hotel reviews by travellers:

+ by Zoe Shawn
02.11.2009 05:32

Chose this hotel based on other positive reviews and also cheaper price (30 euros for double room). On arrival we were greeted by very smoky lobby and reception area. Staff were polite but not very helpful. I asked them for recommendations to restaurants and tourist sights and got an "I don't know" response repeatedly.
Rooms are clean, smallish and basic. No room safe but has air con. Shower was over bath but no shower curtain (a rare commodity) in hotels in this part of the world. Purple curtains and blanket give the room a bit of a cheesy bordello look but bad decor never hurt anyone right?
Hotel is a few kilometres out from the centre but taxis are cheap (check the sticker for the meter rate before you get in). There is a large mall called the City Centre within a 15 minute walk from the hotel. It has a large cinema that plays English language movies (we were travelling for months in east Europe so this was a bit of a luxury for us).
The restaurant served very nice food at a great price.

+ by Desislava Mineva
23.09.2009 12:26

We only stayed here one night while visiting Sofia. Hotel was lovely with big bed, nice furniture and jacuzzi bath, very nice!!! We had a nice view of the Vitosha mountain from our window. I particularly liked the lights above the bed on the ceiling, was very romantic. Fridge was well stocked with drinks and snacks but they did not actually matched the list provided. Breakfast was ok, selection of cheeses, juices, pastries and eggs, ham and baklava.

+ by Aron Globe
08.08.2009 10:20

I stayed at this hotel after reading its rave reviews from here and other sites. Its main appeal being the very appealing low room rates.
Location-wise it's not too far from the airport. From the airport costs 10 Lev and returning to the airport was less. However it's a slight walk to the town centre of Sofia...probably around 15-20 minutes depending on your pace.
The reception staff are exceptional. They are very willing to help as much as possible. We asked one receptionist to try and book a tour for us to visit the Rila Monastery from a leaflet we saw. She didn't do this, instead she called a taxi driver to drive us there for half the price of the original tour!
The rooms themselves are spacious and the beds were normal to sleep on. The red satin sheet complete with heart shaped cushion was slightly off-putting but was easily solved by stuffing them in the wardrobe. There is internet connection in each room and the cable can be obtained from reception. Every room has a jacuzzi bath. We had one the 2nd time we stayed here, but it's nothing special. The best thing about it is the in-shower radio system. Also, with the water appearing slightly yellow in the tub, having a shower was more appealing. Every room has numerous light switches dotted about the room. It's quite a challenge working out which switch does what. If in the unfortunate event of a light bulb going out, you'll be pleased to know there are 50 other lights to counter the darkness..
Breakfast was probably the biggest disappointment at this hotel. The atmosphere of the breakfast room was rather dreary, and the food itself was poor to say the least. But for the price of the room, it's amazing that breakfast is even included.

+ by Sam Kurtz
29.01.2009 11:58

My wife and I stayed at the California for five nights. The hotel is in a very quiet residential area of Sofia. Trams are about a 10 min walk, taxis also nearby. Better take a taxi as you have to pay for a new ticket each time you have to change the tram/bus.
The room was rather spacious, although you could not sit on the couch - the seating area is too short (although I am not very tall). Bathroom is ok - although no shower curtain, so the bath gets pretty wet. The buth tub had no paneling and the water pipes could be seen underneath - rather ugly.
The room and the hotel in general is very clean. Breakfst buffet very good. We also used the restaurant and had excellent food in a very cosy surrounding.
The staff are very friendly.
As some comments already mentioned, smoking is indeed a problem. There was smoking smell in the corridor, luckily not in our room. Smoking is very common in Bulgaria, practically everybody smokes almost everywhere.
Very useful - telephone calls within Sofia free of charge from your room!
Nice, clean and friendly hotel. Excellent value for money. We will certainly return!

+ by Teight Wright
09.07.2008 05:11

Yes, this hotel is on a quiet tree-lined street, but its a VERY long walk from town - though walking once was interesting in an orientating sort of way. I'd advise a taxi or asking for help to catch a bus, which you can do at a busy intersection about ten minutes walk away.
We arrived about 10.30 pm after a long day's travel, and of course the restaurant was closed and there was nothing else in this residential neighbourhood. The friendly, English-speaking receptionist rustled up a so-called salad plate from the kitchen which filled the gap but couldn't be described as appetising - but full marks for helpfulness.
The simple but acceptable help-yourself breakfast was in a basement with pretensions to traditional atmosphere, possibly intended to double as an event venue.
Overall, this was acceptable as a safe, quiet place to sleep, but wouldn't suit someone wanting quick access to nightlife or a a handy place to rest between bouts of sightseeing. Staff were friendly and helpful - a big plus.

+ by Andy Fergie
29.11.2007 11:16

Stayed here with my wife for a week.
It is in one of the most exclusive areas of sofia, but you may find this hard to belive if you have not been here before.
Sofia is being modernised and this hotel is well done.
Rooms are a good size and are well appointed.
The restaurant is very cheap but very good.
Most of the staff are freindly but the "Bulgarian shrug" can become very annoying if you are not used to it if you have a problem.