Pardon my confusion, but another Clare1234 has posted on -

EX Pats and Owners Abroad

Thread - summer dreams apartments

Just got back from staying in my apartment at the Summer Dreams village. It was very nice and certainly worth the investment. It's 99% complete, the restaurant is the only think left to complete. I was slightly concerned about the main road which is close to the apartments and very dangerous to cross. Having done some research the traffic using this main resort road will be redirected to the other main road far behind the complex in time for next years holiday season. Also the bus depot which is currently on the main resort road will also be relocation onto the back road.

I have many up-to-date pictures of the Summer Dreams Village for anybody interest. Please email me and I will forward them.

Having spoken to many of the estate agents in Sunny Beach i've been informed of a new mortgage which was released on 1st July this year. The mortgage is not strict regarding your status like the other two currently available. Anybody interested on remortgaging a bulgarian property to finance another Bulgarian property, or anybody looking to buy for the first time I would recommend a look at their website.

I must say I don't work for this company but I know alot of people have been waiting for an acceptable & realistic Bulgarian mortgage.

However, if some people are happy with an unfinished hotel with few of the advertised facilities available, (which Balkan Holidays are admitting on their booking web page), good luck to them.

Others however, paid for and fully expect a fully operational KEMPINSKI HOTEL. Even the Kempinski Group state the Grand Hotel Hermitage is not opening as one of theirs until the end of 2005.

The unfairness is falsely representing this as a Kempinski Hotel, when it is far below their standards.

Peter

Erm, it's also a franchise I believe, whereby Kempinski simply lend the local hotelier the name in exchange for a chunk of the operating revenues, this happens in all major chains.......

I think the Kempinski arrangement is more than that. The hotels are I think, actually run by a Kempinski management team.

At the present time this hotel is not yet part of the Kempinski group, the management team is not in place and won't be until the end of the year.

In real terms the hotel is only half finished with many of the advertised facilites not up and running.

See -

Hermitage

To get back to the franchise analogy, it's a bit like advertising a ordinary burger bar as a MacDonalds or Burger King before it actally is.

Peter

Pardon my confusion, but another Clare1234 has posted on -

EX Pats and Owners Abroad

The same Clare1234, according to the profile, Peter.

A two-centre holiday, perhaps...............?

Yes, Baldur, facsinating, isn't it?

Appears to have vanished without trace ........................

Peter

ok, enough's enough I think. Lets get back to discussing the kempinski.

Folks,

some more personal comments from my side, as I stayed in Kempinski from aug 8-22 with six persons:

my general conclusion is that golfers comments are true, regarding the status of the hotel. Nethertheless, for the main issues you can arrange yourself. Sitting at the quite Kempinski pool above the GS scenery is much more relaxing than sitting at an admiral pool in the middle of a busy street.

Having spoken to the german management of the hotel:
the hotel is run by the onsite german management team, permanent staff of Kempinski. The hotel itself and the staff level is bulgarian coming from the actual owner that is sigma capital. This is the fact why the management has a problem to crack down on them. Sigma capital runs the installation with a minimum of resources leading to anoying situations (waiting for 65mins before getting drinks at the restaurant etc). Secondly as there was a serious incident in the pool, the bulgarian lifeguards did not intervene (quote: "in this pool you cannot drown") so guests had to rescue the poor lady.

Puschel

The Kempinski WILL be a fantastic 5 star hotel. It is far from that at the moment and I can't believe that any other 5 star hotel in the world can possibly be worse than the Kempinski as it is now.

When you pay for 5 star you expect 5 star and NO problems whatsoever.

Puscel, although we didn't witness the poolside incident, we were on holiday there at that time. It was no real surprise though, the lifeguards only seemed to be intent on sunbathing, playing football and chatting. Very concerning.

Puschel is right about the pool though, it is much quieter and in a far better location than the one at the Admiral.

Golfer

Location is relative. I know for a fact that I would find great difficulty in coping with the 75 steps to the beach or the long steep paths at either side simply to reach the beach let alone struggling with a buggy and I'm not disabled.

Of course the pool is quieter what do you expect it to be like when they open the other 400 rooms?

Patka

Patka,

I meant that the pool is in a far better location than the one at the Admiral. The Kempinski pool isn't overlooked by anything other than the hotel guests, there are no roads/pavements passing the pool area. At the Admiral you get everyone looking in to the pool area as they are walking along the street (and there are MANY people going along the street).

The pool area was getting busier towards the end of our holiday and I can imagine that it could get quite crowded when the hotel is fully occupied. They would certainly need to get more loungers and shades out. They would also be able to use the area above the dining room (up the steps from the pool) for sun-bathing. This area wasn't used when we were there although there were a few sun-shades up there.

I take your point about the 75 steps, but they aren't as steep as they look. There are also benches where you could rest if necessary.

There are 2 other ways up to the hotel from the beach along roads/paths. The most direct route is quite steep and it would be a challenge for people with buggies, the elderly, or the infirm. The less direct route (from the front or side of the hotel towards the Admiral) although longer shouldn't present any problems.

