Hi Lal...I dont think we have never met but we've stayed AI at The Nympha (2009, 2010 and 2012) and I'm sure you have met TonyT as well. We also went to The Bonita (05)and Helios Spa (06) too.

We always went for a wander around the Riviera Hotel and it looked great.We also saw the Cossack Show there too. We've had drinks at the lobby bar and pool bar and they were fine, although a bit expensive compared to the local bars on the prom etc. We understood it was split into two parts with AI and B&B each having it's own entrance etc etc. We were going to book there for 2013 but the early morning flght home from GS did not suit Monica my partner so we opted for Nessebar. Sadly we even had to cancel that due to illness. In 2014 we really were thinking of the AI Riviera 5* but decided on Nessebar as we missed it this year.

The Riviera never struck me as having a problem with food or drinks as The Nympha and Imperial
always served up a great variety of hot/cold meals and lovely drinks too.

Have always read your reports with great interest and valued the information given so it looks as if this years offering at The Riviera was less than sattisfactory. No Nympha via Balkan this year...? is it being refurbished..? Any info appreciated.

Kind regards, Jim.

Hi Jim we were really surprised at how bad the riviera was, like you we d been there for drinks and the shows, and it looked fine,the nympha had great food, and drinks and we never had any cause to complain, but the riviera was in utter chaos, the food was undercooked, cold, the tables werent cleaned, theres was no cutlery, the drinks at meal times were just left out, there were no soft drinks as the machines werent working, we were really disappointed. The only reason we stopped going to the nympha was that dreaded gate,

Hello Lal...Did you see my post further down with reference to The Gate..?

Last time we were there in 2012 'they' actually gave in to local pressure and opened the wire fence entrance. Great for guests but we had to put up wih everyone trapsing across the beach and terrace from early till late. Some even tried to use our sunbeds and parasols. They were soon shooed away very politely though.

There seemed to be a few hotels in GS that season with staff problems over wages etc etc in a post I read from Tonyt....and I reckon the removal of direct flights from Gatwick to Varna had a lot to do with lower levels of Brits. I see Balkan have given the Gatwick/Varna route another go for 2014 but with only early morning return flights however.

Neesebar beckons for us in 2014...Sol Palace: Bay and Mare in June.

regards, Jim.

Monaco, we love the Sol complex in Nessebar (well, Ravda), but we're thinking about using the Varna route for St Konstantin next summer - never been there, but looks nice.

the gate was open but as you say, it let the other s in, which is not good, we went to the Arabella last yr, which was very good, this year you extended our stay, we stayed at the Aquamarine Apts, The casino grand,and the Mimosa, by far the Grand was the best, next yr we go to sofia in february, Malta end feb/march. and back to golden sands end of july

Hi, to the both of you, a friend from Manchester was at Riveria 2nd September for supposedly two weeks, they moved to Boriana in Albena after two days, they told me after 7 good years this was worse than the old Alan Malek Hotel (which appeared on Holidays from Hell many times) Booking.com were very good, it took nearly two hours by Skype, may just see you Jim , I have booked for 6th June for two weeks, out of Gatwick.
Hope op went ok, terrible accident round your way a few weeks back, Play Up Pompey. speak soon.

the setting of this hotel was beautiful, but Id never use it again, it now must be the worst hotel in golden sands, its not a cheap hotel either

Hi Tony...We travel on 12th June till 26th but as we are 'way dahn saff' of you in Nessebar we might not see each other this year.

Yeah, really awful RTA just along from us and it shocked the whole area with the two girls 14 and 16 both killed.

Poor old Pompey...new manager today though. We are confident of a decent future and a better end to the season.