Stivan Iskar in Sofia

The place shouldn’t even be called a hotel because it feels more like a hostel. The service and facilities are quite poor. They only accept cash and only in the local currency (not euros).

The facilities are outdated, and the bathroom smells bad. It’s absurd that they force you to leave the key at the entrance and make you feel constantly watched. The reception staff have very weak English skills, which makes communication difficult.

The only good thing is the location. I wouldn’t recommend it, as it’s not worth it. They really need to modernize and improve their service…

Where do I even start? When I arrived, I was greeted by an elderly woman who tried to charge me double of what was advertised on their website. The room was basic, with no AC, and there was a strong smell of sewage coming from the bathroom, it was so bad that I had to sleep with the windows open all at night to cope with the smell. The hotel offers WiFi but it only works in the reception area and not in the rooms. When it came to check out time, I was waiting for a taxi at the reception area on the sofas and having a meal with my children aged 5 and 11 when another elderly woman came and started shouting at me and my children demanding we leave. When I stood up to her and told her not to shout or swear in front of my children, she called a young man and woman over to the table, I believed this to be her children. When I took my phone out to try and record the incident the young man threatened to "take it and smash it". The young lady picked up our suitcases and threw them onto the street. Honestly I am extremely disappointed. I wanted to call the police, but didn't because of the language barrier and feared they would side with them as they could lie about what happened. On the plus side, the location is good, very close to St. Alexander Cathedral and to airport.