Elenite, Royal Bay

Good location, nice hotel, poorly managed, food not bad if you like chicken, lots chipped cups.

We went to the Royal Bay for the second time this year and we loved it. Our children aged between sixteen and eight asked to go again next year and we would love to only I got my direct holiday brochure and it was not in it so what do I do now? We usually fly from Dublin so if anybody can tell me I would be very grateful. The food was lovely and it had improved from the year before also my son has a serious nut allergy which they were told of and they were very good in telling him what he could eat and they had plenty too offer him and I felt very safe and relaxed. I would love to go next year same place. Bad points, reception people could be more friendly and need to learn more English and could smile more.

VERY HONEST REVIEW.... arrived at the hotel and thought it was just amazing,set in gorgeous scenery,right on the beach,beautiful woodland to the back of the hotel. the rooms are very clean and spacious, cleaned very well every day, lots to do for children, there was the beach literally a hop skip and a jump away, the pools(there are 2 pools) ,the animation centre a here there are different shows put on every night for the children, the water park that is just round the corner,which the bell boys will take you there on the golf buggy if you ask them to, then there's the amphitheatre where other shows are put on for children, discos etc.. there is bingo and other shows for adults,there is also internet access near the royal park hotel,this is where the coach drops u off when arriving,on arrival at the royal park u will be taken to the royal bay on a golf buggy, casses n all,so no need to walk,although it only a short distance away.

NOW FOR THE BAD POINTS...we went in September and i know this is not due to the hotel but it rained for our last 4 days in Bulgaria and we was only there for a week, when it did rain there was absolutely nothing to do with the kids (aged 8 and 4) luckily enough i packed my dvd player and some dvds just in case we came home early one night and the kids wanted to watch something, so on the rainy days we just stayed in the hotel room n watched dvds, the food is repetitive, and there isn't much choice for the children at all. I would advise that you check what you eat and check all meat to see if it is cooked properly as you would any where. There isnt many choice of drinks cocktails ect.. just mainly beer. There are lots and lots of wasps when eating meals in the dining area they land on your food and go in your drinks. after a few days they really get on your nerves!!!! argghhhh!! and on the last day the maid came into our room and thought that the clothes i had put into carrier bags for dirty washing was rubbish and threw most of my 2 boys clothes away,all which were new before we went and when complaining to the reception staff she just shrugged her shoulders and told me to search through the rubbish bin myself!! all to no avail. I wouldn't say that all the staff were rude but she certainly was. the staff are by no means rude but aren't friendly either. i don't think there is any thing more to add!!!

Located near the sea - water is very clean and warm (was there in august). Evening shows at high level, a lot of things to do all day long: aerobics, darts, good children animation. The territory is very green, no cars - only electro autos)). Hotel is perfect for holidays with children, for whole family

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.