+ Review by Janis Papadopulu
15.11.2009 01:14

Date of stay: Nov 2009
Type of traveller: alone on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 3 out of 5
Value for money: | 3 out of 5
Location: | 3 out of 5
Staff/service: | 3 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 4 out of 5

Being on business trips every week entitles me to compare and rate a hotel!!!! For sure Hilton Sofia is not a 5* Hotel. I arrived at 20:00 and nobody helped me with my luggage entering the hotel or delivering it in my room. Rooms are quite small and awfully decorated. 21 inches TV belongs to 90’s. Stayed in other Sofia Hotels and all had TFT/LCD. Charging internet access is also outrageous. I had in-room dining(burger, pasta) very basic!!!...Gym is a pleasant surprise, well equipped!!...

+ Review by Jean Riche
14.11.2009 03:14

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Nov 2009
Type of traveller: alone on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

I spent there many nights and I can highly recommend this hotel, especially for business travellers.
The hotel is located a little ouside of the city center but with taxi or tram you'll get there in a few minutes. In walking distance you'll find a shopping mall with some restaurants and bars, pharmacy etc. Near the hotel you'll find some very good restaurants as well. Just ask the hotel staff, they're always helpful and really care for their guests.
The rooms are quite spacious, I personally found the colors used for the interiour too bold (yellow and blue) but everything was very well equipped and clean. Ask for a room in the corner if you like to have a good view over the city :-)
Room service and dry cleaning without issues and recommendable. You'll find an iron and iron board in every room - or just call the reception and someone will do it for you.
I mostly preferred to have dinner in the restaurant - quite expensive compared with Sofia restaurants but the quality of food was very high and there was a good choice of meals. If you find nothing on the menu or from the buffet (fresh buffet in addition to á la carte menu more or less every evening), just ask the staff. The chef is prepared to cook on your special order. The wine menu is highly recommended as well - try the Bulgarian wines.
Please take into consideration that smoking is allowed all over in Sofia, even in restaurants and hotels. The bar and restaurant have a non-smoking section as well but still you could smell the cigarette smoke. No issue with the rooms, non-smoking rooms are on separate floors.
Fitness and small pool available as well. Another recommendation: try the cosmetic and massage treatments in the small beauty area.
A little disappointing was the every morning traffic in Sofia - it can be difficult to get a taxi. The hotel staff does everything what is possible but if you order you taxi in advance this will work better.
TV provides with international satellite channels, a separate radio alarm clock is available in every room.

+ Review by Jan Zephurus
07.11.2009 11:48

Date of stay: Nov 2009

Hotel rating: | 4 out of 5
Value for money: | 4 out of 5
Location: | 4 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 4 out of 5

Standard US chain hotel standard, which can be quite of a relief after traveling around Bulgaria. Modern, comfortable and clean.Location not really central, no walking distance to centre, so transport needs to be arranged. Comfortable rooms, only negative that windows cannot be opened.
Breakfast not really what one would get at a Hilton but still good enough.

+ Review by Roy Charles
09.09.2009 01:11

Date of stay: Sep 2009
Type of traveller: a couple on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 3 out of 5
Value for money: | 4 out of 5
Location: | 3 out of 5
Staff/service: | 3 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 3 out of 5

My wife and I stayed at the Hilton Sofia for two nights in September 2009. We drove into town, arriving around 10:00PM after a long day day on the road. Finding the hotel was a problem so we engaged a cabbie at the Sofia airport to lead us there; he did so, but promptly charged an outrageous fee to do so, producing a taxi meter receipt that had about 50 itemized lines on it....impossible to decipher, so I gave him the requested 35 Euros.....which was probably at least 4X the normal rate. Oh well, we did get there. The arrival at the hotel was OK. I would say the facility, in an international comparison context, is fair. The staff did try hard to please; they get a lot of points for effort. It is just that Bulgaria has such a long way to go. It's infrastructure is rickety. The food in the hotel is of a fairly poor quality. Breakfast featured a limited selection of foods. Hot chocolate served luke warm. Eggs scrambled mushy. KInd of a scattershot collection of items. Not many smiles.....serious countenances. Room service food quality was just fair. The hotel is clearly trying to make up for low room rates by tacking on high charges for other services. The executive lounge is far below standards of other venues....almost like a waiting room in a train station with a limited selection of refreshments. My comments may sound like complaining, but I don't want them to be taken that way. I accept that this country has such a long way to go to train its citizens in the ways of good service and quality products....I believe that this facility is just emblematic of that situation. We did have an excellent meal at a restaurant called "Pri Yafata", serving Bulgarian specialities. We drove rather many miles through the country and would say that in general they are 50-75 years behind Western Europe. We did like the country very much and the people were extremely kind everywhere we went. They just have so much to do that it will take a generation to get it done. Having said all such, I would probably stay in this hotel again if I were in Sofia. We felt safe and felt that our vehicle was safe in the parking lot in front of the hotel. It was a 5 Leva (about $4) cab ride, or a 30 minute walk from the city centre.
This is not a normal 5*(??) Hilton International property....it is truly more like a high 3 or low 4 star property.

