bug for a week and my husband and I developed terrible colds, which seemed to be going around. We saw people sneezing over the food and also people tasting something from the buffet and putting the spoon back! The wine in the restaurant was OK but the wines and beers at the bars were terrible. The barstaff in reception were very surly and seemed as if they didn't want to serve you. I reported my stomach upset to the Rep and she said that other people had it as well.
The balconies had wire on them, presumably to stop children getting through the bars but the bottom of the wire was razor sharp and I cut my foot on it.
We did like Bulgaria and would like to go back but not to this hotel. We went to Golden Sands twice which we liked very much, lots of shops and nice hotels. Go on the big wheel, it's great.
The town of Albena was very nice, with shops, stalls where they take your photos dressed in old clothes and a lovely park with crazy golf. We did a trip to Varna, visited the cathedral and shops and also went to a wine tasting (dosed up with Imodium!!)and watched the football at the Caribi bar which is next to the hotel. We ate there one night and also at a Chinese which was nice but still not HOT!
The bar after the Caribi bar (I think it was called 'the old oak' served good food and there was some good entertainment there (don't miss the human 'slinky' he's very good)
My husband always said he would never go All Inclusive, but my daughter persuaded him. I know he will never go A.I. again and quite honestly it has put me off.
I hope these reviews will prompt the owners to improve things and make it a decent hotel.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: first choice aug 31st 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : anthony and sandra 29-43
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
I would not recommend staying at Albena beach club.
On the plus side the rooms are nice and they are clean, the hotel situation is on a lovely beach and the reception staff are nice and friendly.
On the down side the food is terrible and is usually cold the food in the snack bar is worse. The bar staff are ignorant, drinks are served in paper cups day and night whether drinking inside or out. The entertainment is diabolical, daytime entertainment is gymnastics, step arobics and darts. Evening entertainment is 9 till 10 pm at the next hotel carried out by the animation team which is rubbish and you have to carry your drink in the paper cup over with you which the bar staff seem quite relucant to serve you. There was a ice cream spilt on the stairs leading to the room it was there for 3 days.
Luckly we had good weather otherwise we would of come home earlier.There was families with young kids who were stuck at the hotel every night as there was nothing for them to do. We ate and drank out every night. Caribi was ok owner Zak was very nice as well as bar staff. The next bar along was good with entertainment and really good food. Recommend fiesta bulgaria trip with first choice.
Our advice is to take plenty of money, although the hotel is allinclusive you will probably not want to spend your evenings there.
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Albena Beach Club Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: first choice - 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : s collins- southampton (21-23-42-44-55-60)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
this is the 2nd time we have visited albena, the resort itself is superb, very clean, very friendly and safe for children. it is very cheap to eat out at night, the food at peter's place is superb value for money, they do great steaks and the staff very friendly.
This time when we went, we stayed at the albena beach club, big mistake! it was all inclusive, but the service for this was rubbish, although breakfast was very good, the staff that clean the tables were not very friendly, they had a job to smile let alone say good morning! the pool that we shared with the next hotel was lovely, watch out for the deep step into the water, especialy if you have young ones, as this step is not sign posted, it would give a little one quite a fright. as for the all inlcusive, we checked out the area for day time snacks, and felt we were back in the school dinner hall, and the food being worse than I can remember at school! we never went back there again! we never went into the dining room for our ening meals, it was just too hectic, people running all over the place andkids screaming, I spoke to one lady and she told me twice her chicken was pink in the middle, that was enough for us not to eat there!
our room although very big for 2 people had so much wrong with it, our shower broke 3 times and it got embarrassing to keep asking them to fix it, which they did each time by just hanging it back on the wall! our balcony door did not lock, not good when you are on the first floor! the maid servce was every day, but when they changed our sheets, they replaced them, with sheets with stains on them, also our air con leaked.
the all inclusive drinks part?, you could only have local beer in paper cups, if you wanted spirits you were limited to which ones, vodka was ok, no local brand whiskey or white rum, so you had to pay for those. you were limited to only having 2 drinks at a time, not good when you are in a party of 6! breakfast was served from 730am. for those early risers, there is no where to get a cuppa before this time, once the resturaunt closes at 1030am the pool side bar will serve you tea and coffee, but not a minute before! they stick to times, like being in the army!
if you smoke? buy your cigs before you go to bulgaria, in the some of the shops they will tell you they can get english cigs but they are fake, and complete waste of money! one day we walked along the beach to the right of the hotel,past the nudist beach and there are a few bars and cafes up there, we ate there twice and it was even cheaper than in the resort, I never thought it could get any cheaper! just along from our hotel, heading toward the market is a bar called caribi, it is owned by zack, we met him when he was a waiter in a hotel we stayed in before, and now he has his own bar! he is very nice and will ask you what you want from your holiday and will guide you on where to go, he also changes money at a good rate, the hotels change money too, but no as good as the rates in the bars.
A lot of the toilets are not too clean and you normaly are expected to leave some small change after, make sure you carry tissues with you!
to sum our holiday up, while not in the hotel, we had a fantastic time, albena is superb, the beach is the nicest I have seen in europe, the weather was great, people friendly, and the food scrummy.I would not advice anyone to stay at the albena beach club, but would say go to albena, the whole resort is wonderful.
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Hotel Borjana - Albena
Operator and Date: (Balkan Discounts) Balkan - July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Anji Devlin - Glasgow (37,44,15,7)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We stayed at the Hotel Borjana in Albena due to booking on AOA and couldnt believe how lucky we were as we only booked 2 weeks before departure.
The hotel is extremely clean and very comfortable, rooms are of a good size and if u are lucky enough to get interconnecting rooms as we had too because we had a 15 yr old and a 7 yr old, then u will be over the moon. The maids are very nice especially Maria who put fresh flowers in my room when i was ill (with a hangover lol)This is a German based hotel and the food is geared towards the Germans so was not for us, to eat out is better and very cheap.
I can definately reccommend the Poco Loco its wonderful and very lively kids will love it. Beware of mosquitos as i was bitten 3 times so better to take some repellent with u. Hotel is right on the beach and honestly u couldnt ask for a better location, loads to do on the beach try the parachutes (from a speedboat) its fab and costs 50 leva for 2 ppl, 40 leva for 1 person. Also beach volleyball, jet skis and the banana boat are a must, the bulgarian ppl are sooooo friendly. Also in the resort of Albena are bike hire and what my daughter called Chuckle Mobiles this is like a 4 wheeled bike which seats 4-6 ppl and costs 10 leva for an hour but a great way to see some of the resort as are the mini trains, they are a must.
Take sterling cash with u instead of travellers chex as the exchange rate is much higher there is an exchange desk in the Borjana DO NOT TAKE SCOTTISH NOTES they wont accept them. also in the hotel is internet at a cost of 7 leva an hour as well as a small shop selling almost everything from clothes to suntan lotion to li-los. pool is tremendous very clean and well looked after closes about 6pm at nite when all the germans go for their dinner :) all in all we had a wonderful time but going to try Sunny Beach next year as already been to Golden sands (like Blackpool) im sure u will enjoy the resort and this truly great hotel if u are lucky enough to stay there.
yours truly Anji Devlin
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Hotel Boryana - Albena
Operator and Date: (Balkan Discounts) Balkan tours-july 2005
Opinion submitted in Feb 2006 by : The Wilsons and the Cambells 10,7,13,14,18,41,41,39,40 from N.Ireland
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Went to Bulgaria with an open mind as i had never been before. When we got to the hotel it only took 10mins to get checked in the staff where very friendly and couldnt do enough for you.the weather was brill a bit too hot at times and our hotel was right on the beach which was a bonus.
The beach is 1 of the best i have ever been to it is very clean and the sea is pure blue and very clean aswell. Make sure you keep all your bags and belongings with you at all times when you are at the beach or at the pool cuz my mum was lying by the pool with her bag beside her and someone stole it on her with my dads passport in it so that put a bit of a dampener on the hol. there is only 1 night club so wouldnt suggest any1 to go who is looking to go clubbin all the time but is a great place for familys and older couples.
hada great hol and am returning again this summer.
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Hotel Bratislava - Albena
Operator and Date: Blachan Holidays August 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Kevin & Lisa Goulden - Leigh, Lancs
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The hotel was clean and adequate if in need of modernisation. At least the rooms had carpet! The hotel bar staff were lovely, Didi and Tina. They make you feel so welcome and are genuinely lovely people. We found this to be the case wherever we went in Albena. Very friendly and genuine. The Tropical Bar just outside the hotel was great. Good food nice surrounding and Plamen behind the bar is completely mad. He makes great cocktails and is good fun. Prepare to be insulted though! Poco Loco is a great allrounder. The staff dance and entertain you while you enjoy fabulous food.
If you enjoy a good deep massage you must go to one of the massage huts along the beech path. I went to the one at the end of the path the bar actually on the beech. She found stress knots that had been in there for years. I felt quite emotional after but it was great I wish I had gone earlier in the week, I would have certainly had another (only 10lev).
The taxi's are great - negotiate a price and they will take you wherever you want to go. They will wait for you and stop off wherever you want to. They drive quite fast though - beware! The buses were quite crowded and hard to find.
