The first thing that strikes us about this hotel is its location. There really is only one word to describe it. Idyllic. Situated right on top of a beautiful beach, complete with golden sand and crystal waters it couldn't be more perfect. So it's a shame really that I'm now going to tell you, that's pretty much where the positives end.
We arrived after a 26 and a half hour plane delay tired and jaded, but were relieved when we saw the hotel. Being given a lift to the hotel on an electric golf buggy style car was very enjoyable. The enjoyment stopped there. We soon realised that the staff couldn't seem to us to be any less enthused for their job if they had to do it blindfolded. We found them to be unhelpful, miserable and thought they had all the charisma of a door stop. There was the odd exception, but those members of staff were few and far between.
Then there was the food. Being one of those old fashioned folk who prefer there meat cooked, I didn't fit in at the Royal Bay. Not only did I think it was undercooked, but I've seen less repetitive clocks, and I'm far from a fussy eater. It was the same old stuff day in and day out. In fact, I found the whole dining experience was pretty awful. We were told not to bring drinks in from the bar. Instead a waiter would come and offer you one. If I really wanted a drink, I'd still be sitting there now. The table cloths were never changed or even tidied during service, which normally meant it wasn't just your meal sitting in front of you. The plates were taken away; food was still left on the table cloth. We faced a ten minute quest to get our hands on a clean knife and fork. They were supposed to be put out again after being washed. I think there was more chance of finding a knife and fork at McDonalds. Instead we had to ferret around the draws they were put in, basically doing the waiters job for them.
If the whole dining experience wasn't bad enough for us, it was made worse on some days, when the hotel owners and some of there friends decided to dine at the hotel. They were given knifes and forks wrapped in serviettes, different, better looking food, waiter service AND, the staff even smiled at them. Rub our noses in it why don't you.
Still at least you could go and get a drink in the bar after, well you could, but in my experience often it was at the end of a 20 minute queue. When it did come, ice seemed to be considered as gold dust and distributed minimally. Soft drinks were served in plastic cups, I thought the selection was small and the barman seemed more interested in chatting to his mate than serving us. I thought the drinks themselves were also very basic. To me there was very little selection.
The pool was a positive. Never hugely busy, and very well cleaned. Shame about the HUGE swarm of wasps that were all too keen to use to as a sun-bed.
And I think the pool was about the only thing that was kept clean. The cleaners made the beds and replaced the towels and that's about it. The floor was rarely cleaned and when we lifted up our foot, we could literally see the dirt on it. One of our friends left a crisp on the floor. It was there for days. Whenever I witnessed the cleaner cleaning she wiped round the bathroom with her cloth, slung it over her shoulder and off she went in to the next room. We were all extremely ill at various points in the holiday, I won't go into the unpleasant details, but lets just say after I'd finished with the bathroom, the cloth needed replacing to say the least.
Still, at least you could go into the rest of the Elenite Holiday Village and enjoy yourself there. Well I say enjoy.
'Pizza restaurant' Not really a restaurant in my view, we queued for 20 minutes for a substandard slice of pizza.
'Disco' I've seen a better atmosphere at a funeral.
'Aqua Park' Some good slides, some hurt me. I saw two lads walking round with bleeding backs. Only really offers an hours worth of entertainment for me.
'Fitness room' It would have kept David Dickinson entertained. Full of antique equipment from what I could see.
'Mini Golf' I NEVER saw anyone on it, I think it was expensive.
'Safety deposit box' Yes there is a safe, but it costs 100 Leva to use it for two weeks, we only got 10 of that back.
'Regular Entertainment' Sub standard in my opinion, some you have to pay for.
'Ice Cream 10:30am - 10pm - True but it was a 10 minute walk away.
'Snacks and drinks on the beach' The beach bar was closed earlier in the year as it was a pay bar and it was apparently generating no business.
'Drink at one of Elenite's many bars' The only ones that offered any different to the hotel bar were the Irish Bar, which incidentally I thought was as Irish as Gordon Brown and the Cocktail Bar. The staff were even worse in the Irish Bar, both were pay bars and the Cocktail Bar was very expensive.

So to conclude, to say I wouldn't recommend this resort let alone this hotel is an understatement. Everyone cheered when the bus drove out the gates, a man sarcastically shouted 'same time next year' and the thought of rainy cold England never looked more appealing to me. I spoke to many people in my two weeks in the resort, not one said they enjoyed it, not one said they'd come back and one said and I quote 'I've been on 13 all inclusive holidays; this is by far the worst'.

