Fly out this Friday - 22nd from Gatwick. Quite concerned now - get the impression the Hotel is good but flying bugs and a grotty beach puts me off ! Oh well - cant change anything now - so lets hope the weather is good and the beer or wine is good.

We never posted our comments about our holiday to put anyone off we just told the truth in our eyes after being there and being so unhappy. The weather wasnt looking good before we went we checked all the weather forecasts and they all said it was going to be cloudy, rainy and thunderstorms and it was all true. As for recent events in london, turkey and spain etc. would you really go somewhere if you knew you was at risk and it's right on your doorstep this may of been a one off but we are only telling you what happened whilst we was there which is what this forum is supposed to be for isn't it???

In response to jackyuk we thought we paid a lot for our holiday £1900 2 Adults 1 Child and we definately didn't think it was value for money and we really do feel you wouldn't be getting good food, good weather and good entertainment. Really don't want to put you off but really do wish someone had told us before we went as it's a hell of a lot of money to spend on a holiday especially if it's your only holiday. Our child loves beach and the pool but only managed to get into the outside pool twice due to bad weather and sea was too rough it knocked you off your feet as for the indoor pool it was very small and there was no life guard on duty at all times. We really do hope that whatever you decide to do you have the best time you possibly can and we are sorry if this has made you feel negative as we said before everyone is different and we can only tell you our experience's.

Hi Burrows111,
In answer to your questions a (few good places to go out in the evening)
We didn't tend to go out much in the evening but we did try the Bedrock bar which was good and good for the children and was very cheap we had 2 big bottles of beck's and a coke and it was 4 leva which is £1:40 ish which isn't bad but that was the only time we went out in the evening. The age range was completely mixed but was more 90% Germans and 10% english the hotel entertainment both day and night didn't amount to much. The drinks was fine they had an all inclusive menu plus a menu you could order from and pay for by giving your room number as they don't take money they bill you to your room and you can get most drinks from all inc and the local beer and wine taste fine and they have pepsi and diet pepsi also 7up on the all inc menu. The hotel is finished and no building work at all there is building work as you go out of the hotel it's not nice to look at but theres no noise from this.

We hope we have answered everything for everybody and if there are anymore questions you would like to ask us then feel free sorry about the negativity we just hope your holiday is better than ours.

Libbyloo

Hi there, thanks for the info, the Bedrock bar sounds great for a couple of drinks after our evening meal, is there anything going on for the kiddies in there? Are there any other bars within walking distance that are allright for a couple of beers of an evening? We are only after a relaxing holiday, basically sunbathing, eating and drinking, so I think we will be OK, we knew when we booked that it was an hour and a half transfer from the airport, and that it is the middle of nowhere, so that is no surprise, but with it being all inclusive we weren't bothered because we dont want to be going out and paying for stuff when we have it all paid for in the hotel. We will have a few walks into town and we want to take the trip to Varna to see the Dolphinarium and do a bit of shopping, but arpart from that we wont be moving far! As long as my 6 year old is happy then we will be happy. We are happy eating, drinking and sunbathing, so as long as the weather hold up Im not fussy! What is the deal with a menu that you have to pay for though? I though it was exclusively All Inclusive? And are the meus written in English? Sorry for all the questions! Thanks, Jacky x

Oh my goodness i am so shocked at some of the comments about the hotel and resort.
I am just back from a holiday from hell at the costa brava and have booked this hotel for july 2006 thinking i was safe with a small resort and such a nice looking hotel on the beach in Bulgaria.
I am really worried now especially the comments from libbyloo.
Please could all that is going to this hotel in the next few months post your comments and here's hoping there will be some good ones.
I am dreading my husband reading them but i know he only usually checks them out about a few weeks before we go so here's hoping there are lots and lots of goods remarks by then.
We will be travelling with our 2 children age 4 and 10.

Hi,

My partner and I have booked to spend a week in Rui Helious in September. I have been reading on here for a while and we are looking forward to our holiday. I must admit that reading Libbyloo's comments are a little worring but still there are plenty of good reviews!

One thing I have noticed is that people seem to be paying alot of money- £1 or 2 Grand!
We (2 adults) are going semptember ( admittedly the end of the month) for a week, all inclusive and we paid £274 each. I am interested in what companies everyone else has booked with. We booked with Portland Direct.

Its the usual story I booked with Thomson, and as always if you have to go in the school summer holidays you pay double
From reading this site it does seem that the tourist season is July and August, with some things closing down in September so thats prob why its alot cheeper.

libbyloo, of course we like to hear your holiday comments, I was just so shocked to hear how everyone reacted, if it rains all the time and you feel your family could come to harm, then all mothers would take their children and run home, but today I fear nowhere is safe and Bulgaria seems to be as safe as the rest. As for everything in German thats just not fair if we are made to feel out of it. I hope they address that ASAP.
I will remember to pack shoes for beach, like Nicky told us.
I hope you can get some compensation and maybe another holiday to make amends.

Ps Did you get the holiday tum after the Bulgarian night out, or outside the hotel ?

We had so much trouble booking holiday in the first place,two family groups ( we wanted the Pelican hotel, lovely reviews no rooms left, tried in Jan) then booked Miramar (not Built ) ended up with Helios, by then a park bench looked good.