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Hotel Dobrudja - Albena
Operator and Date: (Balkan Discounts) Balkan Holidays - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Karl Lane - Birmingham (39,36,13,11,5)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
Albena was a fanatastic resort. Extremely well planned, clean and well maintained streets and gardens. I would recommend it to anyone. There was plenty to do on the beach (very efficient lifeguards) and the hotel had 3 excellent swimming pools.
My main gripe was with the accomodation which was in need of refurbishment, and the Bulgarians themselves, who generally have a lot to learn about customer service.
We went half board and the hotel food was better than I was expecting, although it pays to get to the buffet early to guarantee hot food and the best choice. The guests (mainly German) quickly devour the best offerings like a plague of locusts.
Beware the little black beetles which seem to plague the resort (only in August by all accounts). If you are on a high floor you should have less of a problem. The first room we were allocated seemed to have a nest behind a radiator and we were eventually moved after I spent the night killing them in the room. My wife had them in her hair on a couple of occasions after walking around the resort in the evening. Also take the mozi repellant.
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Hotel Dobrudja - Albena
Operator and Date: (Balkan Discounts) Balkan Holidays - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Steven Swailes - Cleckheaton 43, 38, 14 & 11
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
The plus side....The hotel is central and close to all ameneties and the beach.
The negative side....The hotel is listed as four star, but was not up to much. The rooms were adequate but in desperate need of refurbishment.
The food in the resturant was the worst part of the whole holiday. The variety was very limited and the food always seemed to be cold or luke warm at the best. They are obviously aware of the probelm as they provide a microwave for you to heat everything up. We ended up having to eat out.
The food and drink in the resort is really cheap thankfully.
The choice of food is very limited. Everywher seems to have the same menu. There are no foreign restuarants except for one Chinese. That is run entirely by Bulgarians and the menu is very limited.
There are no fast food outlets (A plus in my book)
The resort itself is very nice, clean and trouble free. It is idea for a family holiday.
The beach is excellent and the sea is very safe. The are lifeguards every 100 yards or so.
The evening entertainment is limited. There is only one English style bar, The Tropical Cafe. The staff are very good and they have a decent four piece rock/pop band and Elvis impersonator. You do get fed up with the same thing every night though. There doesn't seem to be anywhere else to go.
Took a taxi to Golden Sands once. About £12 return which I thought reasonable. The place is very much like Albena but still made a change.
On a night there are lines of pr*stitutes on the main street and near the hotel, however they do not bother you if you are with a family or girlfriend etc.
A really bad point is that all the family went down with diarrhoea and sickness. It seemed to go round, and just when you think you are OK it comes back again.
Be prepared for plenty of trips to the two nearby chemists Immodium Plus is about £2.50 for six tablets. I spent about £40 on the stuff!
The bug seemed to be effecting a lot of people and not just those from the same hotel.
Overall the holiday was alright but I wo'nt be rushing back there.
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Droujba Hotel - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : P Shaw & D Kenny both 22 Albena
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
After convincing my friend into going somewhere a bit different. Towards the usual sun sea sand and whatever else you can manage destinations like spain and Greece. We found Bulgaria a surprise , many would think that is an communist backward place that the Enlgish don't go to go. They would be wrong we are in the minority but is that a bad thing? I'm only 22 and me and my friend have been on holiday to the livelier places and although we were looking for somewhere quieter this year Albena has something for young an old .
The main street has a lovely market whith lots of craft ice cream and sunglasses stalls. Albena is a very clean resort with a lovely beach and very friendly people. It's a more laid back atmosphere than golden sands and Sunny beach. which is to its advantage, as it gets less crowded but still is home to lots of bars and resteraunts. Without the packed conidtitions other resorts have the PR workers to dont annoy you. Albena has two nightclub that are open to 7 in the morning and one or two strip clubs. The main problem is the h**kers that walk up and down the main market street from about 7 onwards. However they will not bother families and couples. It was a different story for single men though, but they learnt we weren't interested and actually they have a sense of humour about it as they watched us run away.
My mate and I made lots of new friends some I still emailing.Especially drinking till 3 or 4 in Tropicana cafe where they have a live band and two Elvis impersonators storm( an elvis mini me) and an older one whos not to bad. If anyone goes in there say hello to the bar maids from Phil and kenny they will remember us. Id also recommend poco loco as the waiters and waitresses dance with you and the beach bar for karaoke. ON THE MARKET STREET THERE IS ALSO A STALL FOR PAINTING (ONE RUN BY TINA SAY HELLO TO HER!) WHERE PARENTS CAN LEAVE THERE CHILDREN TO PAINT SMALL POT ANIMALS WHILE THEY GO AND DRINK OR WHATEVER ;-). .........
The hotel iself is clean but basic the bar opens 24hrs and the staff are helpful. Zac the waiter will talk for hours about football!
Overall for the price we paid it was an amzing holiday I would defiantly go again .Anyone looking for a cheap and slightly different, but not as different as you would expect id urge to visit.if you want the nightlife its easy to find if not there lovely beaches and lots of watersports to take part in and best of all beers and food is fairly cheap!
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Hotel Drouzba - Albena
Operator and Date: balkan holidays sept 2006
Opinion submitted in October 2006 by : 49 years & 50 years
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
we have just been to bulgaria for the first time. what a dissapointment, the hotel was very basic although clean, we had to walk across an open yard to the hotel for breakfast this hotel closed while we were there and we then had to go to another hotel and as it rained for most of our stay we did/nt bother as the food was nasty and cold. we found the hotel to be the most expensive place to eat and drink. poco locos was lively and food pretty good. we enjoyed dundys food and if you want a quiet drink and a warm welcome go to the cocktail bar.
the h**kers are very in your face and seemed to use our hotel a lot and are out in force both day and night not very nice.the beach seems to be clean and life guards are in attendance.the baverian bar at the back of the medical centre was very good , meals and drinks at cheap prices , and choice was vast.
im affraid we wont be back to bulgaria and balkan airways needs to train its staff again, they made us feel like they were doing us a favour by letting us on the flight, the pilot never once spoke to the passengers, no inflight entertainment and between belfast and leeds we thought we had no staff on board.
sorry to say we had a terrible holiday from start to finnish.
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Hotel Drouzhba - Albena
Operator and Date: Travalmax - June 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : Hazel Nicoletti - Belfast (41,38,16,9,3,45,36,6,3)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have been to Hotel Drouzhba in Albena twice. It has to be the most friendly and comfortable hotel that we have ever stayed in, they all make you feel so welcome and at home. The food in the hotel is very good and you are just around the corner from the pool and the beach. Our favourite eating places are Poco Loco, Izvora,Staria Dub, Peter's House,Tropical,La Bomba and Slavianski Kat. The resort is all flat therefore it is suitable for anyone with walking difficulties. The staff in the bar and waiters are good fun they are called Danny,Zak,Vinnie,Sven and Mike. Ivor is the boss he is very good to our children,he gives them free sweets all the time. He even rang us one day when we got home to see how we all were.
We are going back again now in 24th June, can't wait neither can the kids.Highly recomended for families and a very relaxing holiday with brilliant people.
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Hotel Drouzhba - Albena
Operator and Date: Travelmax.co.uk - June 2005
Opinion submitted in Mar 2006 by : Hazel Nicoletti - Belfast (41,38,16,9,3,14,18)):
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have now stayed in hotel Drouzhba in Albena twice, 2004 and 2005. The hotel staff are very friendly. Their names are Zak,Mike,Sven,Vinny and the boss Ivor. The hotel is situated on one of the little shopping streets, it is only around the corner from the beach and the pool. The breakfast taken in the Slavianka next door is very nice they have all kinds of food, they even have a healthy eating table laid out with all types of low fat foods. The best eating places are Izwora, Poco Loco, Peter's House,Tropical,Staria Dub,La Bomba and Rai. The beaches are very clean and so are the pools.
The resort is totally flat so it is suitable for anyone with walking difficulties or the elderly. Also there is plenty to do for the kids,plenty of amusements. The hotel rooms are cleaned every day and the cleaners are very nice. Ivor the boss is very good to our kids, giving them free sweets etc. It is a very homely place and everyone is so friendly and helpful. Ivor rang me last summer to thank me for some traditional soevenirs that we sent him to put up in his new Irish bar. Looking forward to seeing them all again this June,2006 can't wait counting the days.
Would recommend this hotel and resort to anyone who is looking for a good relaxing and enjoyable holiday.
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Hotel Druzhba - Albena
Operator and Date: Sunstart-June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Loraine and Party(44,43,23,22,22,22,21)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Third visit in last twelve months and once again an enjoyable holiday.
Prices have remained stable with a pint of Lager around £1:00 and meal between £3:00 and £6:00.
For a top quality meal try the Old House on the promenade.
Beware the man at the MAXI shop next to the Druzhba Hotel,he will be waiting for you on arrival offering english cigarettes DO NOT BUY THESE they are copies and are very dangerous.
If you are given rooms above this shop be warned that if you leave decent clothes on the washing line he may come along and cut the line during the night and be away with your clothes which happened to two of our party.
