Yalta Complex

We stayed here for a week and having never visited Bulgaria before we didn’t know what to expect. In hindsight I wish I had done more research into hotels to truly enjoy this beautiful country. Firstly, as we arrived at 2 in the morning the 24/7 receptionist was nowhere to found. Luckily the taxi driver stayed with us and helped with the search. When he appeared he proceeded to take us up to the second floor after we had requested beforehand a ground floor room due to us having a 6 month old in a buggy and not wanting to trek up and down stairs multiple times per day. We told him what we had requested and we’re met with “no other rooms”. We stuck to our guns and noticed the abundance of empty rooms on the ground floor. He eventually gave up and led us to our room which at that time with a screaming baby we were elated with (a small room overlooking the pool) despite there not being a cot which presumably was in the original room. Next day we noticed the bathroom had no shower curtain and we weren’t given towels which we reported immediately and asked for the pre requested cot for our baby. Despite being quite good at charades as a child, shower curtain and cot are quite difficult to convey waving your arms in a thick Geordie accent so he had to be shown what we meant. Again, we were told tomorrow... The room was clean enough to begin with and had a safe at 5lv per day, a working air con unit and a kettle on request as long as you ask around 4 times. By the end of the week we had to beg one of the cleaners to change our sheets and mop the floor, this is not a regular service so be warned! The food in the on site restaurant was average when we did eat there. I was more concerned that they had the beginning of quite an impressive aviary living above the tables fully furnished with chicks who do their business continuously over the side of the nests and onto the restaurant floor where we ate. Breakfast was the most unusual of cocktails of whatever was left I have ever witnessed. Spaghetti carbonara is not a breakfast food no matter how you present it. Similar to what you are served when running the freezer down for a big Christmas shop. Drinks were very well priced, 1.50lv a pint of lager and 3lv for a very generous rum and coke. The cocktail bar doesn’t exist, only in distant memory of the staff and in their ageing photos of what looks like a once promising hotel. The pool is absolutely freezing! My son screamed as we put him in it, didn’t realise why he was so shocked by the water until I got in. It became obsolete very quickly even in the midday sun it never became warm enough. Location: Our first exploration along the motorway this hotel is situated on was what felt like 400 miles into sunny beach. Apparently 15 minutes away, I expect they mean by Harrier jet. It isn’t close, it isn’t even an enjoyable walk... get the bus, it’s cheap and you see the same dated tired looking desolate area but quicker. It feels less sunny beach as it does Baghdad. St Vlas is a similar walk but a little closer and I found a more family friendly and pretty place also Nesebar old town in the opposite direction on the bus is stunning. Paradise beach around the corner to Yalta Complex is beautiful we would never have found it unless staying here, the staff are friendly and food is a BBQ lovers dream! Plus sides, most of the staff were very friendly though spoke little English so it became a bit isolating. Sonia who sings every night was always friendly and keen to get me up dancing, I had her catalogue of songs in my head months later. To conclude, I‘d implore anyone to do their research and think about staying somewhere else!

When we arrived and saw the room we saw that it was a bit dirty (spider webs in every corner) but we decided not to give it too much importance ... we left our luggage and went to eat at the hotel restaurant. There are no words to describe the neglect there is. They have the food made for a long time and you simply choose what you want (in the half board there is no main course or dessert) and they heat it in the microwave. (Dirty dirty dirty ... had not been cleaned in at least 2 months) At night we went to shower and surprise! The shower flooded. The next day we told the receptionist what was happening and he came with a plunger and removed a huge ball of hair that he left in the shower, we thought it would be cleaned by room service but when we arrived at night the ball of everything remained the same hair and our wet towels after it was flooded. The pool was not cleaned either, they simply put enough chlorine and ready. In short ... a disaster. Cuando llegamos y vimos la habitación vimos que estaba un poco sucia ( telas de arañas en todos los rincones) pero decidimos no darle demasiada importancia... dejamos nuestro equipaje y fuimos a comer al restaurante del hotel. No hay palabras para describir la dejadez que hay. Tienen la comida hecha de hace mucho tiempo y simplemente eliges lo que quieres (en la media pensión no hay segundo plato ni postre) y te lo calientan en el microondas. ( Sucio sucio sucio... no lo habian limpiado por lo menos en 2 meses) A la noche nos fuimos a duchar y sorpresa! la ducha se inundaba. Al día siguiente le dijimos al recepcionista lo que pasaba y vino el mismo con un desatacador y quitó una bola de pelo enorme que dejó en la ducha, pensabamos que lo limpiaría el servicio de habitaciones pero cuando llegamos a la noche seguía todo igual la bola de pelo y nuestras toallas mojadas despues de que se inundara. La pisicina tampoco la limpiaban simplemente echaban bastante cloro y listo. En definitiva... un desastre.

Just returned from 2 weeks at this hotel. Well where to start !! ROOM... one bed apt, very tired and basic, paint peeling from the walls. Dodgy looking electrics, cupboard doors hanging off, no amenities... no kettle, cups, etc .. a kettle was provided when asked though had to buy beakers from supermarket. Very dirty, cobwebs in corners, thick dust on surfaces. Glass toothbrush holder had a hole in it and was green mouldy in the bottom. Toilet smelt of strong stale urine !! CLEANERS... didnt clean once until the day before we were due to leave. Shower, sink and toilet never cleaned, i dont think the toilet had ever seen bleach ! toilet paper not replaced, floor never swept , i bought bleach and toilet rolls from supermarket and cleaned bathroom myself.... not what i expect to do on holiday !! Towels only changed every four days and bedding was only changed once in the fortnight. Sheets dont fit the bed they are actually single duvet covers. BREAKFAST... does not cater for the English. No cold milk for hit drinks. No cereal, chopped fruit or yogurt. Lots of cold meats and cheeses all placed on plates on a table, nothing covered or refrigerated, margerine warm and melted. Dodgy toaster you need to put tongs in it to get the toast out. POOL... is quite a good size though i never saw it cleaned or the PH checked ! No working pool bar, its totally derelict and unused, no pool snacks hence the pool is very rarely used, lots of empty sunbeds for this reason. There is a bar inside but never manned so have to go looking for a member of staff, dont expect a cocktail the grumpy staff say no. On my first night i had a gin and tonic i had the last small bottle of tonic and they never replaced it, so another trip to supermarket for tonic. On the plus side if you go out of back of hotel turn left and follow road you come to a nice beach area with some lovely bars and restaurants. The supermarket is only a 5 min walk up the rd ( you will need it ). Opposite supermarket down a hill is the center of st vlas with some lovely restaurants and bars.