+ Review by Asan
03.09.2009 12:19

Hotel rating: | 4 out of 5
Value for money: | 3 out of 5
Location: | 4 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 2 out of 5

Hotel clean in the center of Sofia.

Parking not free, it is non acceptable for Hilton cathegorie. Health center very bad, swimming pool not suitable for Hilton hotels small, not clean. Internet very very expensive EUR20 / day. Internet wireless often free on 5 star hotels novadays.

+ Review by Sherley Westwood
24.08.2009 08:35

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Aug 2009
Type of traveller: a couple on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 4 out of 5
Value for money: | 4 out of 5
Location: | 4 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

Spent four nights here this month on a trip with my spouse. Check-in was great (we were able to get to into our room a few hours early) and the room was comfortable. I'm a Diamond HH member and could not get an upgrade because the hotel was full due to some NATO convention next door.

Did visit the Executive Lounge and have mixed feelings about it. No where was there any enforcement and anyone could walk into it, regardless if they had access or even if they walked in off the street. Mid-day offerings were pretty scant (nuts only). Evening hors d’oeuvres were ok as an appetizer. Alcohol selection ok, some nice Bulgarian wines. Only real complaint (and this isn't the hotel) is many convention-goers used the lounge as their gathering place and as a result sort of took it over and we had to listen to their conversations and stories about all their exploits and how it was back in the 60s and 70s.

The Hotel's business center was nice with six free to use computers and printers. Again, there didn't appear to be any control over this so often it was crowded.
Breakfast was the standard Hilton breakfast and the food was good. Nice selection of yogurts, fruits, meats, cereals.
The standard room is a little small (but still large for European standards) and the bathroom was very clean. .Beds were awesome and very comfortable. Could have spent all day under the duvet. Nice minibar with room for you to put in your own beverages. Bottles of water provided daily by housekeeping.
Hotel is located about 15-20 minutes walk from the downtown area. Area is safe. Shopping center with movie theater is 5 minutes walk away. Easy access to bus and tram lines.
Hotel offers free shuttle bus to two different locations in town. Ask about it when you're there, we didn't take it opting to walk or take public transportation.
As a Diamond HH member was offered complimentary transportation from the hotel to the airport on the morning of our departure.
Staff were friendly but appeared a little overwhelmed with all the guests from the convention.
Indoor pool and workout room were nice, including sauna.
I would definitely stay here again!

+ Review by Glen Steward
23.08.2009 02:13

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Aug 2009
Type of traveller: a couple on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

Thats about it really, all you would expect of a modern 5 star hotel with well equipped but slightly smaller than average bedrooms, although I did find the decor colour garishly bright,but thats me. Everything worked perfectly, at least it did after the engineer sorted the electrics which had tripped off.( he took 4 mins to arrive and 30 secs to fix at 9-30 pm) Hotel's Location is not central Sofia being a 15 min walk into main shopping/sightseeing areas. There is a good shopping mall 5 min walk away.

+ Review by Johnatan Berkley
06.07.2009 06:03

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Jul 2009
Type of traveller: family with children

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

Arriving at reception I could not have been made more welcome by the very helpful and friendly staff. I was upgraded to a superior room with corner windows which provided a spectacular view across the city. The room was extremely well-appointed and comfortable with double bed, business desk area with wi-fi, large bathroom with bath and separate shower, bathrobe, slippers etc.
Buffet breakfast in the Four Seasons restaurant was lavish, with ever kind of hot and cold food you could wish for. The hotel bar with an evening piano player provided a relaxing, sophisticated environment, for a drink or meal. Location is fine; about 10 minutes walk to the main shopping area, passing the National Palace of Culture. There is also a large shopping mall located a short distance behind the hotel. The new hop-on, hop-off, tourist bus service also stops by the hotel.

