Apart Hotel Flora Residence — Hotel in Samokov

I went to Borovets for a week-long ski trip with friends. We are students so wanted a cheap getaway, there were 3 of us so we were placed in a ‘studio’. ||Accommodation: ||For what we paid, we were not expecting the apartment to be so nice! Feels like they must have renovated the room (3409) fairly recently. Equipped with comfortable double bed, large sofa bed, bathroom, kitchenette and balcony. We were super impressed with the kitchenette - even though we didn’t use it as chose half board- we had an oven, hob, fridge (with freezer compartment), kettle, toaster, microwave, dishwasher, sink, all cutlery, crockery, pots/pans etc and also a washing machine!! Clothes drying rack in the bathroom over the bath which meant we could actually wash and dry most of our clothes before going home. Was also possible to store skis on the balcony so we could save money on not hiring a locker (if not travelling on a budget, plenty of ski lockers close to the main lifts eg at Rila). Soo much storage too that despite 3 girls packing XL suitcases there were still empty cupboards! A hairdryer was not supplied in the room but we just asked for one at reception and were given one for free. Toiletries were provided too and fresh towels/linen daily. The biggest downside was that as we were staying in an apartment, we were not in the main part of the hotel, we were in a separate block. This meant that you had to walk outside to go for breakfast/supper/reception.||Food:||We stayed half board so had breakfast and supper. It was basic but certainly got the job done! Breakfast had an omelette station, pancakes, waffles, different fruits/yoghurts/spreads, toast, cereal, porridge, scrambled and fried eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns and baked beans as well as fresh continental options too. Coffee/water/juice available at breakfast only, so we took our own water bottles down to dinner with us. Dinner usually had 4 salad options, a few meat options, chips, chicken nuggets, fish and pasta options as well as fruit and desserts. Dinner was a bit hit and miss but we never went hungry. If you like fine dining then I would skip on the board option and eat out (we ate at Victorias one night which had a huge menu, the Rila had a lovely looking restaurant and Mamacitas the Mexican was also fab). ||Hotel/Facilities:||The hotel could certainly do with some updating, and I can’t comment on the pool/spa facilities as I didn’t use them. Staff seemed happy and generally helpful. I was impressed with the cleanliness. Safes are not found in rooms (or at least not in ours). we asked at reception for a safe and were offered a small red box (like an old cash box) with a lock and key for valuables, for a charge. We decided against this and chose to store our valuables elsewhere. ||Location:||A 5 minute walk carrying skis, or a 2 minute walk otherwise to the main slope and gondola.||Borovets:||Fab budget ski trip and especially good for beginner/intermediate skiers! Great lively nightlife too. Night skiing is one not to be missed! ||Overall: ||Would return to Borovets, would stay at Hotel...

The hotel itself is very dark and dated and is in need of a full refurbishment. The first room we were given was a disgrace. It had mould growing up the walls and on the ceiling and there were loose wires dangling down the walls. The net curtain was yellow instead of white so we presumed the room was a smoking room and the smell was horrible. When we opened the curtains they fell off the rail. However, it was very clean and the beds were comfortable. My children were in another room and my son got an electric shock from the TV which didn't work. We complained to reception and were told we had got what we paid for. The reception staff were very rude throughout our stay and the TV was never fixed. We complained to Crystal Ski and they did get us moved to another room which was much nicer. The first room should never have been given to guests. Breakfast was ok, just the usual buffet but the room it is served in is again incredible dark and dull. Dinner was poor and I will eat anything. We only ate in the restaurant once. The bar food, however, was much nicer and I would have eaten there more than once if the bar area itself has been lighter and nicer. If you have watched Chernobyl onTV then that will give you a sense of how dark and old the hotel is. The cleaning staff were lovely and the hotel is very clean. I expected basic as we've been to Borovets before but I didn't expect such a horrible room or for the staff to be so rude. I will never stay there again and would not recommend it to anyone. If you are English the food at dinner is basic to say the least. We enjoyed our holiday and were pleased with Crystal Ski as a company. Now for the best bit - when I got home I came out in a very nasty rash. Turns out it was scabies most likely from the bed linen in the hotel (what Dr said). I had not been in contact with anyone else as you are fully covered when skiing and had only worn my own ski gear etc. Scabies is contagious and contracted from bed lining and skin contact or clothes. I only wore my own clothes and ski gear and only had skin contact with my husband who also now has scabies. Brilliant ski trip and I like Borovets but I wouldn't go near the hotel Flora ever again. Shame as it is so close to the slopes and bars etc I wouldn't mind so much if it was a cheap holiday but to pay thousands for a sub standard room, a dated and dark hotel and an infection is not my idea of...

We booked a one bedroom apartment for a week and were given one in the main building. The location was excellent being a few minutes walk up the hill to the nearest piste and a few minutes down the hill to the gondola. The apartment was very clean and spacious and had a sunny aspect. The sheets were changed halfway through the week and the towels almost every day. It was warm and comfortable and had a fake fire and local TV. The kitchen was quite well equipped with a hob, microwave and toaster. On the downside, the fridge had a really bad smell so we did not use it but rather left our perishable items on the balcony. The bathroom had both bath and shower and plentiful hot water. There was also plentiful loo roll and toiletries.|We did not use the spa or pool but tried the in-house restaurant a couple of times. The food was absolutely OK, nothing to rave about but good for the price. |Most ski hotels have a ski room but this one did not so we had to take our skis and boots in the lift at the start and finish of each day. I had the impression that most people skiing here would hire gear from the on site ski depot and so would not have this problem. While we were very happy with our accommodation, our corridor neighbours showed us their studio apartment which looked cramped and dingy...