Sofia Balkan Palace

Parking not convenient as out sourced

All good but the restaurant closed at 21:00 when I was going for dinner.

The availability of food at the bar was very limited by time and of very average quality, the reception staff were very offhand and fairly unhelpful. The bar staff were very friendly and apologetic, the problem would appear to be with the management. A great location and building, the plug in the bathroom sink had to be kept closed otherwise the smell in the room was disgusting.

Beautiful Spa.

Otel çok merkezi, bu anlamda çok güzel. Bir çok yere yürüme mesafesinde. Ancak otoparkının olmaması eksi yönü. Yakında bir tane var ama tüm güne 30 EUR verdik. Bence çok fazla. Alternatifler bulunabilir tabi ki biraz uzakta ama otelden uzağa araba park etmek zorunda kalmak da iyi değil.

Nice hotel with some excellent aspects. Breakfast was great. I had a terrific room with a balcony. Nice coffee maker. The gym was ok but was not properly set up so some machines didn’t work and one of the weight machines was broken. No towels or pads for the floor. My room wasn’t cleaned one day and I had to ask for coffee pods three times. Staff was friendly and helpful. I’d stay again but with a few touches my rating would be excellent all around.

Freundlicher Empfang. Gutes Frühstück Viele Leute am Frühstück. Man steht an zu der rush hour. Zimmer Sauber Hatten aber noch einen dayroom der dann nicht wirklich gut war für die 80€. Die 6 Lufbänder im Fitnes braucht es nicht wirklich. Mal mit dem Staubwedel durch hier wäre gut. Kleinere Reparaturen ausführen im Restaurant so dass man nicht die Abdeckung der Armlehne abziehen kann. Spa hats keinen für die 5 Sterne… . Die 6 Laufband

nice but no swimming pool

The hotel itself is excellent; however, access is somewhat inconvenient, as guests must transport their luggage (on a cobble road) considerable distance from the car drop-off point to the hotel's door.

I had really good time there, beds were comfy and it was very quiet, especially because it's at the centre of town. My only issues are minor but the air conditioning wasnt as strong as I'd like so I had to sleep with the window open, the fitness facilities were disappointing unfortunately but they were remodeling so it's ok, my biggest disappointment was the morning omelette during breakfast, they used oil instead of butter and it ruined the flavour of the eggs. To summarise it was a pleasant experience save a few snags, but the staff are great and polite.

Zimmerservice eine katastrophe, Mülleimer wurden vergessen, Geschirr nicht abgewaschen, Showergel leer, kein Haartrockner, Service beim Frühstück funktionierte erst nach Beschwerde - alles in allem SICHERLICH KEIN ***** Hotel!

Honestly, we were supposed to stay 4 nights, but we cut our stay to only 2 nights. The room was too warm, the shower was broken, it was dirty overall. The guests next door were quite noisy. We had to knock on their door a couple of times. My husband had to fix the shower valve multiple times in order for us to take a shower. When we arrived at the hotel to check in - at 3:15 pm, we were told that our room is not ready and we need to wait another 30-40 mins. And last but not least, we paid $406 for 2 nights for a 5-star hotel. The premises and the service do not reflect a 5-star hotel and the charge. On top of everything, at the end of our stay, they charge us twice the daily taxes. It was a nightmare. We just gave up and left. It was a very bad and disappointing experience.

No cleanup 3 2/4 days. No soap at soap dispenser. Smell of sewer. Bad attitude of front office. Shameful 3rd bed for the 3rd person. Lies about “do not disturb” sign.

Not a 5 star hotel for sure. Cleanliness is bad, bedsheets changed only if you ask. Towels not changed, floors not mopped, dusty all over. The location is convenient.

The hotel room and the entire hotel was filthy.The hallways were full of dust bunnies and the carpet looked like it had not been vacuumed for weeks.we were there for 5 days and housekeeping did not clean the common areas once.Our hotel room was worse. It smelled of human waste- urine and feces. I brought it to the attention of reception the day we checked in and his response was “I don’t know what housekeeping does but we can’t offer you another room as we are booked up”.whenever we made a request their response was that they would get back to us but they never did.we had booked another room in this hotel for the end of the month but quickly canceled.we travel a lot and this is the worse hotel we have stayed in and would never recommend it to anyone

This hotel is very convenient to walk around Sofia, shops, sights, restaurants etc. The staff are friendly and helpful. It is let down by shoddy room cleanliness and servicing. Basic supplies were not always replenished. And the rooms need more thorough cleaning.

