Blog

The Hilton Hotel Sofia, located in the heart of the Bulgarian capital, is one of the best-known international hotel brands in the region. With a strategic location in the immediate vicinity of the National Palace of Culture and the city park “South Park”, hotel combines luxury, business functionality and a touch of modernity. Here, the quality of the offering and service lies between the high expectations of international guests and regional reality.

The location of the hotel has its advantages but also disadvantages. The accommodation can be reached quickly from the airport and numerous attractions in the city center are just a few minutes’ walk away. However, there are extremely busy streets on two sides of the house. Due to the soundproof glazing, you don’t really notice anything about it in the hotel, but it’s still worth pointing out. The Hilton Sofia is easily accessible by public transport, as there is a bus stop in the immediate vicinity.

On the other hand, an exhibition that is located on a pedestrian bridge diagonally opposite the hotel – on the way to the local branch of a fast food chain – seems somewhat strange. This is sponsored by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China and covers the Chinese space program. There is no logic as to why this is located on a pedestrian overpass on a highway-like street.

Modernly equipped rooms

The Hilton Sofia offers a wide range of amenities tailored to both business and leisure travelers. The rooms have recently been renovated and are decorated in warm colors. They feature modern technologies such as 40-inch LED TVs, Smart TVs and desks for business travelers. Other features include a minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, and panoramic windows that offer impressive views of the city or the Vitosha Mountains.

An interesting gimmick is the fact that you don’t have to go to the toilet at night to find a light switch. The beds have a type of “underfloor lighting with motion detector”. As soon as you step out of bed, it switches on and switches off again after a predefined time. Practical, but you can’t deactivate the function.

For some travelers there is a decision criterion as to how the bathroom is equipped. These shows are spacious, clean and like new. The showers are at ground level and have a few gimmicks, but whether you really need them is of course another matter. Everything else that is needed, such as a hairdryer, could be available and provided in sufficient quantities. In general, there is no criticism at all regarding the cleanliness of the entire hotel. Impeccably clean and the cleaning staff do the job discreetly and quickly unnoticed.

Glass bottles for certain water

There are water dispensers at various points in the hotel from which you can drink room temperature or chilled still water free of charge. The Hilton Sofia provides two high-quality glass bottles per room. These can also be taken with you on excursions etc. Apart from tea bags and instant coffee, the “free accessories” in the rooms are, atypical for a hotel in this category, extremely sparse.

For guests looking for extra comfort, the hotel offers executive rooms with additional amenities such as a daily food and beverage credit. The main pedestrian area, Vitosha Boulevard, is just a few minutes’ walk away, making the hotel popular tourist attractions. With a distance of 25 minutes to the airport via the neighboring “European Union” subway station, accessibility is also a plus.

To the left of the reception there is a kind of “serviced minibar” where guests can get a small basic range of drinks and snacks around the clock. The price level is not exactly cheap at the equivalent of 2.50 euros for a 0.33 liter glass bottle of Coca Cola, but in direct comparison with other hotels in this category it is on the lower level. It’s cheaper to go to a supermarket, which is about a two-minute walk away and is open around the clock.

Breakfast buffet with a comparatively limited selection

Hilton Sofia requires guests to pay a security deposit during the check-in process. This is quite common in hotels in this category, but the amount that is temporarily blocked on the credit or debit card is rather low at the equivalent of 25 euros. It is also possible to use cash, but the equivalent of around 50 euros will then be due. If you don’t have a debit or credit card with you, you can deposit it in euros or use an ATM to the right of the reception. This comes with a positive surprise: it is not operated by “independent providers” who are known for exorbitantly high “direct customer fees”, but by the Bulgarian Postbank. Advantage: No direct customer fee and so-called DCC is not offered intrusively. If you use a card that does not charge a foreign currency or cash fee, using this ATM is free of charge.

The breakfast offer, which is not included in many rates and can therefore be subject to an additional charge, is disappointing. The selection is not particularly extensive for a hotel in this category and the quality is rather average, but not particularly convincing. However, coffee and tea drinkers can enjoy the fact that to-go cups are provided so that you can take something with you.

The fact that the Hilton Hotel can do much better in terms of gastronomy was shown when it provided catering for the major Aviation Event SOF. An extensive, high-quality buffet that was always appealing and kept fresh. A pretty stark contrast in direct comparison with breakfast. The only drawback: adding non-alcoholic drinks is slow, sluggish and sometimes only after repeated requests from the staff.

Focus on conferences and seminars

The Hilton Sofia’s conference and event rooms are aimed at business travelers and organizations. The rooms are modernly equipped and offer space for international conferences and weddings. Guests praise the functional facilities, but occasionally complain about the service at large events.

Recently the Aviation Event Sofia took place in this hotel. It is a major aviation conference in which representatives from almost all parts of Europe took part. The infrastructure of the house was ideal for this, as the largest hall has state-of-the-art equipment including oversized screens. The audio technology also gave the impression of being state-of-the-art.

Good hotel, weak at breakfast

There are always critical reviews on the Internet that say that the Hilton Sofia is getting old. When you are in the hotel office you are in a general state of health and at the same time modern and completely new. The renovation was successful and has made the Hilton Sofia a state-of-the-art hotel again.

To give an example: In the rooms there are not only numerous sockets, but also many USB-A and USB-C charging sockets. The last mentioned are ropes with a quick charging function. This is still far from the general standard even in five-star hotels.

Collectors of free items with hotel logos, such as shower gels, are definitely not getting their money’s worth. The Hilton Sofia only provides what is absolutely necessary, otherwise, to stick with shower gel, you rely on large dispensers directly in the shower. This is probably the cheaper choice for the hotel from an overall sustainability perspective, but also in terms of avoiding waste.

The wireless LAN internet is free and free. The one-time registration using a code that you receive at reception is a little confusing, but you only have to do it once per device. The huge flat-screen TV in the room offers many functions, including Chromecast-based streaming directly from the smartphone so that Netflix and Co can be used. If you don’t have that and would rather use YouTube, you can do so in the ad-free version directly via the remote control. All in all, the Hilton Sofia is a recommendable hotel. There is a need for improvement in the breakfast area and the staff could be a little quicker with one thing or another. Otherwise it would simply be unfair or not neutral if you were absolutely looking for the delicious fly in the ointment. There are probably fewer included services than in comparable hotels in this category, but this is put into perspective a little because, for example, the free drinking water is a plus point that should not be underestimated, as you do not have to rely on the hotel bar, mini shop or mini bar if you arrive late in the evening is. There is a supermarket nearby that is open 24 hours a day, but who wants to deal with that after a long journey?