I booked with Thompson, and we paid £2300, (2 adults, 1 child age 6) and that was with a discount! It did include travel insurance and transport from home to airport and from airport to hotel and back etc. But it would have been about £2500without the discount! It is in the most two expensive weeks of July though, that is the only time we are allowed off work. I really think that the German bias should have been indicated to us at the time of booking, as I assumed it was an exclusively English hotel. If the hotel is catering for the Germans (food, entertainment etc), then this is grossly unfair and misleading. How does the kids club work, do they communicate in German or what????? Am also a bit worried about the food, for the money we have paid I would expect it to be full of variety and top notch. Is there a Thompson Rep on site? Do they not have a Thompson Kids Club? I think if Thompson and/or the actual hotel staff could read all the comments on this forum it would be helpful!

Just seen another comment on Helios Bay at:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294451-i3250-k159865-Riu_Helios_Bay_in_Obzor-l846231-Bulgaria.html#846231
Quote:
Have just returned from Riu Helios Bay and can confirm that it is all finished except the top floor (7th) where some work is still going on. If you are allocated a room on the 7th floor you might want to decline it as the lift only goes to the 6th and you have to walk up 2 flights of stairs to get to your room. The staff are very helpful but English is not spoken by many. Food was good at lunch and dinner. All that worrying for nothing!!!

hi!

My wife and I go on 20th June next year for 2 weeks, cost=£648 pp on an AI basis from Glasgow this includes transfers and in-flight meals but not insurance, at the time we thought it was a bargain, let's hope so!We booked through Thomas cook TV I'm guessing they forewent their commission to be competitive with Thomson. I hope there is room for some Irish, Welsh and us Scots in the hotel to?!LOL!

Alistair

Ive booked for 1st september 2006 for 2 weeks. 2 adults, 1 child, 1 infant. Cost £1250 for everything except insurance with portland direct. Hopefully by then all the little problems wil be sorted and we will have a great holiday.

Gosh, everyone seems to have paid a lot less than we did when we booked this at Christmas. We thought £2300 was a good price. (although we did originally book the Riu Mirimar, and there was no adjustment in price when they shoved us in the Riu Helios Bay). Is there a laundry where we can wash and dry our clothes in the hotel? Can you get beers from the bar and take them up to your room? We are thinking of drinking on the balcony when the bar shuts at 12 as this is a bit early for us. That way our 6 year old can go to bed while we are on the balcony. HE always stays up till about 12:30ish when we are on holiday anyway, and still manages to get up about 9ish in the morning and is perky all day! What time is breakfast served till? And what time is lunch and dinner? Thanks!

Am also flying out on the 22nd of july this friday from gatwick, can't wait hope i don't get ill out there am 5 months pregnant so a bit worried, lets just be glad that out of all the reviews on here of the hotel only 1 was bad.
As long as i get to sunbathe all day and eat lots i'll be happy. just looked at the weather and its about 30 out there now and looks like it will stay that way for the next week or so.
See you all out there if your off in the next week and a half. will post some pics and stuff when i get back on the 29th and write a review any questions just ask.

Download, print off and pack the Safe and Sound brochure available via my signature. It is written by Travel Law Lawyer Ros Fernihough and will assist you in resort should you encounter any problems.

The information contains, what to do and what you can do in law if you have any complaints.

Hi again, has anyone got any more comments to add? My neighbours have just got back from Bulgaria (Burgas) yesterday and they said that it rained every day that they were there and that the Bulgarian Mafia run the whole country (!). Does anyone know where we can get a weather forecast for the next couple of weeks? Everyone I talk to has such a negative view of Bulgaria and I want to hear GOOD things!!!!!!

Hi JACKYUK,

Any forecast more than a few days ahead is likely to be pretty useless - for local conditions & 3-day forecast, try HERE.

As far as the Bulgarian Mafia comment is concerned, organised crime certainly exists in Bulgaria, just as it does in The UK, USA and probably every other country in the world, but it's unlikely to affect ordinary holidaymakers in any way.

Forget what other people say and go and enjoy yourselves - we returned to the UK on 15th July and fully intend to go back to Bulgaria for a week in September.

Hi, oh that's great to know, I think I am becoming obsessed! I am listening to far too many people! It's just that everything about Bulgaria seems so negative, this is my first holiday for nine years, and I have used all of my life savings on it, so I want it to be great, you know! Please people give me somthing to look forward to !!!!

Looking at the weather for the next few days looks good, sunny all the way
I think the rain season seems to be over, it looks rare for it to rain at end July /August temps around the 90'sF or 30+c.
Dont forget you reviews when you are back and have a great time, keep an open mind.

Hi all,
can somebody tell me if there are public computers with an internet access at the hotel, or in the neighbourhood?
Thx,
Danny

i am writing this from the hotel so as you probably guessed there is internet access, the hotel is lovely and the weather is fab been here 4 days now and haven't got a bad word to say abouth the place, you will not be dissappointed, theres something for everyone activities every day, adult and kids but sunday is there day off theres live shows every night, and a kids disco.i wouldn't worry anymore about staying here its fantastico!!!!!