Golden Sands, Sirena Hotel

Bulgaria was terrible, I went with my Mum, Dad and brother. My brother and myself fell ill on the day we left, my Father got food poisoning also. The fact that you had to pay for the sun loungers was despicable and that really, all the toilets you used, you had to pay for, at one of the bars myself, my family and my friends and their parents went to, they actually gave you a little bit of loo roll. Also, at the hotel, some people that we talked to there invited some friends from a different hotel to the Sirena hotel but when these people went to go to the toilet they wouldn't let them go and the people even offered to pay them to use there toilet but they still refused to let them go. This is true, no lie, I think it's terrible, I really do. All the food we had at the hotel was lukewarm. If we hadn't met the people we did, we would have gone home after the first week, that's how bad it was. When we read in the holiday brochure about the sky bar and a pool on the roof, me a my brother thought a pool on the roof would be great but it turned out to be one of those pools that you can buy for the back garden. The toilets in lobby bar smelt absolutely vile, it was that bad that you had to hold your nose each time you went in. The staff in the lobby bar were very friendly and some of the staff on the reception desk were very friendly. The room cleaners were poor, they didn't ever clean the toilet or room properly. Our friends' room was a bedroom and bathroom, the children slept in an unsafe bunk bed that moved when you lent on it and the mattress was a thick piece of foam.

Words cannot describe the appalling time we had in the Sirena Hotel in Bulgaria, I cannot even call it a holiday, it was a such a nightmare! We arrived to a pool of vomit and the smell of garbage, our interconnecting rooms didn't even exist and at 3am with four children that isn't what you want to hear! Very unreasonable staff both at the hotel and Balkan reps. The hotel pool is leased to a private company who then charge you each day for the use of the pool and loungers, this amounted to £360-00 for our 2 week stay. If you wanted to use the hotel pool toilet there was a charge, actually there was a charge for everything, everywhere you went and the Bulgarians were not friendly. Sea view charge, we were even charged for the cooking of our meal! It is very touristy and very expensive. No credit card use except within the hotel. Varna was very dodgy, strange men on every corner, prostitutes on every other corner, are you getting the picture! Our advice is to save your money, buy a new sofa or pay it off your mortgage, do not, I repeat do not waste any time or money in Bulgaria. One thing you are assured of is a tummy bug and may be like us a trip in a 1950's ambulance to a 1950's filthy hospital, we are grateful to have survived!

The breakfast at the Sirena Hotel, Golden Sands in Bulgaria was OK. It wasn't a full English as we know it, but when in Rome as they say.

There are lots of steps at the beach side of the hotel, but transfers arrive and depart from the rear. A moderate slope from here will take you to the main street, this would appear to be reasonable for for the disabled, but there were a couple of steps into the dining room from the lobby.

We enjoyed our stay and felt it was good value for money.

Had a great time in Bulgaria at the Sirena Hotel. Lots to do and see. Beach is very clean and locals friendly. Would definitely go again.

Would definitely go back to the Hotel Sirena and would definitely recommend this hotel to anyone going to the Golden Sands resort in Bulgaria.

Sirena Hotel

We had a family room facing the car park. The bins were emptied at 7:00 each morning ensuring we were awake bright & early - that was if the dogs barking all through the night and thumping dance music at 5:00am hadn't woken you.

We were unable to move rooms as we had bunk beds and there were no other rooms available with bunk beds.

The Beds are foam and pillows like bags of rocks - these were the only pillows available so we had to go and buy our own.

Breakfast consisted of greasy cooked breakfast or continental or greasy pancakes.

The main strip had a CD stall in front of the hotel - so music blared until 12:00.

The pool didn't have the slides as shown in the Sunset brochure or Bulcan brochure but had been re-built with smaller slides. We didn't realise the pool was across the road from the hotel, it says in brochure a small local charge is payable for sunbeds - this worked out at 8 lev each - overall if you took 4 sunbeds over 2 weeks it would cost approx GBP170 in addition to the cost of your holiday just for sitting by your hotel pool. There was a daily charge on the Jacuzzi and every time you used the toilet - even in restaurants you were eating in.

I travelled with 7 others 5 of us had stomach upsets. It's great if you want to loose a stone or two. When I told the rep we had been ill - she shrugged her shoulders and said - every one gets this when they come to Bulgaria. Perhaps this should be added to the brochure!

The evening meal was bland and greasy with appetisers like pork or potato soup. They did have battered deep fried fish most nights and sausages and of course the anaemic chips.

Like breakfast dinner ended promptly and if the coffee ran out at 9:45am it wasn't re-filled. Same with evening meal they scowled at you if you entered the restaurant at 7:55 and most of the hot dishes were cleared away.

We had to eat out due to the unappetising meals - again we were informed it was cheap to do this but prices were more in line with UK in the Tourist Enclosure.

Don't think we will be returning to Bulgaria!