Loved every miniute of it. What a great holiday we had a ball no one went hugry always plenty to choose from lovely hotel right on the beach peaceful waterpark bowling pool sea what more could anyone want.

My partner and I would definitely go back to Bulgaria and probably this hotel. I wouldn't go the other hotel in Elenite village as it was massive. The Royal Bay was about the right size. Hotel room was very big and had a fantastic sea view. Room was kept very clean, as was the rest of the hotel. It was brilliant been right on the beach. Never any traffic noise. Only noise that kept you awake on a night was that waves crashing onto the beach. Despite what other people have written the food was fine. I'm a picky eater, however, I found the food to be good quality and warm. Maybe if you were staying for two weeks the food would become a little repetitive. Always a choice of salads and three or four different meat courses on an evening. I'm not sure how vegetarian would fair. Children's selection also good. Plenty of fresh fruit morning, dinner and evening meal. Fantastic breakfasts, BBQ lunches and three course evening meals. I put almost half a stone on in one week. I wouldn't go back with Balkan Holidays as their rep was not the best we've met, trip not value for money and they changed our flight at the last minute, adding two hours to our travel time. First choice and Cosmos also use this hotel, All in all we had an excellent week aided by good weather.

2 weeks in Hotel Royal Bay, Elenite, and I loved it. Went with friends with kids, they had great time. Aqua park on complex, brilliant, watch out for "Toilet Bowl" ride, scary but fun. Food was varied, salads, meat dishes, fish dishes, various potato dishes, various pasta, fruit and of course Ice Cream. Alcohol quantities Huge! Be careful they really fill the glass!
Had a great time, saw the dolphins one afternoon swimming off shore. Pirate trip was such fun. And the volleyball coach- wow!
Would recommend, but not for party goers- as too far from Sunny Beach where night life is, but great for families who want Sun Sand Sea and fun...

The worst attempt at all inclusive we have ever had the misfortune to come across. Clearly this resort/hotel is not ready to accept paying customers. The staff sometimes come across as quite unpleasant.

Just returned from the Royal Bay Hotel in Elenite - June/July 2007. After reading some reviews on the Internet I was a little concerned especially about the food. However, I need not have worried - we had a fantastic time.

Hotel/Accommodation
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When we arrived at the hotel we were pleasantly surprised. In many cases when you finally see your hotel you wonder if it was the same one in the brochure photos. The Royal Bay Hotel looked great and our room was exactly like the brochure. We had (as most rooms do) a balcony with a glorious sea view. It's great to hear the sound of the sea when you are going to sleep or waking up.

The hotel is very clean and there are staff cleaning constantly. It's so lovely to be able to go for a walk and not see any litter and well maintained plants and greenery.

Food
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This seems to be a controversial area in most of the reviews I have read. Personally I thought it was fine. They had a reasonable selection of foods to choose from and there were never any queues whatever time we attended. The staff were great particularly with the kids and the service was incredibly efficient. We only stayed for a week and I guess after 2 weeks it may have seemed samey? I've certainly eaten more healthily this week than I usually do. The all-inclusive package was a great.

Facilities
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This hotel is clearly aimed at either older guests or families. There is no entertainment in the hotel itself during the evenings (which was fine for me as I prefer it to be quiet) but there are other locations a short walk away that cater for this. The hotel is situated in the Elenite Holiday Village which also consists of the larger Royal Park Hotel and the Apartments. All share a number of amenities and it works very well. The Village is a private facility and I enjoyed the seclusion and security this offered.

The pool at the Royal Bay is smashing. The kids were in it constantly and it was very safe. The poolside bar with all-inclusive facilities was a godsend. There is also a Water Park on site which is free (though there is a small charge for sun beds). This is good too though the music that is played constantly is a little too loud for my preference!

A free Kids Club is also run which is great for younger children though the older kids may feel out of place. My 4-year old enjoyed it whilst the 9 and 10-year olds felt too old for it.

Beach
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The beach is very clean and safe for children. The sea is wonderful, very clean and clear. You can wade out quite a distance at waist depth. It is also right on the doorstep as the hotel is situated right on the beach with forest behind it. Definitely worthwhile going down early to grab a sunbed. Also, if you look from your balcony at around 7:30 am you can see dolphins.

Weather
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The weather can either make or break a holiday like this and we were very fortunate. Bulgaria is in the middle of a heatwave at present with very little rain and high temperatures. The average is meant to be about 30 Celsius at this time of year but when we arrived it was nearer 40! It cooled off to a pleasant 29 later in the week which was perfect and it was sunny every day.

