Just got back from a week away at the Samokov hotel for our very first snowboarding holiday and we found it all we needed:

Bedrooms; basic but large, we had a sofa and balcony to the back so nice the quiet, it was nice that had seperate toliet to bathroom and plenty of wardrobe space. Did expect tea and coffee making facilites but hey ho! The bath does not meet the wall so be careful when taking a shower, i did happen to flood the bathroom when not paying attention!

Hotel: We couldnt really ask for more within the hotel, swimming pool, bar, restaurant, things to do in the evening (bowling, rifle shooting, pool etc). Perfect location, opposite the main gondola, 2 minutes walk from the nursery slope and right in the 'high street' so popping out for a bite to eat or drink was ideal.

Food: Breakfast was fine, all your normal buffet breakfast and we always had warm food. The evening was a little basic, hot food often being 'dish of fish' or 'dish of pork' but we had previously read the reviews and were fully expecting cold awful food....it wasnt really that bad! and there is a a la carte restaurant on the 9th floor if you wish to upgrade (25 lev each, which is about £12 each). Altenatively there are restaurants and bars on your doorstep if you do want something different

Staff: We found the staff, fine, not overall friendly but once you spoke to them they were friendly and polite (they found it very funny when we tried to speak bulgarian!) I especially liked our rep who gave me a bottle of champagne on my birthday (during the candlelite walk we went on), thought that was the extra mile we weren't expecting.

Skiing/Snowboarding: we booked a beginners snowboarding package so after our induction on the first morning we were given our equipment and taken to the nursery slopes for our first lesson. Equipment was perfect, Dylan our teacher was amazing and all ended up doing some black runs by the end of the week so couldnt ask for more. The only negative i have is that it wasnt very clear that we only had 3 days worth of lessons, with 2 hours each day when we booked (skiers have morning and afternoon, 4 hours, and 6 days). However saying this, Dylan came with us everyday to the different slopes and continued to help us so couldnt ask for more, just wished it was a little clearer when booking

A Gala evening was put on for us on our last day, where we were all presented with our snowboarding 'diplomas'! Free wine, beer and lemonade, and entertainment was a fab end to a good holiday

Overall we thought this hotel was perfect for what we wanted, a cheap hotel close to the slopes! we weren't expecting 5* for what we paid and so couldnt be dissappointed when we could see the slopes from our balcony!

Would we return: Probably, but possibly look at going on a B&B rate and taking advantage of the location and eating out, saying this after a day of snowboarding all we wanted to do was go to bed anyway!!

really pleasent stay would definately return. all those people who complained about the staff, location and hotel are small minded we loved it and would recommend visiting here. very cheap while we was there. really friendly staff and it goes for all the bulgarians on the resort.

The samokov has a dated facade however this should not put you off. I have stayed in Borovets previously and due to this we booked the Samokov for our second stay based on it's location to the gondola and the rest of the resort.
the rooms are good the water is hot all the time! The food is more than adequate and you will always find a number of dishes that you will enjoy. The first complaint I have is that you are not able to get water in the evening from a water fountain that is available for breakfast. This I grant you is a minor point but if water let alone soft drinks had been available I would have been completely satisfied with the restaurant. The other bone of contention is that the Walls between rooms are very thin. If you are unlucky to have inconsiderate neighbours then this would tarnish the stay. Apart from these two minor gripes we had an excellent holiday and even found a route from piste to White magic ski that enabled us to get within 20yards of the hotel front door!

Just spent a week in the samokov hotel. In summary I wish we had never come here! The three of us all had d&v which seems to be spreading like wild fire on the 4th floor! I think by the time you read this it will be on all floors! Staff are very ignorant, abrupt & rude. A smile once in a while or a reply to a simple "hello" would of been nice! The rooms are very very basic. Don't expect a kettle or tea & coffee making facilities because you will be dissapointed! I thought this was standard in a 4* hotel? Obviously not! The room was dirty, balls of dust & fluff behind the bathroom door on arrival! Nice welcome! Dust on all surfaces which never got cleaned during our week stay. The floor didn't get hoovered for the whole week either. The bath has not seal around it so after a shower you are met by a flood! The bath had a big chip in it. Door frames hanging off. Shabby towels full of holes. The whole place is a dump! If you have any sense at all don't come here! The ski hire staff are equally rude! The equipment is well used and not maintained! Next year, I will be going elsewhere with my own skis!