After check in I didn’t find a single hand towel for 2 days staying( just 2 big shower towels), no hear dryer, dirty cups from morning coffee and tea have been left in the room for 2 days. The worth thing is that my face massager which I have left on the bathroom’s ’ top I didn’t find yesterday afternoon, just a bag was left. Today during check out I did a complain at the reception, but in general that’s it shud not be happened. I didn’t know that I have to lock up my personal face care in my bag. I left my email address and phone number at the reception. Kind regards Leyla

Das Hotel hat eine hervorragende Lage, alle Sehenswürdigkeiten, Cafe s, Restaurants usw.in wenigen Minuten fußläufig zu erreichen. Das Hotel hat ein sehr leckeres Frühstücks Buffet, auch Wünsche werden erfüllt. Wasser gibt es täglich kostenfrei auf dem Zimmer. Unser Zimmer war für 3 Personen zu klein und wir bekamen ein Upgrade. Leider war das Zimmer nocht immer sauber gereinigt und jeden Tag fehlten Handtücher oder Kaffeecapseln das wir jeden Tag auch bemängelten. Für das Zimmer berechnete msn uns einen Aufpreis das man uns aber zuvor nicht sagte. Durch unseren ärger haben sie uns den Aufpreis wieder zurückgegeben.

The hotel itself is great. Room configuration, size and amenities were amazing. However, the room was extremely dirty, housekeeping was poor. Concierge services could not be reached, housekeeping didn’t bother to check that the body wash was running put, floor was filthy, could have been at least vacuumed and cleaned. Overall, the issue with the hotel is the poor management / if there was good management and sufficient supervision, this would be a great place to stay, considering the luxury level and the top location. Unbelievable also that in the morning during checkout there was nobody to help with my luggage, as the shifts were changing so the girl behind the counter just nodded. At the price point I pay, this means that usually the customer is wealthy and knows what he wants, so the management and guest services offered was not acceptable. I don’t think I will ever stay again there; which is pity due to the location and history of the place. Next time it will be either Radisson or Intercontinental. I recommend to look elsewhere if you Re considering to book this hotel

Contratamos dos habitaciones. Desde el primer momento, una de ellas nos la tuvieron que cambiar porque la puerta del armario estaba caída y era peligroso acercarse a ella, y la otra desprendía un fuerte olor a humedad, del que informamos pero no se solucionó. Ambas habitaciones estaban sucias, con mucho polvo en los textiles (cortinas y butacas) El penúltimo día apareció una ENORME cucaracha transitando sobre una toalla en el baño de la segunda habitacion. Nuevamente fue necesario que nos trasladaran a otra habitación, con lo cual nuestra estancia transcurrió entre 4 habitaciones, lo que nos representó una gran incomodidad, desasosiego y disgusto. Una de las habitaciones era para tres personas, colocando una cama supletoria muy pequeña e incómoda. La experiencia sufrida en este hotel ha resultado bastante desagradable por las circunstancias detalladas. Una lástima que no se puedan adjuntar fotos en este comentario ya que tengo una de la cucaracha en la toalla.

I was allocated a room without a window and the drains were smelly. The rest of the hotel seemed very nice so I guess I just got a bad deal.

I’m truly sorry to rate this hotel only three stars, but I cannot give a higher score after staying three days and having to sleep with a fan in my room because the AC was not working properly. I reported the issue to the front desk three times, yet nothing was done. It was clear they were aware of the problem, as a cheap fan was already in the room upon my arrival, which did not match the comfort level of the rest of the accommodations. Aside from that, the hotel itself is gorgeous, and the location is perfect. The room appeared to have been recently renovated—spacious, with an excellent view, beautiful décor, modern style, high-quality linens, excellent toiletries, and top-notch amenities. It was fantastic. Improving the minibar temperature would be a welcome upgrade. The service was also first-class—everything you would expect from a five-star hotel. Unfortunately, the failure to resolve a guest’s issue prevents me from giving the rating this property could have easily earned.

照明等のスイッチ類が全てタッチ式で格好は非常にいいのだが、使い勝手は良いとは言えない。

Gute Lage, große Zimmer!

The hotel is beautiful, but AC didn’t work properly… it was crazy hot . No matter how I was lowering the temperature to low, it stayed on 25 C … the room 309 AC needs to be fixed

Room was clean but nothing like the Expedia picture of a Junior Suite. It had a balcony but that was up some steps so you couldn’t see the view from the room.

The hotel building form the outside takes you to the memories of the soviet time but once you get inside you can feel the warmth and elegance of a nice 5 star hotel The staff is friendly and helpful My room and all the floor I guess it was recently refurbished was new, elegant, clean and comfortable The only negative aspect it was the hanger for the clothes and the lack of a closet Price very low for the quality of this hotel I will come back again

The room was very small with no view. There was no parking, found one at 32 euros per day. There was a wedding party at the hotel and the fire alarm at 1 am because the smoke machine triggered the alarm, the whole hotel evacuated, no staff to help or to tell what was going on , people on the street barefoot and in pyjamas. We didn't sleep for the rest of the night and had to leave early for the airport. It was a nightmare.