Will be back in Albena shortly looking for a well dressed man selling fake ciggies
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Hotel Druzhba - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Lucie Bonham - Cambridge
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
My boyfriend and I went to Albena last week on a last minute deal to Bulgaria with First Choice. We didn't really know what to expect because neither of us had known anyone who had gone there.
I have been to Turkey and Greece a few times, and Bulgaria is as nice as, if not better! We were really impressed with the standard of the accommodation at the hotel. It was a 2* hotel, but was better than some of the 3/4* hotels I have stayed in. Although the accommodation was basic, it was all we needed. Nice beds, a balcony, a good sized bathroom with a shower (amazing water pressure) and a bath.
It was B&B and the food was plentiful - you eat in another hotel called the Slavyinka - and although it is quite geared towards the Germans, it was delicious. Plenty of fruit and pastries.
We had a lovely time in Bulgaria - we're really sad to be back! The weather was gorgeous, the hotel is in a fab location for both the beach and the restuarants and bars. I would highly reccommend a trip to the Aquapolis - the waterpark in Golden Sands. It's 24 lev for a day, and taxis there and back are cheap. Actually Bulgaria on the whole is really cheap!
I would throughly reccommend both the hotel and resort.
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Hotel Druzhba - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : Alan & Lesley Brown (48, 58)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
This was our first trip abroad for 24 years and we choose Bulgaria because it was unusual. We were pleasantly surprised.
The hotel is very basic but it was clean and the rooms were comfortable but there is not a lot of storage space so it you take loads of clothes you may be hard pushed to find enough space.The reception staff were very helpful and very efficient and they speak excellent English.
We wanted to see as much as we were able so booked the organised tours and these are very expensive- the equivalent trip would have cost the same in England but unless you have the confidence to hire a car, these would be your only way of seeing Bulgaria. We did the Danube trip (£31 each which included lunch), Balchik Botanical Gardens (£20 each)and Nessebar (£31 each which included lunch). The food is beautiful(fresh salads and vegetables), we tried loads of different places to eat and our favourites were Poco Loco (which has excellent dance entertainment) and Izwora Restaurant on the sea front (ask for Thomas). The beach was white sand and the sea clean. There were plenty of sunbeds always available.
We took £600 spending money and were spent this although the cost of drinks and food is very cheap. There are 2.80 levs to each GBP and Albena is dearer than other parts of the Bulgaria. The cost of 500 ml of local beer is 2.50 levs and a bottle of wine in a restaurant is 9 levs. A starter salad is approximately 4/5 levs and a pizza is about 8 levs. A steak meal would cost appoximately 13/16 levs.
We travelled to Varna on the local bus (no problems) but be VERY careful when you disembark, the pick pockets and low lifes are waiting for you. Once away from the bus stop, just be vigilent and it would be advisable not to carry a video camera in Varna. The Cathedral and sea side park are well work seeing. The costs of food/drink in Varna is half that of Albena but in Albena you are very safe.
We took local bus to Dobrich and were targetted by three young girls but despite their best efforts, we foiled their attempt to rob us - just be careful. Lovely town and well worth seeing. Nessebar is gorgeous & very touristy but that is why you are there. The harbour cafe has lovely setting & it very friendly and nice food. Most of the restaurants in Albena are very good but if you like dark beer, try the Beer Kellar at the far end of the resort near the Arabella.
We are going again next year to try Golden Sands. Hope this summary helps.
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Hotel Druzhba - Albena
Operator and Date: SUNSTART
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : BRIAN STALLARD OLDHAM (51,46,40,39)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
The last time I went to Bulgaria was in the Communist Era. Then it was ultra cheap, but the food was awful. You were given food vouchers to dine at any restaurant. After examining the extensive menu (in Cyrillic)the confusion was immediately relieved on learning there was but one choice - usually mutton, stale bread, boiled potatoes and shopska salad which was the only edible item. It was covered in grated sheep cheese. You can still try it and is delicious.
What a change this time. The food is varied and tasty. Plenty of choice and very cheap. I would endorse another corresponent by recommending Bar 789 just past the galleon ship. It is just outside the boundary of Albena and is even cheaper than the other restaurants. It is full of Communist artifacts and has friendly service. We were on B & B which I would advise as eating out is cheap and fun. Breakfasts were excellent with a wide choice, all served buffet style.
The hotel was excellent value for money, faily basic but clean and comfortable. There is TV in the rooms to help you brush up on your Bulgarian! The bar is 24 hour and have very friendly bar staff. The only friendly people you should avoid are the "ladies of the night" who are numerous, but will not bother you if you are a couple or a family.Albena is mainly German and the Bulgarians call it Germantown. Prices, of course, are quite a bit higher than in Bulgaria generally which you will find out if you go to Varna or other places such as Dobrich and the nearby fishing village of Balchik- all worth visiting from the bus stationw which is at the entrance to the resort The bus station is either a half hour walk or you can catch the mini train.
Taxis MUST be carefully negotiated. However they do not seem to have much trade. We took the taxi to Balchik at 7pm and asked to be picked up at 11pm. After an hour or to we walked back to near where she dropped us off and thre she was - waiting. We did the decent thing and took her to a bar for a drink. However be careful in Varna as there are pickpockets who are very clever. All in all - a great holiday
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Hotel Elitsa - Albena
Operator and Date: (Balkan Discounts) Balkan Holidays June/July 2004
Opinion submitted in July 2004 by : Jean and Richard - Lichfield (49,47,29, 27, 4)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just spent two wonderful weeks holiday in Bulgaria and I can definitely say we would go back again.
We stayed in the Elitsa Hotel in Albena, although the hotel was nice and clean, the food on the evening was not very warm so mostly we opted to eat out as the food is very cheap anyway. For outings catch the No. 1 mini train outside the Nono Hotel which is next door and it will take you up to the bus station, from there you can catch a bus to either Varna or Dobrich and it hardly costs anything. If you take a taxi it will cost you a lot more.
We went to Varna the first time in a taxi and the driver waited for us while we shopped then took us to the Dolphin place, and he waited again for us. The show was brilliant and well worth watching, and that doesn't cost very much either.
Went to Dobrich on the bus twice and had a brilliant time shopping, and the food and everything was a lot cheaper than Varna and Albena.
All the Bulgarian people are very friendly and mostly speak some English to get by with.
A lot of the restaurants along the beach front are good, especially the Rai Restaurant where the floor show is brilliant. Try especially the Green Parrot which is down the side of the Old House Restaurant - I had a steak there and it was cooked to perfection - medium rare and so tender. Say hello to George he will be very helpful and speaks reasonable English.
Also try Peters Restaurant at the bottom far end of Albena on the beach front, we had a barbeque platter which was for two people, but easily three or four people could have eaten it, and everything was properly cooked. Their red wine was especially nice "Brachus". It was so good we bought some in the shop and took it home.
Also a good place to eat in the centre of Albena was the Dragon Chinese Restaurant not very expensive and the food absolutely melted in your mouth, though it was a bit warm in there as they do not have air conditioning only fans located around the room.
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice Sept 2006
Opinion submitted in November 2006 by : Sian and Alex (22 and 28)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Well where to start. What a joke!!!
We decided to get a safe straight away as we had all cash due to being told the exchange rate was poor. 1st mistake because our safe was broken into within a few hours of having it, mobile phones, psp, £700 cash and digital camera amongst other smaller items. The police, staff and rep made this experience even worse due to their lack of empathy and cluelessness. Rep refused to translate our police documents when we finally received them a week later, and once we arived home we discovered she had failed to inform the police of several smaller items that were also in the safe. Were told we had to get money sent over from home and although my nan transferred £800 immediately we only received £200 a day later and the other £600 a week later!!!!!! Had to get up every day at 8 to fill in forms and were put up to all inclusive. We booked b & b due to the fact we didn't want all inclusive! Apparently though this was satisfactory compensation.
We had to go to the next hotel the Albena Beach Club to eat and just read the other reviews to back me up the food was inedible and cold and the smell made us retch, also no choice of drinks. This is only half of our fantastic holiday, and we were offered £50 compensation, tut tut, a visit to the solicitors I think!
For food Poco Loco is excellent, that was the only good thing...
Don't go!!!
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice - August 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : John Robert (25, 52, 50)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just arrived back from Bulgaria and overall have had an excellent time.
The hotel Gagana is an ideal choice for those looking to stay in Albena, the rooms while slightly dates are spotless and as has been written in other reviews the majority of staff are keen and friendly.
One negative was the quality of the breakfast which was not to a standard one would expect from a 4 star hotel. My only positive slant would be to think it is heavily tailored to the German guests with pancakes, hot dog sausages and bacon made up predominantly of rind on offer. The upside is that eating out is not expensive and a few mornings we skipped the hotels offering and ate at one on the many bars.
Every ten minutes a train runs around the resort at a cost of about 80p p/person. This is handy at night as the roads to and from the hotel is poorly lit with uneven pavements.
The beach is glorious with golden sands and is not overcrowded in the slightest. There are a number of water sport activities and for the best prices it is best to venture further down the beach away from the area around the hotels.