Summary
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Overall, I would recommend this hotel to anyone and would definitely return given the opportunity. It is probably best suited to older guests or families. Anyone wanting more lively nightlife would be better off looking to Sunny Beach.

Our Bulgarian trip to the Royal Bay, Elenite was a reward for a long hard year so far and I was dreading that I would be disappointed. Luckily, we were not. The hotel is in a perfect location with beautiful sea-facing views. It is also in a refreshingly quiet area for those seeking relaxation rather than nightlife. It was also the first time that my partner and I had opted for an all-inclusive break and the Royal Bay didn't let us down in this area either. I have been to other hotels that perhaps offer more variety in the way of food, but there was certainly sufficient choice to keep us happy. As expected the all-inclusive drinks are limited to beer, wine and the usual spirits (vodka, gin etc.) but as a couple who like a drink we did not feel we missed out on anything and the lovely chilled wine available at meal times was particularly good.
To be as helpful as possible I must include my criticisms, however, they are generally more to do with the tour operator and not the hotel or area. We travelled with First Choice who managed to provide some less competent holiday reps. Don't get me wrong, we are not the type of people who jump at the chance of a welcome meeting or booking lots of day trips etc, but they might as well not have been there. Absolutely useless at helping with check-in at the airport on the way back where there was considerable queues and confusion.
Criticisms for the hotel - the restaurant staff were actually very good and always attentive, but it would have been most helpful if the reception staff had a better grasp on English. The Royal Bay is part of the Elenite Holiday Village and there are other places to eat and drink, if you know where. General enquiries were also something of a struggle.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this hotel if you are looking for the type of break I have been mentioning. If you are a family and/or like your holiday more lively - the Royal Park Hotel (also in Elenite Village) would be more your cup of tea in my opinion. The Royal Bay seems to be the quieter, couple and older person choice, which made it perfect for us!

I had a great holiday at the Royal Bay in Elenite Bulgaria, and it is one place I would definitely visit again. The food was OK, and there was a good selection, but if you're picky with your food, don't expect a great variety of English food. The staff were fantastic and always happy. The bar men were great with the kids. Lots of trips to do, although we never got to do them due to the missing rep. Also, a new water park opened while we were there.

The food at the Royal Bay Hotel in Elenite, Bulgaria was great. the staff were great. The weather was fantastic. The accommodation was good, and the location is the best!!

I loved this holiday! Elenite Royal Bay in Bulgaria was a great resort, and I have recommended it to my friends. I also liked it that much that I plan to return shortly.

This holiday was the worst ever. At first when we arrived at Elenite Royal Bay at 3am it seemed quite nice, until daylight arrived. The food was disgusting we refused to eat in the restaraunt after 3 days and ate out even leaving the resort to go and pay for decent food. I had to tell my daughter aged 9 to rush her food and drink to avoid being attacked by the wasps but often we had to leave because there was no choice otherwise you would end up eating them or often drinking them cos they loved your drinks. The entertainment in the resort was 1 hour at night and definitely not appropriate for children. We came down with food poisoning and so did others. And as for the deer I love animals but ones that attack you when sunbathing need to be kept somewhere more suitable, may I add not in cages like the cruel idea with the monkey and birds.(FREE THEM)I had to avoid looking as this knocked me sick. There's loads I could say but all I must say is please please don't go to this place, fantastic for those who thought it was lovely, often different rules apply in summer. This was a nightmare holiday. Everyone wished the coach arriving was for them but your seemed so far away. When people were leaving it was like being at a winning world cup game. Cheers that could be heard for miles whilst others just sat and waited for their turn.

We arrived in Bulgaria on the 19th of September at 3am, Royal Bay looked quite ok on arrival, but saying that it was pitch black.

In the morning we were devastated!
In the room their were broken floor tiles, plug sockets hanging off the wall with bare wires showing out of the wall, wall fittings also hanging off the wall.

We then went to the restaurant in Royal Bay for breakfast, we got to the entrance and the sign above the door fell off, luckily it didn't hurt anyone, later on it was stuck up again, with Blu Tack! We then entered the restaurant, where we saw cats sat on the tables/chairs licking the knifes and forks.

We eventually found a table which was out of the way of the cats and got something to eat waiting 30 minutes for a pancake! Or fried egg.

The crockery was badly chipped not washed properly and very unhygienic. Cups were no where in sight, when asking the waitresses they said one moment, got a cup of a table swilled it in cold water and give it us, it was all scummy!