We had a wonderful stay at Sofia Balkan. The hotel is conveniently located next to Serdika metro station. Most location attractions are within walking distance. The rooms are clean and modern. The shower temperature could be a bit hotter and it’s strange there’s no hair dryer in the room. Would recommend this hotel.

Ein sehr schönes Hotel an bester Lage mit tolle moderne ruhige Zimmer. Leider funktioniert die Domotic nicht richtig und macht Lärm. Das ruiniert das Erlebnis und den Aufenthalt.

Very friendly and professional front-desk. Check-in was easy (6pm on a Friday). A nice, comfortable and clean hotel. I like the modern upgrades of this vintage hotel. Location is at the center of town, steps away from the Metro station, and walking distance to the sights.

It’s a beautiful hotel and breakfast was amazing. But the staff was racist. When I checked in, the girl at the counter charged me 500€ for deposit just because I am Asian! On the website of hotels.com said deposit 50€! And when I checked out, another male staff asked me why do I paid 500€ for deposit!!!??? Overall it’s a beautiful hotel but I can’t believe this happened to me and I am only hoping now that I can get my deposit back!!! I could have argued with the girl but I don’t want this stupid thing ruined my trip.

I’ll start with the conclusion: our stay at the hotel was absolutely wonderful. Like, presidential-wonderful. Literally. We landed in Sofia on a bleary-eyed early morning flight and arrived at the hotel around 11am. We weren't expecting miracles—just a place to drop our bags and maybe lie down on a horizontal surface. Instead, the front desk hit us with a one-two punch: early check-in AND an upgrade from junior suite to presidential suite. Yes, we went from "tired tourists" to "honorary heads of state" in under 5 minutes. The suite? Massive. Bright. Immaculate. At first, we thought, “Who needs this much space?” but then found ourselves doing laps between the bathroom and the balcony just because we could. Throughout the stay, it honestly felt like the staff had formed a secret society dedicated to pampering us. One night, after a leisurely dinner and evening stroll, we were ambushed in the lobby by Philipos, the F&B manager, wielding a mysterious pistachio dessert. "Please," he said, handing it to us like a treasure, "take it to your room and enjoy." Saying no was clearly not an option. Three minutes later, there was a knock on our door. A staff member stood there... with a fork and a napkin. The dessert had an entourage. Also, everyone in the hotel seemed weirdly happy. Either the air vents are pumping joy or this place just knows how to treat people right. 5 stars! Would gladly get presidentially spoiled again. --

Shockingly bad service in every aspect. Room not cleaned, asked five times for a wine list at the restaurant, impossible to get a coffee refill at breakfast. They just weren’t interested in their guests.

Abbiamo soggiornato al Balkan Palace Hotel per due notti e la posizione non potrebbe essere migliore: nel pieno centro città, perfetta per visitare tutto a piedi. Prima dell’arrivo avevo informato la struttura della mia forte allergia alla polvere e richiesto una pulizia accurata della camera. Purtroppo, entrando, ho trovato molta polvere, segno che probabilmente non era stata pulita quel giorno. Dopo aver segnalato la cosa in reception, la Guest Relation, Anastasia, ha gestito la situazione con grande professionalità: ha fatto ripulire immediatamente la stanza, lasciandoci un biglietto di scuse e omaggiandoci di una bottiglia di vino. Il giorno seguente, che coincideva con il compleanno di mio marito, ci ha riservato ancora un’attenzione speciale: davvero un gesto molto apprezzato. La camera è gradevole, il materasso molto comodo, mentre i cuscini non rispecchiano lo standard qualitativo di un cinque stelle. Ho inoltre notato che il letto non viene rifatto ogni giorno, anche se non so se questa sia una consuetudine locale. La sala colazione è piacevole, ma il personale di sala appare inesperto per una struttura di questo livello. La qualità e varietà del cibo sono mediocri, paragonabili a quelle di un buon quattro stelle business in Italia. Nel complesso, consiglio il Balkan Palace Hotel soprattutto per la posizione eccellente e l’ottima insonorizzazione delle camere, oltre che per la professionalità del Guest Relations. Con qualche miglioramento nella costanza delle pul

When I check in, the bell boy was very rude

This is VIP property but the reception has no idea what is VIP membership- they are surprised I ask for free room upgrade. Same frustration with reception on my check out : As a VIP gold member you get 20% discount on food & beverage, but I am being told “No”. The hotel is nice historic property in best Sofia location. The reception staff should attend a training about VIP members treatment.