You very much get the impression that Albena is a developing resort; there is not a great deal to do after 11pm as most of the bars are shut or empty. The service can be patchy from the locals, a new phenomenon is having to pay to use the lavatories in restaurants or bars in which you are frequenting, when these turn out to be in terrible state you question why the hell you have to pay in the first place!
One day we visited Golden Sands - about £12 in a taxi one way. Whilst it was nice is seemed a little to commercial. Albena for its faults still feels very authentic, I got the impression Golden Beach was similar to Spain, which is no bad thing but much of a much.
A must see is the Poco Loco bar in Albena which is a dance Bar. All the staff are fantastic dancers and the show lasts a good few hours. Also the artists in ALbena are fab I recommend taking a picture if you are in the market for a reasonable hand drawn family portrait.
I fear ALbena may go the same way as Golden Sands as its popularity increases and the entry into the Euro will no doubt push the prices up. Overall I would recommend it for an ideal chill out - I think you may struggle to fill two weeks though. One week was enough for me.
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Hotel Gergana Beach - Albena
Operator and Date: JWT - August 2006
Opinion submitted in September 2006 by : Patricia Neary - Ireland (50,56,11)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Spent 2 weeks in the Gergana Hotel Albena in August 2006,it was the best holiday we have been on, the resort is very clean, and the staff were very friendly and helpful.
The rooms were cleaned every day and fresh linen every two days, the only fault was it was too small for three beds. The pool bar is brill espically Svetlio the head waiter,he treated us like royalty, he always made a point of coming over to us and shaking our hand. Anyone visiting there should go to The Old Oak just a few meters from Gergana Hotel, it was a thrilling night brill food and traditional entertainment,watch out for the Bulgarian Tom Jones he is hilarious, You will also be serenaded at your table make sure you have a few Leva to stick in his violin.For the best Sunday lunch go to Zak's just down from the hotel,just watch out for the bald headed waiter, he has a problem adding up the bill (normally in his favour. The Dotto train stops outside the hotel and takes you to the centre for just 2 leva, and runs untill midnight.
The centre has a wide choice of gifts, with lots of stalls, it mostly consists of Bulgarian craft, but there are a lot of shops selling designer fakes for a few leva, the poca Loca bar and resturant is very cheap food is good but can get busy around 8 o clock. Visit Balchik and try "Irish Rover" Bar for good food and great conversation, we paid a visit to the Botanical gardens, but be prepared for climbing lots of steps. Albena is a fantastic place to holiday,and there was plenty for the 11yr old to do. The lifeguard on the beach will change your money, sell cigs or will sell you bottles of his home made brew and its not for the faint hearted, it's def rocket fuel.
A visit to Dobrich is well worth it, as it is much cheaper, there are lots of shops selling good quality clothes and shoes, just watch out for the gypsie's, we were followed into one shop by 5 women, and the lady who owned the shop made us aware of them and told us to be careful, but thankfully the Gypsies knew we had been tipped off and so made a hasty retreat.
The weather was in the low 30's every day except for a 2 hour thunder storm one morning, the sea temp was about 27, and very clean, every night a big tractor travels up and down the beach cleaning it.
The funniest thing we saw was when the pony trekking went up the beach in the evenings a little man would run bare footed after the horses with a bucket and shovel waiting for droppings (he has the best flowers in bulgaria). We will def be going back next year..
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Hotel Gergana Beach - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice - Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : S. Donovan - Ireland
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Opinion:
A very nice holiday! We were pleasantly surprised. The hotel was clean and had everything you'd want. Food was very nice, plenty of choices. The rooms were very small, but clean, and the showers were strong and hot. No baths, unfortunately. Staff are fantastic. I recommend giving a fat tip to your dinner waiter or bar waiter early on, because when we did we got treated like royalty ever after! These guys get paid peanuts, so please tip! Entertainment staff were incredibly funny and hard working, even though some of the shows were pretty silly. Very child friendly and all families seemed to be very happy at the hotel.
The resort itself is small and quiet, so the second week can get a bit boring. But there is a cheap and easy bus system on the resort, so we took some day trips to Varna, Dobrich, and Balchik, which I would highly recommend. It gives a better idea of the "real" Bulgaria, and the shopping is very cheap. Everything in Albena costs at least twice as much as anywhere else, because Albena is privately owned. It's still good value compared to prices at home, but once you've been outside and know what the real prices are, it is a bit annoying.
The people are fantastically friendly, polite, helpful, and laid-back. Most people have outstanding English, especially the younger generation.
Highly recommended to families and people looking for a relaxing getaway.
The weather was fantastic, too!
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice - Aug 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Gill & Terry 52, 54
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just had our first holiday in Bulgaria and it was fantastic. This hotel is right on the beach and the hotel itself is really really nice. It's clean, bright, very reasonable in the restaurant and the bar. The evenings meals are well worth having for £4 an evening.
The resort is cheap, but most of the other resorts are cheaper, Balchick in particular is worth a visit, the market stalls are much cheaper than Albena. Good quality clothes and shoes really cheap. One warning, dont buy your cigarettes on the beach or anyone else selling them other than a shop, they are not the real thing. Once you are in the resorts, you cannot buy English ciggies anywhere, however a good substitute is Victory, they are just like ours. Your best bet is to buy your ciggies at your departure airport.
Try to use the Bulgarian eating places as they are so cheap, they may not look up to much, but they are great fun. The beach hut outside the Gergana is not as expensive as you may think, but if you have the Gergana to your back, turn right and walk up the beach, past the nudist beach and you will come to another beach hut, you must go in there, 4 of us had lunch, loads of beers and brandies, water and coffee etc and the bill come to 40 levs which is about £16 to us. Not each, but for all of us.
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: First Choice - July 2006
Opinion submitted in August 2006 by : Hannah - (20, 29)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading some mixed reviews here about Bulgaria and Gergana Hotel itself, we were pleasantly surprised with both the country and our accommodation.
Gergana Hotel is lovely - clean, smart and with many facilities. The lobby bar is quite posh, and overlooks the natural forest/lagoon, and it's open 24hrs! There is another bar near the entrance to the restaurant, with very friendly staff and a pool table and TV. Finally there is the bar next to the pool, where you can order delicious and very cheap food, and sit in the shade or the sun by the pool. All bars have an extensive cocktail list and many other drinks too!
The decor of our room, like others have said, wasn't exactly modern, but in all other respects it was fine - clean and everything in good condition. We hadn't paid the extra £20 or so for a sea view room, so our balcony overlooked the carpark, so if you don't want this be sure to specify you want a sea-view room!
The staff in the hotel were a mixed bunch - many were lovely, but some, such as one barman in the lobby bar and a waitress in the pool bar were a bit surly and made you think you were waisting their time!! All staff, indeed all Bulgarians in the resort spoke good English so communication was rarely a problem.
With regards to the resort, I would say it's perfect for families - everywhere we went there were playgrounds on the beach, funfairs, and about every activity you could think of. There are lots of bars and restaurants in the main bit of the resort (which is a 10/15 min walk from the hotel, or a ride on the little train) but it isn't exactly lively - for a couple it's fine, but I wouldn't recommend it for groups of friends wanting a lively clubbing holiday!
The food is quite samey in all the restaurants - a lot of barbequed meats, pizzas, salads etc - there didn't seem to be the same variety of restaurants that you will find in resorts in Spain or Greece, probably because Albena is a relatively new resort.
There are many possible trips - do go to Varna and eat in a non-touristy restaurant - it is soooo cheap, and makes you realised that the prices you thought were cheap in the hotel are actually expensive for Bulgaria! A large beer in the hotel is roughly £1.30, whereas in Varna you can get one for about 70p. We had a cocktail each, lunch each and a Baileys coffee each and the whole bill came to about £8!!
Also we went to the Dolphinarium which was good fun, and definately a place to go if you have kids as there's a cafe, gift shop etc too. We also went on a yacht trip to a beach up the coast which was a great day.
A couple of things I would mention are firstly the weather - I had expected it (stupidly) to be as hot and dry as somewhere like Spain or Greece, and it definately is a different climate. Most of the time it was gorgeous weather - about 29/30 degrees and sunny, although on two mornings is rained torrentially from about 10.30-12.00 - although when the rain stopped it only took half an hour for the weather to be hot and sunny again. We also had one overcast day. However the weather was generally fantastic and isn't really a problem as there's so much to do - unless all you want to do is lie in the sun from morning to night!
The other thing is to watch out for people trying to rip you off. As nice as most of the people are, we found out that they (as most workers in Bulgaria) are on an incredibly low wage, and literally work from 9 in the morning til 12 at night, so they're probably trying to get a bit of extra money out of the tourists. Make sure you get the right change back - one waitress gave me change for a 20 leva note instead of the 50 I gave her. I pointed it out to her the minute she gave me 4 leva change instead of 34, but she point blank denied I gave her a 50. I knew I did and so did she but there was nothing I could do - so I would advise paying with lower denomination notes where possible. We were only out of pocket £12 or so, but I was really annoyed, especially as we had previously tipped her very generously!! Also the hotel charged up way too much on our mini bar bill, which we realised too late. So just be careful and question anything you don't think is right.