Golfer

It does present problems, I'm not guessing about this, I have done it.

The steepest route is past the Astoria Palace and the less steep one is by the side of the Zlatna Kotva.
An even gentler slope but rather longer is the route behind the Zlatna Kotva, Sirena and down the shopping street to the Admiral.

Patka

Patka's overall view of the Kempinski is a negative one.

The swimming pool at the Kempinski is vastly superior to that of the Admiral.

If I had to choose between the Admiral and Kempinski, it would be the Kempinski every time.

The negative part for the Admiral is that it's located in the centre of the resort, and from 7pm - Midnight is incredibly noisy with the bars on the sea-front competing to be the loudest.

The Kempinski hotel is not unique in having to walk up steps, lets not forget that Golden Sands is on a hillside and walking up steps or steep slopes is unavoidable to access the hotels not located directly on the beach. The access road behind the Admiral is no so steep so should not pose a problem to anyone.

Uncle BG

Uncle Bulgaria

I agree with you re the swimming pool, but I'll wait until it is a REAL Kempinski with all facilities before I'll even think about booking it, and that wont be for some time yet.

Patka

Uncle Bulgaria's postings continue to be misleading about the Kempinski.

I would be guided by the Balkan Holiday brochure that warns -

"As Golden sands it situated on a hillside, the hotels (except those on or very near the beach) are reached by sloping paths or steps. Elderly clients, or people with walking or breathing difficulties should bear this in mind when selecting accommodation."

It is uphill whichever way one approaches the Kempinski, but the 75 or so steps up from the beach are likely to be a killer for anyone other than the very fit. And, the gentle slope up behind the Admiral is a considerable walk when the hotel is supposed to be only 100m from the beach - more llike 500m this way!!

An example of a misleading post is this one -

PostPosted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:42 am Post subject:
The hotel is open, and has been since 18 July, when the first clients occupied. The hotel is of a very high standard.

Whilst the hotel is open work continues on the facilities, which should be fully operational within the next 2-3 weeks. THe majot facilities such as swimming pools are open.

Uncle BG

As of today, the hotel is still unfinished, as even Balkan Holidays are admitting on their booking form for the Kempinski on their web site.

The true status of the Kempinski is revealed at -

Kempinski website site]

That is, not opening until the end of the year as a Kempinski Hotel, presumably!!

Peter

Hi All,
Jut got back from 2 weeks at the Kempinski in Golden Sands. I was very worried about this holiday & very nearly cancelled like others have done.
Anyway, i decided to take the chance & go. Ita a fabulous hotel & by far the best one in Golden Sands.
There were a few teething problems but nothing too major.
The staff are very polite & clearly like the English (as they think we're all loaded).
I will be going back to this hotel - hopefully next year.
For information the Hotel is being run by a Kempinski Management Team & you will find that all the Senior positions within the hotel are being held by Germans.
For those of you who haven't yet been to the Hotel, i am sure you will have a great time.

Hi Jo,

Ita a fabulous hotel & by far the best one in Golden Sands.

We all have different perceptions of things, but having now seen and been in the place, have not changed our opinion of it -

By what points of reference is it

by far the best one in Golden Sands.

please?

It's most certainly the joke of the resort if you speak to Bulgarians!! They say it looks like a prison.

We think more like the Moscow public buildings of the Stalin era. The reception is bleak, with poor quality furniture and sockets hanging off the wall.

Very Hotel Rossiya off Red Square, in Communist times.

Definitely not for us.

Peter

Hi Peter,
Are we both referring to the same Hotel???
The Kempinski at Golden Sands looks nothing at all like a prison. It looks fantastic from the outside & is equally as nice inside.
The reception area is very large & has mahogany furniture & burgundy leather sofas.
There were no sockets hanging off walls.In fact there were very impressive chandeliers hanging.
I can only asume you are referring to another hotel.
I have stayed in quite a few hotels & would say that the rating of 5 star is correct for the accomodation.
There is a small amount of building work being carried out but it does not interfere with the hotel other than you occasionally saw workmen going in & out.
The outside pool is very impressive & the indoor pool with sauna had just been completed. In addition the massage rooms had been completed when we left on the 13th Sept.
I am sure you must be mistaken about this hotel as i was very pleased with the hotel & would certainly go back there.

Hi,

Peter is talking about the same hotel. His view has been biased against this hotel from day one.

Of course the hotel does not look like a prison, if it does, lock me up and throw away the key.

I have also been in the hotel, and the reception area is beautiful with quality furniture.

The only negative comment about the hotel, is the cost of products in the hotel, such as drinks. Which are scandalous. 15 levs for two small beers. No more than 3 levs everywhere else.

Uncle Bulgaria

Don't forget the 9 stotinkies!!

15 leva 9 stotinkies for two SMALL Zagorka gold beers.

Pity that when we went it smelt of the drains because the day before it had rained (not unusually heavily for this time of year) and because there are no drainage channels across the doors, the reception flooded!!

Rather spoiled the ambience, whilst drinking the most expensive beer in Bulgaria ............. !!

Peter