Riu Dolce Vita

We first stayed here in 2024 and enjoyed it enough to return at the beginning of July 2026. Overall, it is still a nice, family-friendly hotel, but there have been some significant changes. The hotel is well suited for families with children. The rooms are spacious, many have sea views, and the swimming pools remain the highlight of the resort. My children spent more time in the pools than at the beach. The pools were clean, there were enough sunbeds, and the aquapark was open for a few hours each day. The town center is within walking distance, with restaurants, shops, and attractions for children. Varna is easy to reach by bus (lines 9 and 409 stop outside the hotel), making it a great base for exploring the area. The staff were once again friendly and helpful. We especially appreciated being able to pay for a very late check-out, which made a huge difference because we were traveling with my elderly parents and had a late-night flight. Unfortunately, housekeeping was inconsistent during our 2026 stay. Our room was not cleaned regularly, and several times I had to ask reception for toilet paper and shampoo. The TV did not work, which wasn't important for us, but the bathroom light flickered constantly and the curtains were in poor condition and needed cleaning. The food was still good overall, especially the soups and ice cream, although the selection felt very similar every day. If you arrive near the end of lunch service, there are naturally fewer choices remaining. The all-inclusive drinks are local; personally, I didn't enjoy the coffee or the wine. The biggest disappointment was the beach. In 2024, the hotel provided access to a nearby sandy beach within walking distance, which was one of the reasons we decided to return. In 2026, guests were instead transported every 30 minutes by a small train to a beach about 4 km away. We found it much more crowded and considerably rockier, so we only used it once and then returned to the beach we had enjoyed two years earlier. A note for anyone wanting to visit that beach independently: beaches in Bulgaria are public. Although the land between the road and the beach is privately managed, security should allow public access to the beach. We entered without any issues, but on our way back a security guard became unnecessarily aggressive while questioning us. I explained we were returning with my elderly father, who has difficulty walking, but his behavior continued. I began calling the police, and as soon as I started dialing, he walked away. Hopefully this was an isolated incident. One final observation: if you are traveling with elderly relatives or anyone with limited mobility, be aware that there are several potential safety hazards around the hotel, including hard-to-see steps, exposed stair edges, and railings that could be improved. Despite these issues, we still enjoyed many aspects of our stay. The friendly staff, excellent pools, spacious rooms, and convenient location remain the hotel's strengths. However, the change of beach and the maintenance issues meant our 2026 experience was not as positive as our first visit.

Took a last minute break to catch some sun and was not dissapointed in the hotel or the location. Things could be picked apart depending on your level of expectation, but for the price and convenience it was perfect. Situatoed close to the beach and maybe a view if you are on the 8th floor, there is a shuttle bus that takes you to their private beach that runs often, or is just a 15 min walk and can get to see all the local shops and other places to eat Never had any issues with the food, and good variety for all of the meals. But as was so late in the season and hotel not fully booked it often did seem that things got made for many meals until had run out and then looked to the next thing. Did not mind, as still filled my plate all the time Staff very friendly and helpful and never had any problems Pools are all clean and great to have a dip to keep cool Would go back and enjoy a very relaxed week again and the value for money was great

Dear SH Dolce Team, We would like to say a big thank you for making our first trip to Bulgaria so special! We were truly impressed by the wonderful climate, the warm sea, and – most of all – your amazing hotel. Everything was perfect: delicious and varied food, excellent service, and a very professional and friendly staff. A special thanks to the animation team – you brought so much joy, fun, and positive energy to our holiday! We would also like to express our deepest gratitude to managers Pavel Shaigarovsky and Radostina Milcheva for their help in organizing our unforgettable vacation and the celebration of our mother’s birthday. Thank you for your professionalism and kind hearts – you made this trip truly memorable for us. We enjoyed our stay very much and will definitely recommend SH Dolce to our friends. And of course, we are sure we will come back again! With warmest regards, Kristina