Ok A lesson has to be learned here. I work for First Choice and have seen this before.
My tip to all you people looking to go to Bulgaria is to stay away from any hotel which shows an Artists Impression in the brochure. Wait until you see proper pictures of the hotels then you know they are finished. Yea I know I work for FC and I bet there is someone waiting to have a pop at me about why are we advertising these holidays if they are not finished.....Well thats senior management for you and I aint gonna change their decisions.
I just make sure when customers come in to book with me I steer them away from the potentially unfinished hotels. We had a problem with the Royal Park last year simply because they rushed to finish it - Then the winter was spent putting these things right and thankfully now for this season the hotel is up and running.
If you want to go to Bulgaria, book an established hotel:-
OBZOR / IZGREV - Golden Sands - Iberostar and very nice
KRISTAL - Golden Sands
HELIOS SPA - Golden Sands
MORSKO OKO - Golden Sands
CHAIKA BEACH - Sunny Beach
VICTORIA PALACE - Sunny Beach
All these are FINISHED - The biggest problem you may find is the food is not to everyones taste but then this is a Foreign Country, Not Brighton!
Hope This Helps!
Hi Happening,
Thanks for your honesty, this is the advice I have been giving for years.
However your list of up-and-running hotels only lists the ones sold by First Choice.
In Golden Sands there are many very good hotels and in far better locations than the ones you quote.
Marina Grand Beach, International, Admiral and Yavor to name but four.
Patka
Thanks for your honesty, this is the advice I have been giving for years.
However your list of up-and-running hotels only lists the ones sold by First Choice.
In Golden Sands there are many very good hotels and in far better locations than the ones you quote.
Marina Grand Beach, International, Admiral and Yavor to name but four.
Patka
Hi Patka
Yea realise they are all FC Hotels Listed but its simply because I have either seen them or colleagues of mine have stayed there.
Must admit had a quick glance at the Admiral in Golden Sands and that looked fab if maybe a bit noisey due to its central location!
Happening
Yea realise they are all FC Hotels Listed but its simply because I have either seen them or colleagues of mine have stayed there.
Must admit had a quick glance at the Admiral in Golden Sands and that looked fab if maybe a bit noisey due to its central location!
Happening
Hi Happening,
Admiral is double-glazed, we stayed there for 3 weeks last year, and noise was no problem. That's our first consideration cos we're oldies growing old disgracefully and spending the kids inheritance now. Going back for 3 weeks in September this year it was that good.
Patka
Admiral is double-glazed, we stayed there for 3 weeks last year, and noise was no problem. That's our first consideration cos we're oldies growing old disgracefully and spending the kids inheritance now. Going back for 3 weeks in September this year it was that good.
Patka
Hi
Look at this site for information on the opening of the Kempinski
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=50386" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="break-word">http://[url]http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=50386
Look at this site for information on the opening of the Kempinski
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=50386" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" class="break-word">http://[url]http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=50386
Looks very spectacular - finally getting it together.
some more news and images like this will start to put us worried ones to rest.
Why is only on the above mentioned website I can find any info, strange!
some more news and images like this will start to put us worried ones to rest.
Why is only on the above mentioned website I can find any info, strange!
Hi Chiller,
However, I would go more by what you have reported in your message on the previous page at Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:30 am, and the emails from both Kempinski in London, and even the hotel manager himself.
A message on the beachbulgaria.com forum reports 300 rooms open. According to the Kempinski site it has 728 rooms, that's 428 yet to complete and one hell of a lot of building and finishing work. See -
http://www.kempinski.com/development/en/index.php?l1=new_projects&category_id=86
Peter
However, I would go more by what you have reported in your message on the previous page at Sat Jul 23, 2005 12:30 am, and the emails from both Kempinski in London, and even the hotel manager himself.
A message on the beachbulgaria.com forum reports 300 rooms open. According to the Kempinski site it has 728 rooms, that's 428 yet to complete and one hell of a lot of building and finishing work. See -
http://www.kempinski.com/development/en/index.php?l1=new_projects&category_id=86
Peter
Hi Just back from G/S sands on the 22nd and there were guest in the hotel when we left to come home ,the hotel is still not finished but the hotel is open for guest 
Hi June,
Can you give us some more information on the state of the hotel?
Is there still lots of building going on?
Do you have any idea of what facilities are (or aren't) open?
We've only got 11 days before departure
Can you give us some more information on the state of the hotel?
Is there still lots of building going on?
Do you have any idea of what facilities are (or aren't) open?
We've only got 11 days before departure
Hi golfer
I am in the same boat mate I fly on the 5th and have had full assurance from my travel agent that all is complete the only thing that isn't finished is the brewery.
I was so sceptical that I got him to put this in an email to me.
And pre warned him that I am travelling with an infant and a toddler under 3 and I will come down on them like a ton of bricks if my experience is ruined because of trying to make a few extra LEVS and opening early this is after all a 5 star and if im not mistaken that refers to the total package and not just the location or grandeur of the hotel.
Have I done the right thing or is there something ells I should do to cover my, you know what?
If anyone has just come back from there please give us some feed back I would rather know
I am in the same boat mate I fly on the 5th and have had full assurance from my travel agent that all is complete the only thing that isn't finished is the brewery.
I was so sceptical that I got him to put this in an email to me.
And pre warned him that I am travelling with an infant and a toddler under 3 and I will come down on them like a ton of bricks if my experience is ruined because of trying to make a few extra LEVS and opening early this is after all a 5 star and if im not mistaken that refers to the total package and not just the location or grandeur of the hotel.