In summary I would definately reccommend Bulgaria and the Gergana Hotel. The food and drink is very cheap (although we still managed to spend £500 between us on one week! Probably the trips that bumped up the cost though) and the country is just beautiful - the beaches are golden and the forests and nature just gorgeous. For what we paid for it I was impressed.
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - September 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : Terry Hollands - Swansea (54, 52,45,46)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
First time to Bulgaria. Didn't know what to expect. Upon arriving at Varna airport we wondered what we had let ourselves in for. The arrival lounge is what you would expect for Eastern Europe - drab and small and cramped. Watch out for the sign showing the time and temperature. There is also a reading for the current radiation level [normal when we were there].
Albena was a good resort specially created for the tourists. Long stretch of sandy beach and sea was warm with not too much of a tide. Plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas [fee for hire] or lay on the sand - you can purchase lilos there.
Hotel Gergana is at one end of the beach and is fairly quiet and secluded. Good pool which leads onto the beach so excellent position.
Rooms were good, two single beds and a set of bunk beds, with a small settee and coffee table. Mini Bar and TV with only one english TV program - BBC World [News].
There was a mix of staff, some very helpful, others a bit miserable. Food was very good, plenty of choice, usual buffet style food. The soups were especially good. Hotel caters for mostly German and British tourists.
The resort of Albena - There is a noddy train that takes you into the centre for 2 levs each or 3 levs return [approx 80p to £1.00] but for the return journey you can only return on the bus you went on so be careful. Taxi ride was 5 levs before 10pm and 10 levs after 10pm. There were four in our party so it was cheaper to go by taxi!
Only saw a couple of 'butterflys' [ladies of the night] and were told to beware of pickpockets but no trouble from that quarter.
Recommended places to eat and go for entertainment in Albena - Tropical Cafe to see Elvis performing in the evening. Poco Loco was the best - a small group performing but in between the waiters and waitresses entertained with dance [breakdancing, ballroom, modern] excellent night out. We had a job to spend our levs. Drink for 4 people for the whole evening came to about £15 with a generous tip!
Went on an excursion [£31 each] to 'Picturesque Bulgaria' - had excellent guide, went to prtified forest, bee farm, donkey ride, wine tasting, pottery demonstration, folk music and dancing and a meal with a local family in their home. Don't miss it!
Also went to the city of Varna [Taxi for 4 people return was 65 levs] Varna is the third biggest city but is quite run down [buildings and roads] but people were friendly, the young people were good looking, not many fat people there. Go to the the restaraunt where the locals eat we had a good meal with plenty of choice for about £2 each.
First Choice holiday rep was not very good, bit of a misery and not very friendly [makes you wonder why they take a job working with people!]
So in conclusion we had a good holiday in Bulgaria but would I go again? No I don't think so. It was a good holiday but nothing special! Be sure to spend all of your levs before going to the airport on the return jouney as they will only take euros [not even in Europe yet] in the duty free shop.
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice-sept 05
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : M.Byrne Manchester
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just returned from holiday at the Gregana.
It was a very clean hotel and the fooD was excellent. The only downside was that it was for us a bit to far out of the main part of the resort. We had to take the little train.It cost 2 lev each for one way ticket. So we could have bought the train by the end of the holiday. We also felt that the bars etc all closed quite early 123 at the latest . The Irish bar does good food and generous measures of Bulgarian brandy.Jerry and Bobby the waiters always made you feel welcome.
If you are changing money in the hotel go and see the evening cash girl Romannio (ITHINK THAT IS HOW YOU SAY IT)she is very helpfull unlike the younger girl during the day who is very surly and will only take english notes if they are in tip top condition! and will change from dealing with you if someone who is other than English comes to the desk.
If you are travelling with First choice my advice would be if you have avery early flight home try to prebook a late checkout at time of bookingyour holiday, as the hotel dont want to know once you have checked out. WE were not being picked up to fly home until 1 am but had to leave our room by 12 noon the previous day, YES 13 hours without accomodation. Yet our room was still empty when we left.After much complaining we got a them to provide a courtesy room so that people could freshen up.
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: JWT Travel - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Sept 2005 by : Joanne, Billy, Carl, 35,35,9
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
Just back from 2 weeks in Gergana, first impressions were, oh its far from the center of the resort, wrong it is perfectly situated, not to close but about 10 minutes walk or you can take the noddy train,(about 30p), The hotel is clean, and if you go to the restaurant is works out at 45levs for a family of 3 with drinks. thats about £16.00 , great value.The only downside to the hotel is that it caters mostly for Germans, not ready for Brits yet! Entertainment at night was awful, all miming to songs every night, just different titles.BUT DONT FRET just walk to the Staria Dub or the Raj restaurants for a drink(Very Cheap) and the entertainment is fantastic... ALTHOUGH for the best night go to POCO LOCO , the waiter/ress dance,sing and serve, they are very talented, and food is WOW!
The Bulgarian People are very talented and I cannot recomment enough that you take a photo of your children with you , or they can take one,they do beautiful portraits, we got one done for £45.00 sterling with a frame!! Carictures are great too...
DO NOT PACK MANY CLOTHES AS THEY ARE SO CHEAP!! especially the shoes.
OH MAJOR TIP.... Go out of the back of the hotel and turn right , go past the nudist beach and you will find Greaveno town on the right after about 15 mins walk, very cheap, 3 chicken& chips, 2 beers, 2 cokes and 2 hot chocolates and the price only about £7.00 !(water sports cheaper here also)
AS FOR TOURS, SAVE LOTS OF MONEY AND BOOK THROUGH WILLIAM , HES ON THE NUDIST BEACH
WE DONE 4 TOURS FOR HALF THE PRICE OF THE REPS.. SAY HELLO TO HIM FROM US, (GUINNESS AND MURPHYS) LOTS OF PEOPLE AT THE HOTEL WENT THROUGH HIM.(JEEP SAFARI) (DOLPHINS)etc. bye, enjoy Albena.
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2005
Opinion submitted in Aug 2005 by : Collette Carlin - Cornwall (41,41,11,6)
Resort Rating: Good
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
After reading different reports on the Hotel/Resort we were not sure what to expect, thankfully we were very pleasantly surprised. Our hotel was very clean and it's location at the end of the resort,was fairly quiet although it was only a 10min walk to the centre of Albena or you could take the 'noddy train' for a couple of Levs, these ran from early to very late. The couple of requests we made were dealt with by the hotel staff eg extra pillows.
The food was excellent and catered for all tastes - Breakfast - continental meats/cheeses, cooked eggs, bacon, sausages, eggy bread, beans etc), croissants/pain au chocolate (all warm and cooked freshly) fresh fruit, yoghurt, cerals sand lots of breads/rolls butters and jams and fresh pancakes cooked to order. Dinner - Soups, Salads, cold meats/cheeses,pasta/noodles,fish - each night had a choice of about 3/4 meats chicken/ pork/ gammon/ veal/ beef/ turkey etc)and a carved meat, veg, potatoes (various) , sauces, breads, about 12 deserts (incl ice cream)& fresh fruit, cheese crackers. There was also a childrens section just incase they didn't like the adult choices eg meatballs, chicken nuggets, chips etc. sausages etc. Eating out was also excellent and very cheap most restaurants/hotels had entainment too - try The Old Oak & Pocoloco.
The hotel staff were friendly and the Animation team worked nonstop (entertainment staff). The beach was very clean and safe for children (cleaned each day) and the hotel pool which the children and parents loved, kept very clean (lifeguards on patrol for both),the pool bar served excellent Pizzas. The rooms were kept spotlessly clean although could do with a bit of up dating but comfortable non the less and had air conditioning & mini bar. Albena was very nice, a long promenade ran along the front with restaurants/bars, gift shops, water sports, childrens entertainments (trampolines, water boats,etc) fruit shops etc. Albena town had lots of the above too and many craft stalls and shops, discos etc.
The resort felt very safe and had security posts at the entrance to stop all unwanted guests. Lots of places to visit nearby/far on excursions and reasonably priced (pirate cruise /Varna / dolphinarium/jeep safari/ Romania/ Balcik/ Bulgarian villages/Sunny Beach/Golden Sands/Nessenbar etc)- try to get outside the resort at least once and see the real Bulgaria. Buses are very cheap although sometimes unreliable and taxis very reasonable (although do set a price before you go).
All in all an excellent choice for a family - we'd return again. If you want a much livelier holiday try Sunny Beach or Golden Sands.
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: june/july 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : from 48 to 15
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
just had two great weeks at the hotel gergana albena
the resort is very clean lots to do, great bars lots of places to eat shopping, well ladies lots of good quality copys. but the best place for shopping is a place call dobric hafl the price of albena its very run down but its alot safer than varna and they leave you alone to have a good look round unlike the shops in albena they made you feel hemmed in .
the beaches in albena are safe and clean they cleaned the beach every day . the airport is like a black and white cold war film, and the roads are interesting! hire a car and see the country side its beautiful.
the animation team at the hotel are fantasic the shows are great lots to do during the day or just relax by the pool, cold at first but ok once you get in .the rooms are small abit tatty but very clean and the showers are hot and very powerful. our rooms were at the front of the hotel we had a veiw of the river, theres lots to see frogs, snakes, birds, terpins.
the food is good on the hole hot and plenty of it and the soups are bril when we go again we will get an apartment we had a look at them they large with two balconys and a lounge we never go back to the same place but iam booking again the poeple are great one word of warning if you see a tolet in the woods stay away and always carry a tolet roll
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Hotel Gergana - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - 2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : Woods family 34, 13, 10
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Fantastic Holiday, i went on my own with my two children, they thoughly enjoyed themselves, so did i.
