"I recently stayed at the Samokov Hotel for a ski trip with my teenage daughter, booked as part of a package through Crystal Ski (TUI). The whole experience with Crystal Ski was mostly fantastic — everything was well-organised, and the support they provided throughout the trip was excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them again. The hotel itself is a budget option in Bulgaria, and while the décor is tired and a little dated, it’s functional and clean — exactly what you'd expect for the price. Our room was comfortable, with adjustable heating via the radiator, which worked well throughout the day and night. The beds were surprisingly comfy. One downside was the noise — the walls are quite thin, so we could hear people coming back late from après-ski while we were already asleep. That’s to be expected in a ski resort where nightlife is a big part of the experience for many, though it was more noticeable for me than my daughter. The sound of flushing toilets from neighbouring rooms was also quite loud, which could be a bit disruptive at night. The bathroom is a plastic wet room — I noticed some reviews complaining about missing bath sealant, but it’s simply not designed that way. The wet room style might be different from what some people are used to, but it was practical and worked perfectly fine. Breakfast was basic but adequate — enough variety to set us up for a day on the slopes. It’s not a luxury spread, but we never left hungry. The location is a real highlight — right by the gondola, making it incredibly easy to get to the slopes. I’d definitely recommend taking the gondola up the mountain, even if you’re not skiing, just to experience the stunning views — it’s absolutely worth it. A word of advice for first-time skiers — while dry ski slope lessons back home can give you a feel for the basics, I’d suggest keeping them to just a taster session. Even if you’ve done some dry slope practice, I’d still recommend joining the beginners’ group at ski school when you arrive. Learning on real snow is completely different, and the instructors go through all the basics again anyway. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have done more than a brief dry slope session — the real learning happens on the mountain from day one of ski school. A major downside to be aware of is the sickness bug (diarrhoea and vomiting) that seems to be a constant issue in Borovets, season after season. It’s not limited to a particular hotel, or caused by water, ice, or food — it most likely spreads through the crowded, poorly ventilated bars and the generally low hygiene standards in some places. The John Smith’s pub and White House had the worst bar toilets we saw, which likely doesn’t help the situation. From what we experienced and heard from others, at least half the travellers seemed to get the bug during their stay, often losing a day or more of their holiday to illness. What’s concerning is that there appeared to be no infection control in the hotel. I saw a cleaner in"

"When I first arrived I was really disappointed because the place was unclean in places and had dirty mats. The decor was very outdated. The pillow had big holes and tears in it. I felt quite sad and regretted not spending more on a nice hotel. The water seemed to come out yellow! It cost almost 30 euros for me and my son to go swimming in the pool which was cold! There was close to no vegan options in the restaurant. The people next door was extremely noisy and partying to the small hours. However the location is really good and there was 2 young ladies in reception that were so lovely and helpful. Therefore I have mixed feelings about this place."

"I can recommend this place."

"From the UK was visiting my wife’s family in Sofia. Kids have recently been on a ski holiday with school so after much pestering we agreed to take them to Borovets. We booked Malina lodge having read the reviews were a little sceptical. But I adored it. The most beautiful setting. If you want a 5 star hotel don’t come. If you want warm lodge in the woods with no noise and friendly staff please do it. So close to the resort and the girl at reception was really lovely. Hot shower and WiFi was fine. Will definitely come back."