Hotel Anel — Hotel in Sofia City

Have you ever been to a 5-star hotel that doesn't quite feel 5-star? This is one of those Hotels. Hotel Anel is getting just a touch tired.

Here's the good, the not so good and the less than good for Hotel Anel.

The Good -

For my wife and I this was a great location. By that I mean that it was a convenient (she loves to walk), but not pretty. Most of the attractions are in the South East quadrant of Sofia. The Hotel is positioned just into the North West quadrant. The top-floor restaurant looked well-appointed with a dining terrace. The menu looked good, but we didn't eat there. The terrace is over a busy main road and the view towards any point of interest was compromised.

You're just a few blocks from the Roman ruins (don't expect Rome or Athens by the way), a decent restaurant (Largo) and so on.

The air-con was great, the room almost quiet and the WiFi worked.

Michael was a gem on day 3 of our trip. At reception, he was only 2 weeks into the job, but very personable and extremely helpful.

The Not So Good -

It's tired. What do I mean by tired? Some of the fittings were coming loose in the bedroom, the bath base wasn't solid under foot, the mattress has probably seen better days and so on. What was in the room? On day one there were a couple of small bottles of complimentary water. Once drunk during day one, they were never replaced. There were approximately 10 bags of sugar, but just one herbal and one indeterminable tea bag. They were to share between two people. No milk! Two glass cups and saucers. Classy! Saucers were different sizes and neither cup would sit in one of the saucers, so it wobbled. Mismatch! A TV. Super, but approximately 32 inch which is tiny for the room. A safe with a dying battery. A warm fridge. These are the things that 5-star gets right.

The Less Than Good -

Breakfast was an oops! The weakest orange juice I have ever tasted from a juice machine. The fried and scrambled eggs had clearly been to war with the chef. No jam pots ... the smear of jam that remained on a silver plate would need to be licked clean because there was too little to spoon it out. The seating plan is ridiculous and ensures that you'll be bumped by everyone who works their way through the maze of tables and chairs. It's breakfast on a budget, not 5-star.

Overall -

I feel like I'm being harsh, but it's accurate. All said and done, if you like walking and you don't like fried eggs, this could be a perfectly decent choice for your next trip to Sofia.

If you want decent dining then you head East to Sveta Nedelya Church. That sits at the tip of Vitosha Blvd. That has outdoor eateries all the way down to a park housing the National Palace of Culture. Lovers Bridge is just beyond that. Check out Spaghetti Kitchen and Bar (back near the church) if it's a warm day. They have a line of tables that flank the entrance and catch the last of the sun. Book fast, because they are quickly reserved. We enjoyed watching the world go by whilst we sank a few too many drinks. By hey, isn't that what short breaks...

I recently stayed at the Anel Hotel in Sofia, Bulgaria, and unfortunately, my experience fell short of expectations. While there were a few positives, I encountered several issues that greatly impacted my stay.

First and foremost, upon arrival, the hotel check-in desk was unable to locate my reservation, despite having booked directly on their website earlier that morning. This lack of organization was frustrating and resulted in unnecessary delays.

To add to the disappointment, many of the advertised services and facilities were not available during my stay. The hot tub and sports bar, which I was looking forward to enjoying, were closed. This information was not communicated to me prior to my arrival, leaving me disappointed and feeling misled.

Moreover, the condition of the room was subpar. The bathroom had visible mold, which is both unsightly and concerning from a cleanliness standpoint. Additionally, the patio was poorly maintained, with weeds growing despite being on the fifth floor. These issues indicate a lack of attention to detail and overall maintenance.

One particularly frustrating incident occurred when I was asked to leave the pool area for not wearing a swimming cap. Having stayed at numerous hotels around the world, I have never encountered such a requirement. This rule was not communicated in advance, and the enforcement seemed excessive, leaving a negative impression.

Throughout my stay, it was apparent that the hotel was short-staffed. This was cited as the reason for the lack of services and facilities by multiple staff members, who also appeared frustrated. While I empathize with the challenges they faced, it is ultimately the responsibility of the hotel management to ensure a satisfactory guest experience.

On a positive note, I would like to commend the front desk boy for his efforts in dealing with the numerous people and issues in line. He demonstrated a positive attitude and made an attempt to address concerns promptly. Additionally, the breakfast buffet offered a variety of options. However, the lack of freshness was evident, as many items appeared to have been sitting in the fridge for an extended period or had been prepared days in advance.

Overall, based on my experience at the Anel Hotel, I cannot recommend it for future stays. The lack of services and facilities, coupled with maintenance issues and questionable policies, significantly impacted the quality of my visit. I hope that the hotel management takes these concerns seriously and takes steps to improve the guest experience.

Please note that this review reflects my personal experience, and others may have had different experiences at...

My partner and I stayed here for 4 nights and on reflection I’m pretty dissatisfied and disappointed with my stay. I think it’s a must to state this is not a 5* hotel. Whilst it has pool and spa facilities which probably tick a box to make it a 5* hotel, alas it is not based on the cleanliness, maintenance and service you’d expect. We also booked the deluxe suite where you expect a certain level of quality. I never expect luxury (this hotel wasn’t at that price level) but you expect quality.

Main issues:

1. the en-suite bathroom has a jet jacuzzi (didn’t use) but at different times in the day (and once at 3am) the jets would turn on making a huge racket for 5 mins as air was pushed out, the subsequent sewage smell was pretty unpleasant. This issue was reported to reception and we got a rubbish response of it’s something on the roof and it wouldn’t happen again today. This was a poor response and the delivery with a smirk was pretty insulting.

2. the sink in the other bathroom broke and no water could be released meaning dirty water amassed.

3. the shower in the other bathroom leaked water to the extent that the bath mat was sodden.

4. the air con didn’t work - just a weak fan. The room was quite hot on a night as a result.

5. the en-suite bathroom door had a wide open slot where a wooden panel had been. Not great for privacy. Why had it been kicked through and not fixed?!

6. the pool is fine but I did notice a used plaster two days running on the window ledge making me doubt the cleaning regime put in place. I also think the extra charge of the spa facilities is expensive (14 Lev per facility per person). Every hotel I’ve stayed in with spa facilities has been complimentary. The jacuzzi bath was also drained of water and looked really dirty inside. From the reviews I read, this has been out of action for months. In sum, the spa facility offering is a sham.

Some redeeming features:

1. breakfast is fine. Nothing to write home about, nothing to complain about. Staff at breakfast were professional and attentive.

2. the art work is unique and different. Genuinely interesting to look at.

3. the fishes in the fish tanks, seemed the happiest to see us during our visit.

4. the balcony of the deluxe suite gave a good view of the Vitosha mountains.

5. the black out blind in the bedroom. Rarely do you have this in a hotel.

6. bed was fairly comfy, pillows ok.

7. good location to explore what I feel is the cooler part of the city, only a 10-15 walk to the main centre and Vitosha Boulevard.

All in all, I wouldn’t stay here again and I think you could get far better in what is an...