Hotel was great, food was average. entertainment was good for the kids, lots of activities during the day, entertainers were fantasic.
Hotel was situated on the beach, would recommend that you opt for sea views as i went in june and it was the mating season for frogs, didn't bother me too much as i got used to the noise.
Town was about 10 Minutes away by noddy train, quite alot to do there, all different shops, a few restarants, be careful guys, you will be approached by prostitutes.
We also took a trip to the aquapark in which is 40 levs in a taxi.
Overall fantastic, very friendly people, met loads of friends, hotel staff were great. Also weather was great.
Would go back there again.
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Hotel Gergana Beach - Albena
Operator and Date: September 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : 48,44,19,18
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
BAD STUFF
1. 90% Germans, 10% English
2. Food is ok, but not a variety
3. Mosquitos squated all over our hotel room wall and we added to that
4. Didnt get a sea view room :(
5. All fell ill one after another during our stay, apperently Gastric flu was going around at the time and sooo many people were ill when we got on the coach to go to airport, i was also ill up to 2 weeks after we returned!!
6. Everyone smokes, including hotel staff while they are working, not nice if your not a smoker
7. Awful airport, really slow in and out, duty free not good, expensive in cafe and really small.
8. Pr*stitutes can be a problem but they didnt approach us at any time.
9. everything in the town closes at 10.
10. Helpful staff in the shops but very forward and make you feel that you haveto buy their goods.
GOOD STUFF
1. Lovely beach, white soft sand and sea is warm once your in
2. cheap foods and goods
3. Bulgarians are very talented, they make cute little crafts which are painted and made in front of you, and brilliant painters
4. Most people are very friendly
5. Good designer copys which are cheap, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior etc
6. Golden Sands is only 10 minute taxi ride away and nice place to visit, lots of shops and bars and MCDONALDS!!! very cheap and on the beach :)
Overall was an ok holiday i wouldnt rush to go back but it was nice to visit.
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Hotel Gergana Beach - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2004
Opinion submitted in June 2004 by : Michelle Hopwood - Ormskirk (32,28,1,1)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
We decided Albena was the resort for us as our first holiday abroad with our 1-year-old twin daughters. Wrong Choice is whom we booked with not First Choice.
1. Our flight times changed from 14.20 to 0625 with check in at 0400 (No fun with one year old twins) with a weeks notice.
2. Had to pay £44 excess baggage when we clearly knew we had taken less than normal. We managed to get rid of 21 kilos of baggage before we returned home. Funny that.
4. Sat on runway for 2 hours without a drink.
5. An arrival we found our very small "Family" room had only one cot in after First Choice confirmed 2 would be there. Upon speaking to the reception staff they said "Can't they both sleep in 1?" The mattress was a folded up duvet in the cots. When asked why only one cot was provided they said that the room was too small for 2. Where was one of our girls supposed to sleep then?
6. Room was so small once kids were in bed we sat in the bathroom to talk as it was too cold to sit on balcony.
7. We stayed on half board basis. Our mealtime was 17.30 to 1900. We entered restaurant at 18.30 on our first evening to find that by 18.55 desserts were cleared away. At 19.00 waiter came up to us tapped his watched and pointed his thumb to the door.
8. Lunchtime the second day we ordered 2 chicken and chips, one kebab and chips. Only one chicken and chips arrived after 20 minutes, which was FROZEN!!!!
9. 2nd Evening same waiter complained to a colleague under his breadth about the mess that the twins had made on the tablecloth!! Do they not have one year olds in Bulgaria?
10. The brochure claimed a covered swimming pool ON SITE!! We found this a 200m walk away at the next hotel. Not an easy distance with twin girls and all the paraphernalia that you need to go swimming.
11. First choice says that the beach is safe with families with young children as it has warm gently shelving waters. The sea and the swimming pool were FREEZING Hence why nobody was in them. The sea was full of seaweed and on our third day we discovered leeches along the waters edge and in the sea. Our 1 year old touched a jelly fish (unbeknown to us at the time they are harmless), which was not stated in the brochure.
12. The hotel is next to a protected natural forest!!! Ha Ha otherwise called a swamp. DO NOT GO IN JUNE, AS ITS MATING SEASON FOR THE FROGS and boy are they noisy morning noon and night!!
13. Children's section of swimming pool was 65cm deep. Our daughters could not stand up in it as they are only 62cm tall. Plus it was freezing.
14. Waitresses at lobby bar smoke whilst on duty so the reception is full of smoke as soon as you come in.
15. We were refused hot water to warm the babies' bottles at 10.05am as it was past breakfast time.
16. No daytime activities organised and the ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME was all in German. No baby changing facilities anywhere in the hotel.
17. The restaurant is separate from the hotel. You have to go down and up steps to get to it. Had to wait in reception for 20 minutes for storm to pass over before evening meal as would have been drenched. To get to beach with pushchairs you have to go out of the front of the hotel onto the main road round between the next hotel and the Gergana and past the swimming pool as the only other entrance entails stairs.
18. Lower floor has a pathway running along it. We had towels and clothing missing on several occasions.
19. Rep was only available at mealtimes and as we had to feed girls and ourselves in the short allocated time we never caught him to make our complaints known.
This hotel and resort is not ready for English holidaymakers. The Bulgarians seem friendly but not at the Gergana however the Shop owner and the maids are very very pleasant. The Hotel manager, Fritz, was also very helpful and went out of his way to rectify our problems. Still greeted us with a smile even though all we done was complain.
Won't be recommending First Choice, Albena or the Gergana
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - Aug 2005
Opinion submitted in Jan 2006 by : Diane Eccles - Kendal (40, 33, 8, 4)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
The Laguna Garden is a lovely hotel, good position near the beach & bars, very clean and all the staff were really helpful & friendly.
There was a good variety of food which really enjoyed especially breakfast but by the second week it had become much of the same & therefore we did eat out near the end of the holiday as it was so cheap (would recommend Poco Loco). Pool was great & didn't have any trouble getting sunbeds. The Green Parrot bar provided pool side snacks & drinks - the pizzas were yummy. Beach was lovely with playrounds dotted around for the younger ones. Ice creams were delicious and cost about 40p.
No hotel entertainment at night so it was a case of heading for nearby bars - found Club Tropicana & Poco Locos the best. If you have young children then they'll love the small fairground - we couldn't keep ours away. The atmosphere at night is buzzing and of course the drinks are cheap.
My husband did get propositioned by a lady of the night outside the hotel one night when having a ciggy so be warned!
The little train that goes round Albena is worth getting on so you can see all round the resort.
We went on a couple of trips - Bulgaria night which was fantastic with Bulgarian show and traditional Bulgarian food - as much to eat & drink as you could manage! Also went to Dolphin Show near Varna which the kids really enjoyed but also included in this trip was a visit to Varna which we hated - it was a different world to lovely Albena & opened your eyes to poverty in Bulgaria and the pickpockets & crooks - don't get me wrong, the place is modern with lots of shops but so many people constantly pushing you to buy things/begging/taxi drivers - we made the mistake of passing the taxi ranks & must have been asked about 20 times if we needed a taxi! Varna was not for us & couldn't wait to get back to Albena.
We really did enjoy Albena - it is good family resort with lovely, lovely people, great beaches & weather, cheap beer & food.
Only down side was that we all got stomach bugs at some point but fortunately did not last too long or spoil our overall enjoyment of the holiday.
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice june 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : grainne mc closkey london 31,29,18mths
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
we arrived late at night the airport is a nightmare so be prepared. the hotel is lovely and the gardens and pool area great. our room was simple bathroom a bit dissappointing as the shower curtain kept falling down. mini bar great and so cheap.
the restaurant staff were lovely and there was a massive selection of food,
the resort is quiet and id say if you are old or have very young kids youll love it but otherwise the available activities may not suit.
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2005
Opinion submitted in June 2005 by : Andrew Brown & Sharon Newton - Somerset (38 &40)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
First time in Bulgaria and we were very impressed. The hotel was absolutely fantastic and personally we could not fault it in any way. The food was excellent, great choice for breakfast and the evening meal and as much as you could eat, hence I put on three pounds while we were away. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the room cleaning service was excellent. Mini bar in the room which was very handy, also as we didn't arrive until midnight there was food laid out for us in our room which was unexpected but much appreciated.
The pool for the hotel was well looked after and the staff from the Green Parrot made you feel very welcome, a lovely way to spend the afternoon.
The resort itself was clean, safe and the people were very friendly. There was plenty of walks you could do without having to negotiate traffic and plenty of places to drink and eat with excellent service in all of them.
The beach was lovely, golden sands, shallow water so brilliant for the children and plenty of space due to it being so wide and long. Also, from most hotels it is only a five minute walk to the beach.
