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Bulgaria Hotel Reviews / Matt Gross / Ski Resorts / Ski Hotels / → All Tags

Ski Bulgaria: At Least It's Pretty Cheap at Villa Roka

Where: 37 B Glazne Str, Bansko , Bulgaria, 2770

NYT columnist Matt Gross's latest expedition has been a skiing holiday in, of all places, Bulgaria. In particular, he set out to figure out whether the ski resort area of Bansko, the biggest in the country, was about to make skiing in Bulgaria famous.

The answer: possibly not. Amidst tales of queue jumpers in the lines for the ski lifts, and resort staff who groom away all the good powdered snow, Gross did manage to get in some good snowboarding, but it didn't sound all that great. What did look cute was the hotel he stayed in, the Villa Roka, all modern and trendy-looking and with a spa center including solarium, sauna and steam bath.

The best part is that Bulgaria is still cheap. Rooms during peak season (either summer or winter) at Villa Roka start from 42 Euros ($61) for a double, or 27 Euros ($40) per person in a larger maisonette room, all prices including breakfast. The NY Times also quotes a rate of 72 Euros ($105) per double, including dinner as well, presumably for the extra nice rooms.

Apparently there's a lot more development and hotel building going on in Bansko, as it tries to become the ski resort capital of eastern Europe, so stay tuned for other accommodation alternatives; we'll try to find out, too, if they work out a better system for the ski lifts.

[Photo: NY Times]

Related Stories:
· Is Bulgaria Really Skiing's Next Hot Spot? [NY Times]
· Hotels in Bulgaria [HotelChatter]
· Travel Stories in Bulgaria [HotelChatter]

Bulgaria Hotel Reviews / Hotel Sex / → All Tags

Grand Hotel Sofia Won't Let You Pay For Sex

Where: 1 Gurko Street, Sofia, Bulgaria, 1000

[Ed. Note: Bachelors visiting Bulgaria should take note of this story from Hotel Maven Wildstag. Although with a big disclaimer from us: We have no idea if this hotel really does have some agreement with a call-girl agency. Again, enjoy.]

The Grand Hotel Sofia refused to let my date in.

I met a Bulgarian girl in a nightclub and she agreed to come with me in my hotel room at Grand Hotel Sofia but what was my surprise when the receptionist refused to let her in because she might be a prostitute. (I wonder why this should bother me so much since the prostitution is not a crime in Bulgaria.) I couldn't convince them by any means that I can take care of myself pretty well.

They ruined my night and my stay at this hotel. I guess that the guys at the reception have some kind of financial agreement with call-girls agencies not to let the competitors in Grand Hotel Sofia. I really didn't care if my girl was a streetwalker or not - I think I have the right when paying load of money to stay at a certain hotel to be able to invite my friends to visit me for couple of hours in my room.

[Photo taken at hotel but not of Wildstag's date: St Stev]

Related Stories:
· Grand Hotel Sofia reviews [TripAdvisor]

Hotel Hell / → All Tags

What Kind of Town Doesn't Take Credit Cards?

A missed train had me changing my schedule from Greece to Turkey. Unfortunately, I was out of cash and didn't have the ATM pin code for my credit card. I was planning on doing a Western Union advance when I got to a tourist stop in Greece.

Train cabin chatter led me to a small town in Bulgaria instead of Istanbul. For the independent traveler, these things happen.

But what I wasn't expecting, was to get to Veliko Turnovo with a local guide and discover that there was only one hotel in town that took credit cards. And not surprisingly Western Union was closed for the Easter weekend.

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