Great location, walkable everywhere in a few minutes. The lady at the front desk was amazing. A couple of the male staff were rude and likely need customer service training. We had a bad experience with the airport shuttle. It was late in the morning and we nearly missed our flight. And we paid EUR 40 each way (vs premium taxi or Volt rate is EUR 16). When we asked the front desk gentleman for help, he actually shrugged his arms, and then he left not to return. And we had to walk a block to find if the cab was there.

Beautiful building in an excellent location. The property could be five star but has zero star service. Check-in was a nightmare, staff were rude and unconcerned with guests. Room cleaning, when it happened, was shoddy. Bathroom had embedded grime. Restaurant service was appalling. Asking four times for a menu, long wait for food and beverages. Sadly disappointing.

A few staff members were quite racist, upon arrival asking us why we didnt have luggage in a very judgemental way. The biggest problem was the bulgarian bar tender. Made us feel extremely uncomfortable for sitting in the poung/bar area a few times.

Ideally situated seemingly in the middle of the city and by a metro. Lovely spot. Nice bar. Good rooms. Decent breakfast. All good here!

Great location in city center

Good hotel in a very central and comfortable area

All the major tourist attractions are at your door step. From airport there is a train one can catch into the city centre where it’s station is located just across the street from the hotel.

Excellent hotel in the middle of the city Center with everything around and very good breakfast

Otel çok merkezi, bu anlamda çok güzel. Bir çok yere yürüme mesafesinde. Ancak otoparkının olmaması eksi yönü. Yakında bir tane var ama tüm güne 30 EUR verdik. Bence çok fazla. Alternatifler bulunabilir tabi ki biraz uzakta ama otelden uzağa araba park etmek zorunda kalmak da iyi değil.

This property is a favorite place to stay in Sofia. Some floors have been completely renovated, while others have retained their original charm. One side overlooks the church, which is quite scenic, while the other overlooks an archeological site that the city of Sofia has neglected for the last ten years. The hotel is fantastic. The front desk operates 24/7, and the area is safe. It's an excellent place for business and leisure. If you have an early flight, get a cab, but for everything else, there is a direct subway train to SOF Terminal 2, which takes about 40 minutes. It's at the "Serdika" subway station between "Vitoshka" and "Largo."

The hotel itself is excellent; however, access is somewhat inconvenient, as guests must transport their luggage (on a cobble road) considerable distance from the car drop-off point to the hotel's door.

Great hotel, very well located, especially to the metro (90 seconds walk) - the only thing that let us (and overheard others), the hot food at the buffet breakfast was consistently not hot, they need to work on that. Other breakfast items were perfect, fruits, pastries etc.

We had a wonderful stay at Sofia Balkan. The hotel is conveniently located next to Serdika metro station. Most location attractions are within walking distance. The rooms are clean and modern. The shower temperature could be a bit hotter and it’s strange there’s no hair dryer in the room. Would recommend this hotel.

Wonderful staff, great breakfast, & beautiful room. Highly recommended!

All good but the restaurant closed at 21:00 when I was going for dinner.

Beautiful hotel in a perfect location. Close to transit and city center sites. Added bonus was a fantastic breakfast buffet!

The availability of food at the bar was very limited by time and of very average quality, the reception staff were very offhand and fairly unhelpful. The bar staff were very friendly and apologetic, the problem would appear to be with the management. A great location and building, the plug in the bathroom sink had to be kept closed otherwise the smell in the room was disgusting.

The hotel is good, the décor is beautiful, and the front desk service is impeccable. The best part of the room is the luxurious bathroom with a rain shower. I found three problems: 1) the housekeeping and laundry staff do not do their job well—they cleaned poorly and actually ruined a linen blouse by washing it in a machine; 2) the hotel centrally controls the temperature in the rooms, which is annoying; and 3) the prices at the bar, restaurant, and laundry are absurd. I felt robbed. Please, do not consume anything from there—not even the breakfast buffet, which is quite mediocre for the price they charge. There are better options outside that cost a third of the ridiculous price this hotel charges.

The property has amazing character nicely preserved from a previous era. The hot breakfast was cold, partly because of the cold plates but mainly because the food warmers were not hot enough

Excellent stay and met my expectations. The breakfast was excellent!

In old Soviet era building but very modern and elegant room design. Quiet with very good windows. Very good breakfast

Great hotel, very well located, especially to the metro (90 seconds walk) - the only thing that let us (and overheard others), the hot food at the buffet breakfast was consistently not hot, they need to work on that. Other breakfast items were perfect, fruits, pastries etc.

We arrived at 1am but there was still staff to check us in. The property itself is presented well and we had a little balcony with amazing views of the palace. The location was fantastic with many dining options close by. The breakfast was excellent and we will definitely stay here when we are back in Sofia.