Хотел „Бор“ — Hotel in Samokov

Big issue with the shuttle bus! The hotel is quite a way from the slopes, something we were fully aware of when we booked but decided would be ok as they advertise a shuttle bus to the gondola and back. It’s about a 15 minute walk, all uphill and fine in snow boots or trainers (if going in to town of an evening) but not doable in ski boots. The shuttle bus was an absolute joke! There were 4 that went in the morning, each carrying 6 people at a time (there were 6 of us) and just 2 coming back. You had to book 2 days in advance to get a place so we ended up not getting out until 10 am for first couple of days. The driver was by far the rudest and most miserable man we’ve ever met! First day at drop off I asked him where the pick up point was and he shrugged his shoulders and walked off, he literally didn’t crack a smile all week. The bus didn’t turn up at all to pick us up on 2 occasions. The first we waited in the cold for 25 minutes before calling the hotel to ask where he was. After putting the phone down on us they eventually sent one taxi who would only take 4 of us. We got a second one in the end and the driver got the fare from reception. The next morning when we turned up for the bus the driver informed us that he wouldn’t be doing a pick up that day either so we would be stranded again 😡 we ended up putting snow boots or trainers in our backpacks and skiing with them all day just so we could get home! It’s such a shame as we noticed over the week that other hotels that were further out just came backwards and forwards until everyone was dropped off or collected. It spoilt the holiday for us somewhat and we won’t be returning - too much hassle! |It’s a shame as there’s a nice bar area/lounge where the waiter was very attentive. |The food at breakfast and dinner was average, very repetitive, we ate out 3 nights out of 6. |There’s a games area upstairs but you have to pay for pool balls, etc., think this could have just been provided.|Rooms are clean, warm and a good size compared to a ski hotel you’d get in the Alps, with plenty of storage.|Reception staff are not happy...

A real mix of offerings in this hotel!

Service by front of house staff was great, most spoke impeccable English (sorry, my Bulgarian was not on par!) and the restaurant staff were very attentive. Shout out to the bar man who worked all hours and was always helpful!

Entrance foyer and bar area felt modern and thought has gone into the restaurant too. The sofas downstairs were form over function and not particularly (at all) comfy. This didn’t really extend around the rest of the building, but for the price was not unexpected. Cream walls and 70’s esq decor in the rooms was an acquired taste!

10 minute walk at a good pace to the nearest lift with a complimentary shuttle worked fine for us.

Bathroom and shower was fab, French resorts could learn a thing or two here... loads of pressure and seemingly unlimited hot water.

On a bit of a downer, the sheets simply were placed on top of the mattress and only covered the top, no fitted sheet, mattress protectors or hospital corners here! I and others inevitably woke on the bare mattress each morning as I imagine (and could see) many had done before... Small change is also not to be stored in the bedside draws... if the room service had been consistent and good it would have been less of an issue, but the money was definitely not a tip!

Other than that, if you want a cheap hotel in Borovets, I think you...

Having just got back from our ski trip staying at Hotel Bor we cannot rave about it enough. The hotel had an extremely warm and friendly atmosphere and the staff were so lovely and helpful! Although it was quiet due to the time of year (mid March) it was still extremely well organised and the standard of care and quality was superb. The hotel provided a free shuttle at certain times in the morning to and from the slopes and then back again late afternoon which was only about a 3 minute drive or a 10 minute walk into the town centre. ||We stayed in a standard room which was basic but clean with new towels everyday. The beds were so comfortable and the showers were great, just what was needed after a long day skiing although a bath would have been perfect!! The hotel had a games rooms with pool, air hockey and table tennis which were all cheap to play.||The food was buffet style for breakfast and dinner but the quality, choice and service were exceptional!||For Borovets itself, the town was busy and vibrant with lots of places to eat and drink and beautiful views of the slopes. The resort was great with a range of easy and difficult runs and enough to ski within a week. ||All in all we couldn’t recommend Hotel Bor enough and feel we got so much for the value...