Балнеохотел "Люляци"

The room was spacious, clean, and tidy. We got a view at the back of the hotel, which was not impressive, but still good enough - trees and fresh air. No balcony :( The staff was accommodating, the food was tasty, there was some event during our stay and there was a DJ in the restaurant - the music was a bit loud and we had to speak up to hear each other, but we still had a good time. Breakfast was not included in our rate, so we had the choice from a breakfast menu - traditional Bulgarian food - tasty too.

We visited the hotel as we liked it as a potential venue for our wedding, but after speaking with the manager on duty we got the disappointing news that their focus is weekend packages which are more profitable than weddings. We were told that they will make more money from the packages and that dealing with our wedding will be too much of a hassle for the team. It is a business decision; however, the way it was presented to us was appalling! Their website's main page says "Everything for your wedding" ironic don't you think!

The hotel is beautiful, and totally isolated in thick forest far from even the nearest village. The scenery is glorious and the quietness magnificent. The rooms are outstanding, quite large and with a lounge area, beautifully furnished and carpeted, and have a big bath in which one can lay back and soak. There are magnificent walks around the area, you just need to find them for yourself if you cannot speak Bulgarian. We so enjoyed watching the little almost black squirrels collecting walnuts high in the trees in the hotel garden and then hiding them away in their storage areas for winter.

The swimming pool was green and cold, and we were told it was closed for the season. The staff have only a tiny knowledge of English, so it is almost impossible to discuss anything with them or get information from them. We wondered why we were paying so much for just the room via Booking.com when we viewed their own website and saw that they offer a double room like we had for just 33 Leva for B&B, 41 Leva for half board, and 49 Leva for full board. Whereas we paid 68.5 Leva a night for room only, and we had to pay for any meals we had in their restaurant. I even think that their website rates include some treatments, as this is a balneological spa treatment hotel that is fed by cold springs that yield some 60,000 cubic meters of water an hour. It is located at a height of 840 metres above sea level in a beautiful mountain area. The actual name of the hotel is Hotel Lyulyatsi, which means Lilacs, and it is in the Gabrovo area. It is also not easy to find, as when I fed the co-ordinates into my navigation system it did not even know the road to it exists, and took me way up the mountains on a very narrow patched and potholed tarred road and told me I had reached my destination in the middle of a forest high above the actual hotel complex! The coffee or cappuccino in their cafe is terrible, very strong and not a nice taste at all. Rather go for the hot chocolate at a much lower price as it is superb!

The location is exeptional. Marvelous mountain views. Perfect for hiking lovers.

The food was middle class. The staff in the medical centre was not very kind.