Nightlife was very good and not at all rowdy. Very mixed nationalities visiting Albena and although the English are in the minority (which we liked) the music is either traditonal Bulgarian or live bands playing English music, especially the Tropicana Cafe and the Poco Loco. Drinks are very cheap and if we have done our sums right its about £1.20 a pint and £4.00 for a bottle of wine.
All in all a fantastic holiday.
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice AUG/SEP 2004
Opinion submitted in Sept 2004 by : CARMEL JACKSON-LINCOLNSHIRE(56,42,10,3)):
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
Well what can I say, I am still amazed at the fantastic holiday our family had in Albena, I had heard all sorts of stories about bulgaria before my trip, some good but some very bad, but me being me, I have to try things for myself, so I done some homework before I booked the holiday and decided to book.
Well I am so glad I did it is one of the best holidays we have ever had, the hotel food was ok, just much of the same thing night after night. Breakfast was cereal, all breads, beautiful fruit's,and a cooked breakfast if you wanted, and yes it wasn't like an english cooked brekkie but we were in Bulgaria and it was to be exspected, if you want english food when you are abroad you will have to pay the price, and I can assure you it would be alot more then we paid at the laguna Garden alot more I have to say it was driving me mad about all the people falling ill " because of the food" one said it then they all jumped on the band waggon, day in day out someone had something to moan about the food, people get upset tummy from anything, you know they use different oils, spices and all sorts from us, and some people are more prone to it than others anyway enough about that!!!!!!
The resort itself was great for us, i really do not think it would suit alot of people though, like teenagers who want to club it although there was a disco bar there, i found the hotel staff fantastic, helpful and polite, gallin and bobbie who serve around the pool were great very hard workers, waited on you hand and foot, and the street sellers if you said NO THAT WAS IT,it was so nice not to bothered by them, you could even window shop without hastle, how nice is that abroad.
For the children they had, go-carts, electric scooters, bikes, and buggies to ride on, and for the very young a fun fare, the only problem there we just could not get our 3 year old away from it, we found it very safe for the children, my 10 year old would go of with the friends he made for an hour on the scooters, at times I thought I was in brighton there was so many of them but they were having fun, there happy and your happy, he wants to go back so we are booking again for next year. And I must say if you have a special photo of someone you must take it with you, there are alot of very good artist's on the streets we had an oil painting done of our children from a photo we had done on our last holiday it came out fantastic and so cheap, i don'k know the size of it but very big with frame around £45.00 for an oil,what can i say. food drink very very cheap, ice cream from stall around 40p 1 Lev very nice too, it was mcdonalds ice cream was 15p, they have a mac's in varna.
Well i have gone on I know and we did meet so many nice people "Brian" being one with his family, john and Donna rebecca and conner, very nice people to talk to, and we all canot wait to go back to the laguna garden see you all there
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Gill Hignett - Birkenhead(42,40,10)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
We have just had a brilliant holiday in Albena.
The Laguna Garden was very impressive and always clean.All the staff were friendly and the reception staff were always helpful and spoke very good english.The only downside was the food in the hotel and after the first few days we didn't bother going to see what was on offer.We were aware of this before we went on holiday so it wasn't too much of a disappointment and it was so cheap to eat out it didn't bother us.We tended to eat pizza or toasties by the pool in the day and go out at night.The daily total for lunch and evening meal was £15-£20 for 3 people including drinks!Gallin and Ronnie who serve at the pool were so cheerful and worked very hard.
Most nights were spent in the Tropical cafe which had a good atmosphere and there was a grassy area with a Wendy House for the children to play.My daughter had a childrens cocktail every night which was expertly made by Nelly and she was always made to feel special.
I would definately go back to Albena and the Laguna Garden.Also even though most days we didnt go to the pool until 10.30, we always got a sunbed.
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2004
Opinion submitted in Dec 2004 by : Mrs Hayes - Gloucester (54 , 52)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
My husband and I stayed at Laguna Garden Hotel and I can truly say it was one of the best holidays of our lives - hotel was fantastically clean, staff very friendly, reception staff particularly, chambermaids couldn't speak much english and we didn't speak bulgarian however we managed to get by....
The food in the hotel was good, but I found a lot of people seemed to expect only english dishes - the best part of going abroad is to experience different foods and cultures - alas there were a lot of people who were determined to complain. I actually saw the restaurant manager in tears after receiving a particularly bad "dressing down" by a party of 5 individuals. I enjoyed the food and always found enough of a choice to satisfy my appetite.
I was also there when the hotel experienced the water problems - a pipe in the main road burst... and contrary to the previous report our First Choice rep worked fantastically hard to reassure us all. Another pipe burst at the pool but this was only muddy water flowing into the surrounding areas. Our rep was almost in tears when she was continually harrassed by the above party of 5 individuals!!!!
Enough about that.
Entertainment in Albena is mixed and I agree with previous comments about it not really the place for teenagers - not enough young places for them to go.
Tropical cafe, however, is the absolute best place to be. Live band - Express - every night of the week - they are brilliant by the way. And Nelly behind the bar makes the best cocktails ever. Petya and Diana also deserve a mention.
Poco Loco is a great place to eat with waiters also acting as entertainers too. On the beach I would recommend The Old House, food is excellent, though I do wish they would tone down the traditional music - which is ok for about 10 minutes - but gradually "gets on your nerves".
Eating out in Bulgaria is very cheap and again I agree Albena is one of the most expensive of all the resorts. Going a short way out of Albena to the nearby Kranovo is recommended the restaurants there are very cheap compared to Albena.
You will find a lot of nationalities visiting Albena, Germans, Russians, Finnish, Dutch. This in my opinion only adds to the enjoyment.
Albena really do need to do something about the prostitutes though, my husband was accosted every time he went out alone - though he wasn't flattered as he realised they were only after his money. Pickpocketing is also a big prob. At our welcome meeting our rep warned us to be vigilant at all times and this turned out to be good advice.
Trips sold by the rep also turned out to be excellent. We did jeep safari and I can honestely say that even though we could be considered old fogeys we had a brilliant day out. We also took the opportunity to visit Romania - well, that was an experience, our guide, Alex, was very knowledgeable and gave a great commentary on all we saw. We also did the fantastic yacht picnic - though do be warned - don;t get involved in Russian drinking games - you'll only loose - as I did!! Great fun though.
Bulgaria is steeped in history and culture and it was our first time there I will certainly go back esp to Laguna Garden, we had a great time. Big hello to Miss Excellent (our rep Jacky).
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - June 2004
Opinion submitted in Oct 2004 by : None of your business
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
Our holiday was bad. Would never use First (last) Choice again. In the hotel, the friendly staff were the cleaners, always polite and helpful, didn't speak much english, but we got by. They tended to leave lots of bog roll for you - probably because they knew what your guts would be going through when you ate from the restaurant. Restaurant by the way was absolute cr*p. When we first arrived we thought great, the food looked ok, everything was presented pretty, waiters took your plate away (for the lazy folk that couldn't do it themselves).
Then about 4 days into our holiday, the water in the hotel was turned off. We had no toilet or washing facilities. In the toilets next to the restaurant people would go in, do their business, and leave without washing their hands (there were no hand wipes or anything). Then they would venture into a busy restaurant and start to touch the breads, spoons, cakes etc, spreading their germs. We weren't the only ones suffering, as you could tell from the smell from the toilets at the pool.
Then things went from bad to worse, when a pipe at the pool burst and brown dirty water ended up in it (maybe mudbath will be in the catalogue next year). The pool wasn't emptied, or filtered properly, but they did throw in a few buckets of chlorine. They dug up the ground next to the pool, VERY QUICKLY, we reckon it's happened before. Rep was unpleasant (obvoiusly hasn't heard of customer service).
Beach was nice, weather was good, locals are quite friendly. The train is good, takes about an hour for a round trip. The area generally is very tidy and clean. Bikes that are like cars were fun also. Varna airport - my hut in the back garden's bigger, and in much better condition than that!
i wouldn't particularly recommend the Laguna Garden to anybody.
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Hotel Laguna Gardens - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - May 2004
Opinion submitted in May 2004 by : Sie Duxbury - Burnley (41)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
I went to Bulgaria on my own (I left my family at home, as we are looking for a place to buy a holiday home and I went to see what was what! as I had heard a lot about the country.) I was a little wary going on my own, but had no need. The Bulgarian people are every gracious and genuine people, I found everybody, whether a bar tender, a street trader, room cleaner ALL lovely people.
The resort of Albena has so much for everybody, I walked quite a lot on this holiday and there were parks after parks along the beach for the children! bike to hire( as there is a safe road type pavement running along side the entire stretch of beach and this continue out of Albena also if you wish to go further.)the stretch of Albena beach is approx. 3.5 km. along the beach are volley ball nets, 5 aside football nets, basket ball nets, parks on the beach with swings slides, roundabouts etc. the beach bars are usually quite close to these, so you can have a drink whilst the children play etc.. Bikes to rent, also 6 and 8 seaters shaded bikes.
