Sunny Bulgaria in Soviet times was the dream of many Russian tourists. Despite the fact that the service in the hotels of this country did not differ anything special, for our compatriots it was considered a class higher than in our Soviet hotels, rest homes and boarding houses. In addition, our shores are mostly pebble, while the Bulgarian - golden-sand. And this is their main charm.
Features of rest
Bulgaria is a very beautiful sunny country. Here the wonderful ecology, magnificent nature, amazing landscapes, plus everything, very warm hospitable people who greet all the guests of the country with a smile. It is perfect for mixed tours: beach and sightseeing, culinary and wellness, as well as extreme. As for the first, then everything is clear with this, because the coast of Bulgaria is truly beyond praise. And after many modern comfortable hotels were built here and the level of service reached the highest levels, Bulgarian resorts competed with many famous European resorts. By the way, almost all the hotels that were opened here under socialism have recently undergone a deep reconstruction. The interior and exterior were updated in them, and for some, for example, Park Hotel Continental 2 *, new modern buildings were built. Sightseeing tours here are also very relevant, since Bulgaria is rich in historical, architectural and natural attractions, but the balneological resorts, which are located next to the thermal springs, are ready to receive tourists from all over Europe all year round. By the way, the gentle shores of the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria are very convenient for families with children. On school holidays, you can meet whole groups of kids who frolic either on the beach or in specially equipped playgrounds. Each of the hotels has mini-pools, game rooms, mini-clubs and other entertainments.
Resorts in Bulgaria
The coastline of the country is conditionally divided into many resort areas, but the most famous of them are Albena, Golden Sands, Sunny Beach. Prices for holidays in them are almost the same everywhere. If we compare them with the West European, here they are more democratic: approximately the same as on our Black Sea coast. But the infrastructure, no matter how much it was criticized by “Russian tourists” in their reviews, is more developed. And a big plus of Bulgarian resorts is that the hotel zone in them is separated from the private sector and industrial enterprises. Each of the resorts resembles a giant hotel town, which has everything you need for a good rest: hotels, restaurants, cafes, cabarets, shops, nightclubs, discos, playgrounds, amusement parks, etc. Their territories are beautifully groomed and clean. Everything has a serene and comfortable rest. Further in the article we want to acquaint you with the resort area of Sunny Beach, in which the aforementioned Park Hotel Continental 2 * hotel (Bulgaria / Burgas) is located. The beach on which it is located has a crescent shape and is very convenient for families with kids.
Sunny Beach - Golden Sand
This resort is located near (40 km) the large seaport of Burgas. The coastline is about 8 kilometers long, and the width of the magnificent sandy beaches sometimes reaches 50 meters. They are striking in their cleanliness and grooming, therefore they are annually awarded with blue flags of the European Union. Big waves on this coast are extremely rare. The weather at sea is mostly calm. The sun shines more than 300 days a year. It is rarely windy, but sometimes on the beaches you can see a black flag, which indicates that swimming on the sea is strictly prohibited. The swimming season here lasts from mid-May to mid-October, that is, as much as 5 months. By the way, there is no sweltering heat: the air warms up to 27-28 degrees even in the summer, and nights are also warm, and the water temperature reaches 26 degrees. This plays into the hands of young people who flies to the coast during the holidays. Of course, they are primarily attracted to cheapness, and secondly, to numerous discos, night clubs, variety shows, etc.
Resorts
As you know, a wonderful vacation awaits you here. Sunny Beach has always been considered and continues to be the largest of the Bulgarian resorts. Today it has more than 800 hotels. Every day, new buildings are being built, many of which belong to large hotel chains. That is why not only state employees, but also lovers of respectable rest, have recently been attracted to rest in “Sunny Beach”. A map of the village, bought before coming here, for example, at the airport, will help you navigate among the many hotels and restaurants. After all, on it (map), in addition to the streets, the location of all hotels is also indicated. This is very convenient especially at night, since almost all signs shine brightly with neon light and can become additional signs. By the way, the majority of hotels are located along the beach line. Of course, there are those who are on the second or third lane, such as Park Hotel Continental (Bulgaria), which is located 200 meters from the beach. However, guests of these hotels have the opportunity to shorten their path to the beach using convenient passages between the hotels on the first line. So do the guests of the aforementioned hotel. By the way, in the next paragraph we will describe in more detail her device.
