I'm going to Iberostar Sunny Beach on 17th June. All these different posts about whether it will be ready or not is very confusing...

Alan, I hope everything goes ok for you on Monday and look forward in anticipation for your update. Have a great time, whatever happens, it's your hols after all!

Lisa

Thanks for the pictures,can`t decide if they are real or if they have been touched up abit.Either way they seem to be taken from a deliberately vague angle.I mean why would anyone take a picture of the top corner of a hotel.
There is a photo in the gallery which is 100 percent genuine and the hotel does definately not look finished.
If my travel agent tries to move me and my family to another hotel now there will be a riot.I`m not leaving without either a full refund or some serious compensation.
Hard to belive this but when we booked this holiday last year we were told the hotel was due to open for the end of season 04.
Just like to say thanks to everyone on this thread who have went out of their way to find things out and post them here.Your kindness is appreciated.

Does anyone know where abouts the hotel is?

I've come across this map and was wondering where it is in relation to the other hotels.

http://www.sunnybeachmap.com/sunny_map_eng/3d_map_eng.htm

Cheers!

Lisa

hi all. it just happened the dreded phone call.we have now been upgraded to 5* all inclusive.i just new it would happen.we also got £100 compensation.thats the good part.now the not so good.hotel royal bay at elenite which is about 12 klms from sunny beach.but i suppose you have to look on the bright side .
alan-jill southampton

Sorry to hear that you have been messed around alan.
I`m sure once the shock has wore off you`ll be able to concentrate on enjoying yourselves.
I`m going to see my travel agents tomorrow morning I think I`m going to demand to be either moved or refunded,this holiday is stressing me out now,quite the opposite of what i had hoped for.
All i can say is thank god for sites like this one,otherwise we`d all just srrive in sunny beach only to be moved.

hi. yes i could not agree with you more. it has been very stressing just trying to find out whether you hotel is going to be ready or not.i dont think they should be allowed to do it to us.but at least now we are all inclusive and got £100 back.so i suppose we did all right. although i would have rather stayed in sunny beach. it seems a lot of hotels there are not ready.and they are pushing people to outside areas.any way i hope evrey thing goes well for you
alan-jill southampton

I am very sad to hear you had to change hotels Alan. I for one do not think that it is an acceptable thing to change the opening date of the Iberostar Sunny Beach Hotel 4 times. I think that the Bulgarian Building Contractors must be poor at their jobs if they cannot have the hotel finished in time for the start of the holiday season. I am waiting till Monday to see if Thomas Cook contact me and if not i will be going down to see them to find out what our position with the hotel is. I am now finding myself less and less up for this holiday since we had already changed our original hotel (Royal Park, Elenite) to the Iberostar Sunny Beach due to the fact of all the problems that the Royal Park were suffering. We downgraded to the Iberostar Sunny Beach Hotel for a Half Board deal instead of the All inclusive deal we had at the Royal Park. Plus we had to pay extra money to change over and only went with the Iberostar Sunny Beach on the say so of the Thomas Cook rep who said that "Iberostar are a large and very refutable Hotel company with a chain of hotels around the World".Anyhow, enough whingeing from me. I have been loking at the Royal Bay Hotel that you have been moved to Alan and both Direct Holidays and Thomson rate it at only 4* and not 5*. I dont know if you are aware of this??? Anyways, I wish you's all the best for a Happy and Safe holiday no matter what.

Hi all, I have sent 5 or 6 of you the photo's I took yesterday. If I have missed you out please pm me. They are not brilliant as I was a bit concerned that I was going to be approached and asked what I was doing (I had been a few days earlier and made a hasty retreat, well as much as you can do with a double buggy ) However they should give you a goodish idea of the state of the hotel as of 3rd June. There is a lot of work going on in this hotel. Yesterday as I was taking the pics a coach load of gypsies were dropped off outside the hotel ready for the unskilled work (I presume ) There is quite a tense atmosphere around the site. Lots of shouting (not that I speak Bulgarian ) But as I said they are working fast so who know Maybe it will be ready well into the season. I'm not a builder but it looks a long way from finished to me, especially the grounds around it. Which are a total building site.
Hope this post makes sense, I've been up since midnight (GMT) so am a bit shattered.
Gook luck everyone

Got those pics Lesley Jane thank you.
You must have felt like a secret agent

They are very helpful and I`m inclined to agree with your assesment that this hotel will not be ready until at least late July/early August.