3 Days after arrival we all had food poisoning, from the pork as their was nothing else to eat!
Everything was undercooked.

When the Royal Bay restaurant was closed you had nothing to eat, no snacks or anything, we lived of Mars Bars from the shop!

I have read some comments that people have used 6 swimming pools there was only 4 on the site and their are new rules in September red bands for Royal Bay and green bands for Royal Park we could not use each others facilities.

Entertainment was 1 hour for children and 1 hours for adults, by 10:30pm you was tucked up in bed as there were no other entertainment on site.

This holiday was horrific and I would not wish this traumatic visit on anyone else.

When we first arrived at 3am Elenite Royal Bay hotel looked really good. It was only in the light of day that things did not seem as they were when just arriving. The food at breakfast was not what I consider 4*, the bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs were cold and greasy. The crockery was very scratched, cracked or chipped (very unhygenic). The cups, if you could get one, were the same. Some of these "cups" appeared to have been free samples from a company wanting to advertise.
The "lobby bar" was very small and uncomfortable and in the evening, when the wind was blowing, was very cold due to the "automatic" main door into the hotel not working.
For the whole two weeks we did not have any hot water in the room and we had only 3 or 4 luke warm showers. I had to boil a kettle in the morning to have a decent shave.
The staff were all very surly, hardly ever a smile from any of them. Reception staff were unhelpful when ever I made a complaint about the hot water.

We have just returned from the worst 2 week break I have ever had on an all inclusive holiday. The food was poor, the staff were rude and ignorant. Elenite Royal Bay hotel is a British 2 star at best. About the only nice thing to come out of this holiday my partner and I met two very nice couples and my 3 year old daughter made some freinds. Apart from that the only people doing there job right were the cleaners (very clean). I didn't know we had a rep until I got home!

Good points:
Is this the same Royal Bay hotel that others raved about a month ago? Or have the negative ones been deleted?
We arrived at the Royal Bay September 17. A splendid 4th floor sea view room with an excellent, safe, sandy beach right in front of the hotel.

Not so good points:
Room furniture appears to come from a local car boot sale. Bathroom door handle broken, bath plug attached with a piece of string after the hotel 'handyman' extracted the plug with a sink plunger as the plug mechanism was beyond repair.
Only 1 defective toaster in the hotel restaurant.
Long queues for a fried egg or pancake as only 1 chef(?) was cooking them.
Poolside bar and the baked potato stall only open 3 times in 2 weeks.
When the restaurant was closed, you had a 10 minute walk to the other end of the resort just for a hotdog - unavailable for 2 days as the hotdogs had not been delivered.

Bad points:
No hot water from 3pm for most rooms for 2 WEEKS! We had to get a kettle from reception and boil it up 8 times for 1 bath.
Most of the crockery in the restaurant was either chipped or cracked.
None of the food trays in the self-service restaurant had covers on them.
Every balcony has at least 6 bird nests on it, leaving the balcony railings covered in birds mess which took the staff a week before cleaning it - nice if you have children with you.

The nearby resort of Sunny Beach was lively, with plenty of good, cheap restaurants and bars - and not as bad as we were led to believe. The old town of Ness-e-bar is well worth a visit - especially in the evening when it's all lit up - very 'Olde Worlde' with plenty of back street market stalls - and friendly.
Both of these resorts can be easily reached by taxi, bus or a boat ride from the resort pier.
If you have a complaint, make sure your rep knows about it as soon as possible as the staff are not the quickest in the world - and keep on complaining until it's fixed.
This report is not just my own opinion, but EVERY guest we spoke to during the 2 week stay felt the same. When the coach arrived to take us to the airport, it sounded like a Wembley cheer going up. I only hope that what we saw was not the 'true' Bulgaria.

We had a very pleasant 2wk stay at the Royal Bay, however there was little to do in the evenings for over 10's, the entertainment (repetetive as it was) only lasted from 2100 til about 2150, after which the resort offered little more than somewhere to sit and drink (not very enlightening for my pregnant wife I'm afraid!). The Elenite complex is kept very clean (there's a cleaner every way you look), however the Hotel room was very below par for what you may expect of 4*. Our room had a kettle but no cups or condiments, these we had to steal daily from the bar as the cleaners would retrieve the cups every morning! We both agreed that Bulgaria is nice but if we were to visit again we would stay in Sunny Beach where there is more/some nightlife. Plus, **BE WARNED** The duty free at Bourgas airport excepts cash only!!