The resort is brilliant. Excellent place for children. The hotel is a 3 star plus, and deserves it. extremely clean! the cleaners take their job very seriously. the restaurant was ok, the breakfast was probably the best meal the evening meal had a great salad selection with meats and cheeses not too much hot food selection, may be 3 /4 choices, with various vegs. chips every night, which i suppose is good for the kiddies. however it is so cheap to eat out if you want a change go and eat out. All in all absolutely lovely place, Balchik and Cape Kaliakra worth a trip, what views, could also see dolphins at cape Kaliakra. Very much reminded me ok Corfu 10 years ago. Worth a trip.
Also First Choice excellent tour operator, our rep Jackie deserves a mention, Helped everybody. Always had a smile for everyone.
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Hotel Laguna Mare - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Rachael Hewett (13) (+ 46,40, 9, 7)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
The maids kept the cosy room very tidy and came like clock work every day and hotel receptionists were helpful but when it came to exchanging money they would not take torn notes. The beach is cleaned every night although you have to pay for umbrellas and sun beds, you can also hire jet skis at the beach and go paragliding. The bars in the resort have very friendly staff and regular entertainment there are also a variety of cocktail bars and restaurants along the beachfront.
The animation team provided regular entertainment by the pool for kids, like treasure hunts and a trip to the local football stadium to play. Albena is good place for shopping, as is another town: Varna. The main street in Albena was a little row of stalls full with hair plaiting (very good as I experienced), artists who worked from photographs and stalls where you can dress up in Victorian style clothes and get your photo taken there are lots of shops that sell designer copies which look very original, including bags, clothes, shoes and watches.
The little bad points were the weather which had thunder stormed for a few odd days, and the huge black beetles which can fly, I never experienced any mosquitoes bites, but a few members of my family did. The food was mainly for German's appetites and there is not much for children; I ate chips, plain potatoes, grated carrots and plain spaghetti or plain pasta. There are also a lot of Germans who are very pushy.
But over all I had a great holiday in Bulgaria and would definitely go back.
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Hotel Laguna Mare - Albena
Operator and Date: (First Choice Discounts) First Choice - August 2004
Opinion submitted in Aug 2004 by : Denise Hewett - Gateshead (46, 40, 13, 9, 7)
Resort Rating: Very Good
Accommodation Rating: Excellent
My/Our Holiday Review:
We returned last week having had a lovely two weeks in Bulgaria The resort is not on the scale you would get in Spain but there was plenty to do, lots of eating/drinking places and lots of shops to explore. There are plenty parks, rides, bikes to hire, watersports etc, as well as the local stables (new) and football stadium (the rep enrolled our two boys for a tournament, which they and their Dad thoroughly enjoyed!). The beach is pure golden sands, and very clean, as was the whole resort (with the exception of one or two toilets). Bulgaria is a different holiday from Spain, Greece etc, so be prepared for a few local customs, ie paying for toilets and sunbeds and to use hotel pools and porters leaping out at you when you arrive to carry your luggage (for a fee, obviously). If you want a resort that offers places like the Red Lion, or like your typical Sunday Lunch or English fry up, Albena is not what you are looking for, but if you like to try something different, we would certainly recommend it. The people are lovely, and welcome English tourists, although most of the tourists are German or Russian. Best of all it is very cheap!
The bars and restaurants and plentiful and all charge more or less the same price (as do the hotel), they mainly have their own resident singer/band with some Karaoke time. Pocco Loccos is very lively! The music stops at midnight; so late night music doesn't bother you even if your hotel is in the middle of the resort, but that doesn't mean everything closes! The bars/restaurants will stay open as long as there are customers which could be well into the night.
We could not fault the hotel; we had a sea view from our balcony, a family room (there are 2 adults & 3 children in our party), air conditioning, mini bar, tv, telephone. The maid service is excellent, rooms are well decorated, the whole hotel is immaculate and well maintained. The restaurant is in the adjacent Laguna Gardens, this was very busy the first week we stayed (1st week in Aug), mainly with Germans who were very rude (pushing in the queue) and it was embarrassing to see the way they treat the waiters and piled up their plates, but quieter the second week, when most of the holidaymakers seemed to be English. The food both at breakfast and dinner is excellent; plenty healthy options as well. Those who are choosy and like Heinz Baked Beans and Kelloggs cereal may be disappointed but be prepared to try things; you will not be disappointed although the children may find the choice limited if they are not adventurous eaters.
We visited the next resort of Golden Sands, which was a much larger livelier and busier resort, definitely worth a visit. We also went the Aquaparc; it is not huge; but if you go after 4pm you get in half price, so you can avoid the crowds as most people are leaving at this time and you still have almost three hours before they close which is plenty time. Varna is also worth a visit; especially the market; plenty of bargains with designer names, bags, t-shirts, sportswear, watches. Dobrich is an interesting town; not geared for tourist but you find things about a third of the price as they are in the resort.
Only disappointing element of our two weeks was the weather; we had lots of rain and thunderstorms, although the rep did say it was unusual for this time of year. Another downside is the flying black beetles (which are corn flies) they are harmless and only come out at night, on the plus side, we didn't get bothered by mozzies.
Would thoroughly recommend Bulgaria, especially Albena and the Hotel Laguna Mare for families.
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Hotel Leipzig - Albena
Operator and Date: 20/07/2005
Opinion submitted in July 2005 by : 43
Resort Rating: Poor
Accommodation Rating: Poor
My/Our Holiday Review:
this is a 2 star hotel,and should be not even classed as a star,the rooms are awfull,the hotel has a website iepzig com,the photos must have been taken years ago when new,the staff are arragant and rude, ,outside the hotel it is like newyork city,dont go out after dark,its very unsafe to walk around,take my advice dont go to this hotel or you will move out like i did
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Hotel Magnolia - Albena
Operator and Date: (Thomson Holidays
Direct) Thomson Holidays
- may 2006
Opinion submitted in June 2006 by : patrick foakes - essex (23,19)
Resort Rating: Excellent
Accommodation Rating: Very Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
just got back from a week in the bulgarian sun and would love to go back now!!
it's true that the entertainment is not up to much but if you love a laugh you should watch!! flip flop kicking was the funniest!!
pool was lovely, food not up much as repetative and the taste ain't too great!!
rooms are spacious and the maids clean well daily, lady behind the reception desk was very helpfull!!!
poco loco did a wonderful english steak as i found out 4 days out of the 7 and the atmosphere was great!!
watch out for the ladies of the night as there is a very wide range of them near restaurant!!
don't go to varna as they acoste you, beg, don't wanna help or just plain pick pocket ya!!! oh and the beach is awful!!
met some wicked people out there and would go again anytime!!
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Hotel Magnolia - Albena
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) Thomas Cook - september 2005
Opinion submitted in Oct 2005 by : john,marie( 38,32,9,10)
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Good
My/Our Holiday Review:
on arrival to magnolia we thought the hotel was excellent how wrong we were, we found the hotel full of german holiday makers,nothing against them but we felt pushed out.
our first evening meal was not good, the resturant opens at 6pm we got there at opprox 6.40pm , i had chips fish and peas of witch the fish was luke warm and the chips were stone cold needless to say we were not impressed as we were allinclusive.my wife complained to the rep who was her self bulgarian but she seemed hardly interrested.no entertainment at the hotel just one man singing every night.
the hotel is on a hill side to get to the town we had to either catch the little mini train down or walk down some in our view some very dangerous steps.the resort is quit nice but on looking around the shops we felt pestered in to buying something and forever being asked if we wanted a taxi.as the food was not up to sratch at the hotel we had to eat out and found the poco loco restuorant to be ok.we did not find it as cheap as we had been told only on certain item such as name clothes but watch out for the cheap fakes.
aswell as the hotel we felt as the local people did not raelly want the british people there.the hotel was clean and the rooms were cleand every day, but my wife thought the sheets on the beds felt damp as if they had not been dryed properly,teh pool was good witch had a midday snack bar but found the food to be cold or at best luke warm.we also found most of the local people to be very ignorent unless you were buying something.
all in all not a very good holiday and we will not be going back.just one last thing it may sound like we are moaning but on our departure on picking up people from a nother hotel 200yards up from ours they all said the same thing.
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Hotel Magnolia - Albena
Operator and Date: (Thomas Cook Direct) JMC - aug 2005
Opinion submitted in Dec 2005 by : sarah east sussex 39,40,9
Resort Rating: Average
Accommodation Rating: Below Average
My/Our Holiday Review:
well we booked this holiday a year before we went only to of had the worst holiday of our lives all 3 of us ended up with food poisoning from the bad food that was served in the resturant
the weather was mostly rain thunder storms and when it rained it rained the staff were most unhelpfull there was never any soft drinks each time we went to the bar we ran out was the reply but the best time was my husband went to the bar and asked for a cappachino WHY the barman replied because i would like one my husband repplied NO said the barman u english u dont drink cappachino any way this was the final straw so i went to ask for one and i got one made with gone off milk that was another one of the excuses we got was no milk when he had just put a whole jug full in the fridge
a good place to eat though was poco loco where u were entertained while u were eating but at the end of the day u dont expect to go allinclusive only to eat out each night do u i would never go back to bulgaria or recommend it to anyone