Bulgaria Ski discussion board

We've just got back from Borovets and we're putting out a warning. Hotel Ela is dreadful! The worst place I've ever stayed - and I've stayed in some terrible B&Bs.
We booked it for a week's half board but the food was so terrible we had to eat elsewhere nearly every night. Breakfast was ok - cold, stale bread, black eggs - but edible. Dinner, especially as we'd already payed for it, was a complete con. It said in the brochure the restaurant was "one of the best in the resort" and showed some random photo of a gourmet Bulgarian dish. I feel like complaining to trading standards! We had tinned spaghetti and instant mash that was like soup. There were no fresh vegetables or fruit the whole week. Eating out at various places in Borovets (Joy, White Magic, that Chinese place opposite) was lovely (althouh still a lack of vegetables), and showed just had wrong Hotel Ela had got it.
Anyway - food was the main grievance as we'd paid for it but had to pay again to eat somewhere half decent. But also of note was the opened-out sleeping bag stuffed into an oversized cover that constituted our 'duvet' and that didn't even cover two people, the constant drilling and hammering (the dust that filled the lobby on the last day was so bad the staff were covering their mouths with bandit scarves), the fugitive on the run from the police who busted his way into my mum's room from her window ledge (three storeys up), no ski locker ("You cannot bring those in here: it is FORBIDDEN"), one pillow between two of us and one coat hanger each, and the lift which electrocuted me every time I tried to open it.
The only things going for it are the friendly bar staff, proximity to the gondola and the powerful shower (although the shower curtain was 7 inches too short and so the bathroom floor was always flooded). Yes - it was cheap, but other hotels are just as cheap but at least they have some standards.

Hi!
Good luck with Ela! The rule is that you have to return your skis to the place you hired them from (and as they all shut at 5 it kind of restricts your piste time - and makes night skiing a bit difficult). If you bring your own you can book them into the hire shop under Ela, but you have to pay to store them (1 week ski storage was about £7). Not much admittedly, but when you just want to grab something from your room, or have a drink in the hotel bar at lunchtime you have to lug your stuff all the way back to your own hire place. All the hotels we've stayed at have had free lockers in the hotel, so we were really miffed at this.
Nightlife seems good. We didn't actually go out very much as were were knackered! Buzz bar has a great reputation, and there's a nightclub at Samokov across the road (bit Butlinsesque). Lots of bars and restaurants. And Ela has a cocktail 'thing' but as it's just some sofas in the lobby you probably wouldn't want to spend your evenings there. And an erotic bar on every corner. If that's your thing.

Hi!
Good luck with Ela! The rule is that you have to return your skis to the place you hired them from (and as they all shut at 5 it kind of restricts your piste time - and makes night skiing a bit difficult). If you bring your own you can book them into the hire shop under Ela, but you have to pay to store them (1 week ski storage was about £7). Not much admittedly, but when you just want to grab something from your room, or have a drink in the hotel bar at lunchtime you have to lug your stuff all the way back to your own hire place. All the hotels we've stayed at have had free lockers in the hotel, so we were really miffed at this.
Nightlife seems good. We didn't actually go out very much as were were knackered! Buzz bar has a great reputation, and there's a nightclub at Samokov across the road (bit Butlinsesque). Lots of bars and restaurants. And Ela has a cocktail 'thing' but as it's just some sofas in the lobby you probably wouldn't want to spend your evenings there. And an erotic bar on every corner. If that's your thing.

Hey Sarah, same is for me I had to stay two times in another hotel, the food was typical and easy but warm and never burned, the staff really friendly, the rooms warm and the beds was for me big enough with no problems.

So may be they build another hotel with the same name.

Sune

Can't sleep wont sleep, if you want to have some pics and more informations write me, I will send you the pics. Or ask Gary told nothing about that and came back some days before, from the same hotel.

Look to earlier postings.

Sune