+ Review by Chris Mehau
08.03.2009 11:45

Date of stay: Feb 2009
Type of traveller: business traveller

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

Hilton Hotel in Sofia is my number one choice for this city, it has very good location – only 10min walk to traditional restaurants on Witosha Street. Building is modern, clean and easy to recognize when you are lost. I would say it is some kind of landmark in Sofia.
Lobby is huge and bright (glass roof), you can find there bar which serves one of the best shopska salad in town!
Room I got was clean, nice and modern. It had everything what I was expecting including separate bath and shower cabin.
Front desk service was always nice and polite, they recognized me every year I visited Hilton + right away gave me personal things I left in the hotel previous year.

+ Review by Lia
24.08.2008 05:21

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

Excellent, excellent hotel. From start to finish.

Even though the executive lounge was closed (for the month of August) the alternative they provide of enjoying a buffet breakfast every morning in their Season's restaurant and a 'special' menu in their Artists Bar certainly sufficed. Every single staff member I came in contact with was friendly, helpful, and spoke English -- unlike the rest of Sofia. The spa treatments were excellent (thank you Valeria).

The one drawback -- the pool is too small to actually enjoy it, don't plan on swimming laps.

The location is excellent -- a brisk walk to the downtown area where the majority of the city's sites are. Only a few minutes walking to an upscale mall (CCS) -- while it's nice to be in a foreign country and breathe its sites and sounds, there is a lot to be said for familiarity and having that mall so close in proximity made a difference -- and its movies are in English with subtitles and not dubbed.

Loved my room.

I would definitely choose to stay there again.

+ Review by JK
30.07.2006 03:02

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

I stay at the Hilton Sofia EVERY time I visit Sofia on business. It is one of THE BEST hotels that I have ever stayed in. The management team there has taken customer relationship management to a new level. From the moment you walk into the hotel you are greeted by a friendly reception team who is aware of your previous stay history and all relevant details. In fact if you liked the room you previously stayed in they will give it to you again if it is available. The breakfast is fantastic and coded according to your nutritional goals (i.e. low carb, healthy diet, etc.). The bar area is an attraction in the evening for foreign business people and is accompanied by a piano man. In fact I ordered a drink and the bartender wasn't pleased with the result (though I didn't complain) and gave me another one on the house. The business executive lounge is well maintained and stocked wtih goodies (wine, beer, snacks, sandwiches, etc.). The pool is nice and the spa services are reasonably priced.
I use the Hilton Sofia as an example in my CRM seminars.

+ Review by Simon
12.03.2006 05:52

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 4 out of 5

Excellent hotel

+ Review by Marie
27.11.2005 08:52

Hotel rating: | 4 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 4 out of 5

I have stayed at the Sofia for 10 weeks in a row, and the hotel is of a high standard, clean modern decor but nothing fancy. The location is not the best for downtown, but i was going all over sofia and it is a good location for general sofia visits.

But the staff are exceptional, really friendly and helpful and well trained to make you feel welcome.
And the service is excellent.
Beds very comfy too!

+ Review by Jeff T
15.11.2005 11:55

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 4 out of 5

One of the best hotel hotel in Sofia, and I have tried many over the years.
There was a minor problem with my room on arrival, and the staff did a great job to get this resolved. Overall the staff was friendly and competent.
The decor is very modern and the room was comfortable.
Breakfast buffet was above average.
The only downside of the hotel is that while it is close to the center, it is not really downtown Sofia. Because it is not the best part of town to be walking at night, taxi will be required to go to restaurants.

+ Review by kterry
07.08.2004 11:44

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 4 out of 5

The Hilton Sofia is a great hotel - period. I had the fortune (or misfortune depending on your take on life...) to be in Sofia on business recently and got a very good rate at the Hilton. I've stayed in Hilton's across the world, and this is up there with the best.

Location wise, it seemed pretty good - have to confess most of the time I arrived or left by taxi, but it is possible to walk from the hotel up to the TZUM centre.

The hotel is fairly new (I'd say 2 yrs old, tops), and is very well appointed. The atrium is a large glass construction, with abstract artworks on display in the lobby. Room wise, my king room was a good size, with ensuite - both bath and shower cubicle (always a good thing).

The staff are just fantastic - no problem too great for them.

The Hilton has a small fitness centre, and a fairly small pool (rather more like an oversized hot tub). But they do offer the most fantastic massages for about 60 lv - £25/$40 (ish).

Breakfast is good - usual Hilton fare, with efficient service.

All in all, I'd have no qualms about staying here again