It was just a short visit at the beginning of September 2011, looking for a hotel with SPA for next holidays.
The receptionist at the front desk was not reactive, and clearly not used to promote their hotel to new guests. I asked for information on the type of rooms, and they seemed to not understand this simple query. Insisting, after a while she replied that all the rooms was the same. Insisting to ask if there were suites, the receptionist before says yes, at the last floor, but immediately corrects herself saying no. The impression was that there are indeed suites, but reserved to VIPs only……Then she added that there was only some sea front view rooms, but that they was too expensive………(for us, or in general? A very good promotion for new guests!)
Because I was interested to the SPA, I went straight to the desk of the SPA downstairs. Also the receptionist at the desk of the SPA had the same strange behaviour; looked astonished to have someone asking for information about treatments with thermal water and mud (the area is full of thermal springs, and the hotel promote this on Internet). Neither leaflets with the description of the treatments nor price lists was available. The receptionist suggested looking on their website! Insisting to visit the SPA, I have seen some cabins, but none of them was occupied, and there were no personnel around. The SPA looked abandoned and clearly not used by the guests of the hotel.
Going up to the restaurant floor, there was a very crowded and noisy self-service, bad-smelling of fried food and plenty of children shouting. There is no restaurant where to have a decent and calm lunch.
Gone to the external terrace, there was some scattered tables where people running from the self-service was trying to escape the bad smell, unsuccessfully because the bad smell was everywhere, even in open air.
Definitely a place to avoid.
- Azalia Hotel Varna