Will give my travel agents a ring and see what they say.I`ll update as and when I hear anything.

You are welcome hoffa

It is such a shame when they sell holidays in these hotels before they are 100% sure they are ready. As it puts people off.
They are really lovely hotels when up and running. A really high standard.

I'm sure this hotel is going to be glorious when completed.

Alan,

Who is your travel agent ?

I think I will need to speak to Thomas Cook again and see what they are saying.

Stephen

I have been viewing this thread every day, since it was created. I am also anxious for news on this hotel, since i am supposed to be flying out there in late July. I thought it was about time i registered and got in on teh debate, to put it simply. I thought it would be definatly ready by then, but now, I am beginning to feel unsure. It is totally rediculous, but i feel there is nothing we can do, except to sit and wait. I have seen few pictures, but those i have seen make the hotel look far from finished. The next news I'm awaiting is that the opening date has changed to July 1st.

[Please could somebody PM me the photographs, Secret Agent Lesley was talking about ]

**@@UPDATE@@**

Just seen our travel agents,They have assured us the hotel will be open by the 10th June.
When I explained that this was unlikely she said we could change to another hotel and they would waive the admin fee(ooohhh nearly killed me with their kindness there)
I have told them that I will wait until the 10th to see if the hotel is open,but if its not i expect some sort of compensation and a full refund.
i wouldn`t mind but i have been looking forward to this holiday from last august.

@@Really funny bit@@@@

Just as we were about to leave the young girl behind the counter said
"I take it Balkan have informed you that the flight has been changed from bourgas to Varna airport?"

"ahmm no"

"well it has"

Right so just to recap;;;
If i had got on the right plane(which is doubtful as i would have been looking for the bourgas one)
I would have arrived at the airport and faced a 2-3 bus trip to a hotel thats not yet finished.
They no doubt would have moved me to some flea pit cause all the good places have been taken up by people who were smart enought not to believe a word they said.

As of yet with all this I Have Had No Communication from travelcare or Balkan holidays.I don`t even rate a phone call or letter and they are now getting seriously close to losing my £2000 to another operator.

Hi!

I`m going there 21 july, and after reading this - I am very disapointed..

Can somebody please send me those pictures you were talking about?

Hugs Linda

Hi all

I too have just had the same letter from Thomas Cook that Sarah Jane had in an earlier post. To recap - basically there is work still going on, but if we would like to change hotel/resort then we can, but will have to pay any difference. As we are due to fly out on13 JUne, and have already made travel arrangements to Gatwick, got some local currency etc I am loathe to make any changes now. I think best plan is to sit and wait it out. If the Iberostar is not ready for 13 June, then I would expect Thomas Cook to move us to a hotel of equal status or higher - see posts from Alan.

I just don't need this stress before a hard earned holiday!!

Oh, anyone got the pics from Lesley Jane they could PM me? Many thanks.

Crunchie

I have sent the photos via pm or email to all of you who have asked for them.
Good luck everyone, I hope it is up and running for at least some of you. Keep us informed of what happens.

Regards
Lesley Jane

hi all. we fly out tomorrow to the royal bay at elenite.after being changed from the iberostar.we still dont know what to expect.but will try to enjoy ourselfs.at least weve got all inclusive now .will go to sunny beach on wednesday .and have a look at the iberostar. so watch out for my report.only 24 hrs till we leave for gatwick.and cant wait to get there
best of luck to you all
alan-jill southampton

Allan - Jill,

I wish you the best for your holiday! I`m sure I have this whole forum with me when I wish you a good trip, and I sure hope you will enjoy your time in SB.

This is a Norwegian saying for good luck:

SKITT FISKE!
(may not be directly translated as "skitt" means dirt, and "fiske" means fishing)

#18
Norway

Allan - Jill,

I am so sorry that you have been messed about so much with your holiday but looking on the bright side at least now you are going to a hotel that there are real pictures of!!!

Anyway just wanted to say hope you have a great holiday, so try and forget about all this bother and have fun which i am sure you will as after all you will be on Holiday!!!