Have I done the right thing or is there something ells I should do to cover my, you know what?
If anyone has just come back from there please give us some feed back I would rather know
I have just spoken to my travel agent, who have been dealing with Balkn Holidays.
Balkan are allowing me a free full refund, but only upto Saturday.
Letters are going out to people travelling upto the end of this month advising them of facilities not available.
Balkan are allowing me a free full refund, but only upto Saturday.
Letters are going out to people travelling upto the end of this month advising them of facilities not available.
Hi Chiller,
Did you mean that they are offering full refunds for people travelling before this Saturday, or are they offering refunds to people who apply for one before this Saturday?
Do you know what the deal is for people like myself and 'late' who are travelling on 5th August?
What are you going to do - are you taking the refund?
Did you mean that they are offering full refunds for people travelling before this Saturday, or are they offering refunds to people who apply for one before this Saturday?
Do you know what the deal is for people like myself and 'late' who are travelling on 5th August?
What are you going to do - are you taking the refund?
I wasn't going to ask for a refund as I don't feel I should have to.
They have sold me this holiday without consideration to me or my family and if I get there and it not up to the star rating I have booked and paid for then I will log a formal complaint with the hotel in writing and with the balkn representative and deal with it on my return home.
They have sold me this holiday without consideration to me or my family and if I get there and it not up to the star rating I have booked and paid for then I will log a formal complaint with the hotel in writing and with the balkn representative and deal with it on my return home.
Hi all they were still doing a lot of work on the outside of the hotel like putting up signs and doing the landscape .The hotel had all its curtains up and guest were in it we seen porters walking about in the foyer .They can do a lot in a week as we saw that for ourself . There was still quite a bit to do outside when we left ,but they were working up till 10 and 11o'clock at night to get it finished .So there is every chance it will be nearly finished when you get there .The people we spoke to who were booked in there was sent to the Helios Spa .Hope this is of some use to you .and hope you have a good holiday
I'd booked a holiday to the Kempinski for the 15 September through First Choice. After booking I read the posts on this site & was (understandably) quite concerned about the hotel being unfinished.
I contacted First Choice last week to voice my concerns but they reassured me (not very well, I might add) that they were hopeful the hotel would be open by the time of my departure. At this time they refused to either refund my holiday without charge or amend the booking for free.
After keeping up with the new posts over the weeked and a particularly helpful one from Chiller posted on 23/7/05, I contacted First Choice this afternoon to challenge them about the information in an email tht Chiller had kindly made avaliable to us all. First Choice have now refunded the cost of the holiday in full after I pointed out I had been mis-sold the holiday & had been under the impression I was booking into a Kempinski Group hotel.
So Chiller, thank you very much for making the email you recieved avaliable.
I contacted First Choice last week to voice my concerns but they reassured me (not very well, I might add) that they were hopeful the hotel would be open by the time of my departure. At this time they refused to either refund my holiday without charge or amend the booking for free.
After keeping up with the new posts over the weeked and a particularly helpful one from Chiller posted on 23/7/05, I contacted First Choice this afternoon to challenge them about the information in an email tht Chiller had kindly made avaliable to us all. First Choice have now refunded the cost of the holiday in full after I pointed out I had been mis-sold the holiday & had been under the impression I was booking into a Kempinski Group hotel.
So Chiller, thank you very much for making the email you recieved avaliable.
Hi all,
Just checked my account and the refund from First Choice has gone into my account today. To those of you going out to the hotel soon and expecting a refund if the hotel / package is not of 5 star standard I would urge you to be cautious as once you've had a flight and some sort of holiday out of them it'll be a long and stressful fight to get any compensation, let alone a full refund. If I was you I would go down the 'mis-sold' route and demand a full refund now.
Booked a new holiday in Cyprus today... not with First Choice! Bulgaria and the Kempinski can wait for another year but I'll be sure to go one day.
Just checked my account and the refund from First Choice has gone into my account today. To those of you going out to the hotel soon and expecting a refund if the hotel / package is not of 5 star standard I would urge you to be cautious as once you've had a flight and some sort of holiday out of them it'll be a long and stressful fight to get any compensation, let alone a full refund. If I was you I would go down the 'mis-sold' route and demand a full refund now.
Booked a new holiday in Cyprus today... not with First Choice! Bulgaria and the Kempinski can wait for another year but I'll be sure to go one day.
We are gonna take the money and run - just hope we can find another holiday.
Thanks to everyone for their input, if I didn't have this as a fighting tool I think we would still be on our way.
what annoys me more is that if I had the answers I had today, when I first started enquiring I would have another holiday to replace this one.
To everyone who has booked something else enjoy your hols, and for those who are going to carry on and go to the kempinski - best of luck and enjoy yor hols.
Thanks to everyone for their input, if I didn't have this as a fighting tool I think we would still be on our way.
what annoys me more is that if I had the answers I had today, when I first started enquiring I would have another holiday to replace this one.
To everyone who has booked something else enjoy your hols, and for those who are going to carry on and go to the kempinski - best of luck and enjoy yor hols.
Have just been to the travel agents - had few checks to see what was available for us at the same standard.
NOT ALOT!!!!!!
So have taken the choice of changing to the Hotel Admiral.
NOT ALOT!!!!!!
So have taken the choice of changing to the Hotel Admiral.
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