Gondola Apartments & Suites

Even though the hotel looks good in the photos, there are some major inconveniences. One of us had a bed with a mattress full of bed bugs and had to change the room. Even so, it was a horrible experience trying to get rid of them at home. One of the rooms was chilly, the sheats were changed only once in 8 days, the bathroom floor constantly got flooded and the overall quality is poor. After a negative review for this hotel, they took back the small discount that we were initially given (about 56 bgn). Bottom line: avoid it!

We had to stay in Gondola for six nights as our previous hotel was reserved for that period (we were informed of that and the hotel owner even helped us find a new accommodation). Ivan, the Gondola Apartments manager, was extremely polite and showed us the apartment which consisted of a bedroom, a living room with an open plan kitchen and a bathroom with a cabin shower. The morning we arrived the apartment was very warm, everything was clean and the whole space had a fresh smell. We could use the hobs and store our breakfast in the refrigarator as we were in diet, which was very convenient. The day before New Years Eve, Ivan himself with another manager visited us and offered a bottle of champagne and a box of truffle chocolate, to celebrate new year, which was a very thoughtful and kind gesture. Bearing in mind that Bulgaria has not a long history in tourism, I was pleasantly surprised to see the genuine effords of this complex so minor issues wouldn't change my good impression overall.

The rooms' squeaky metal doors would make a terrible noise while being opened and closed and provide no sound insulation and no privacy either as the peephole was just a hole with a two way lens and no cover. The walls are also ultra thin and you'll definitively hear the party goers return to their rooms (as well as pretty much everything else). Both the shower cabin and drain would leak and, with the bathroom heater strangely placed near the ceiling, provide a cold, wet bathroom floor. There would be very loud noises throughout the room as guests from the upper floors flushed their toilets. The curtains did not cover the entire width of the draughty window, letting in light from the street and dangling dangerously above the large electric heater. The kitchenette was partially functional with only one hot plate working while the pan and pot are due for replacement. There is no cleaning service if you stay under 5 or 6 days, which is expected from a two star apart-hotel, and the room had a rusted, broken mop and a disintegrating broom which did their job to the best of their specifications, but what annoyed me the most was the cleaning staff using one of my plastic bags, which I had sitting around the room to line the trash can with. Despite the lack of sound proofing, it is possible to get a good night's sleep as most guests will go to bed at a reasonable time. Although a short walk away from the gondola station, the hotel is situated in a quiet part of the city and offers a good value for money considering the location and compared to other options. Storage for your equipment is provided free of charge while the staff is friendly, helpful and kind. There wasn't a day that we couldn't find a free parking spot around the hotel. Paying was a breeze as they just charged the card I used to reserve my booking.