Resort “Sunny Beach” / Park Hotel Continental: general description
This hotel complex consists of three buildings of various categories: 2 stars, three stars and 3+ stars. They are united by a common park area, coniferous forest and rose garden, children's and adult pools, playgrounds and restaurants. The simplest of them, of course, is Park Hotel Continental 2 *. And the prices for accommodation here are the lowest. The repair was carried out in Soviet times, but it was slightly corrected in 2003, when the entire complex underwent a major overhaul. Nevertheless, the conditions of the hotel quite suit unassuming tourists who want to save on accommodation, because the rest of the services in the complex are common to all three buildings. More comfortable conditions can be found at Park Hotel Continental 3 + *. Bulgaria, by the way, is distinguished by the fact that the level of service in three-star hotels in the country is quite high in comparison with Western European. But 4 and 5 star hotels, on the contrary, are inferior to them in their service.
Hotel location
Park Hotel Continental 2 * is located in the southern part of the resort. From the airport of the nearby city of Burgas, you can get here by car (taxi or bus) in just half an hour. The distance from the hotel to the beach is 200 meters. But each time you can take a walk along a well-groomed alley and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Number of rooms
The interior of this two-star building is unremarkable. A long corridor, many lacquered doors and a lounge with upholstered furniture and a TV. There, with the administrator on the floor, you can rent a safe for storing valuables and a mini fridge. Some of the vacationers in their reviews write that the Park Hotel Continental 2 * building resembles a pioneer camp in its structure. There is nothing special in the rooms: beds, a folding bed as an extra bed, a primitively equipped bathroom, a small balcony with plastic chairs. That's all device numbers. In this building, according to the rules established in the hotel, linen should be changed a week once, however, tourists who have stayed here longer than this period, note that the staff completely forgot about this requirement. The same goes for housekeeping. If you do not demand, then no one will enter the room during the rest and will not vacuum. In a word, those tourists who scrupulously relate to cleanliness should not come here. In contrast to this building, in the other two, everything is much more civil, and the service is top-notch. They certainly correspond to the number of their stars. Both with the interior and room service everything is in order: there is everything that hotels of this type should have . Sunny Beach, as you know, adheres to European standards in the classification of hotels .
Complex infrastructure
As already noted, all three buildings are united by a common territory. Therefore, all vacationers, regardless of the type of their voucher (2 *, 3 *, 3 + *), have the right to use all the services that are provided within the hotel complex. The hotel infrastructure includes:
- a rather large outdoor pool with a children's compartment and slides, around which umbrellas and deck chairs are located;
- 4 cozy bars, including a bulbar;
- Three restaurants serving international cuisine
- several shops and souvenir stalls;
- a hairdresser (in 2 * building) and a beauty salon - in 3 + *;
- spacious and well-equipped playground;
- laundry and dry cleaning;
- left-luggage office, etc.
Entertainment at the hotel Park Hotel Continental (Bulgaria / Sunny Beach)
For lovers of outdoor activities in the hotel complex there are sports fields, tennis courts, billiards, ping pong, bicycles (for rent), a disco, etc. But lovers of relaxation can enjoy massage and other relaxing treatments.
Food for vacationers
Breakfast, which is served in the central restaurant of the hotel complex, is common for all hotel guests, no matter in which building they stayed. However, tourists, even when making the tour, can agree on the type of HB food (half board) or "all inclusive". In the case of the latter, they will have the opportunity not only to eat at the hotel in several receptions, but also to use the services of bars all day. Such tours are ordered mainly by guests of the “3+” building. In some reviews, tourists write that the food in this hotel is scarce and varied. However, this is not true. Perhaps, compared to Turkish hotels, there is no such abundance, but local chefs work wonderfully and prepare for guests not only hearty, but also very diverse dishes of both local and international cuisines.
Beach complex
This hotel does not have its own private beach, so tourists have to use the nearby public beach. Entrance to it is free, but equipment (sunbeds and umbrellas) needs to be rented. The beach, where the guests of the Continental prefer to relax, is located 200-300 meters from its territory. It is quite wide and well-groomed. There is a beach volleyball court, children's slides and swings, cafes and bars, billiards, as well as a wide variety of water activities: a water bike (scooter), parachute, catamaran, water skiing, windsurfing, etc. By the way, since 2003, a wonderful water park with many water attractions for both adults and children has opened in the resort "Sunny Beach".
In conclusion
Not so long ago, Bulgaria was a socialist country, but even in those years its resorts attracted tourists from all over Europe, even Western. This suggests that she has long established traditions inherent in a tourist country. Of course, hotels built in the last century cannot meet modern standards, however, the resort administration is trying hard to improve the level of service. The same applies to the Continental hotel complex.