Beware, please please do not travel to this hotel!

Returned from the Riu Helios Bay Hotel 8 weeks ago now and me and my daughter are still suffering from sickness and severe diarrhoea. Had our stool samples tested and they were confirmed as having the Cryptosporidium parasite.

This is a water born parasite and is not killed by chlorine used in swimming pools.
The river running by the side of the hotel, flowed into the sea, and not sure what this river contained.

Many people were ill and hospitalised during our stay, but hotel were blaming the bug as being air born.

We now know different and would like to advise tourists not to waste there hard earned money travelling to this hotel.

Had a fantastic time at this hotel. Its in a good location and is right on a lovely safe sandy beach. ooms were nice with air con and we had a huge patio (balcony). The food was fantastic with so much choice. You could eat all day if you could fit it in in the end we were sick of food only because we has eaten fat too much!!!! The drinks were good too, coctails were actually really nice much better than any other all inc hotel we have ever stayed in before. The hotel pool was nice and NEVEr too over crowed. Every day it was very easy to get a sun bed and you got towels from the hotel for these. There was a great kids club from 3-16. The kids seemed to LUV it with so many activities such as paint balling for the teenagers to mini disco by the baby pool for the toddlers. The hotel is one of the cleanest Ive every stayed in and couldnt fault it. The only thing which wasnt good was the entertainment!!!! Most nights they tried but YES it was trying .... There was a Bulgarian night which was really good and entertaining, theyalso had amagic night but apart from that it was the German Reps from the hotel doing all the entertainment. It was all done in English but German humer isnt what us Brits calls funny .... Apart from this I loved this hotel and would defo return again. Next time only a week tho as the enertainment was so dire xxx

The hotel is well appointed for the beach and activities.
The Staff are always cleaning and most aspects are excellent however the loo's on the ground floor are used often because of the pool location and therefore should and could be cleaned more often.

The Food is very good and you could have a roast dinner every night if you wanted to have it but there is plenty of variety for all tastes.

The hotel Staff speak very good english and are generally helpful.

The entertainment at night is not good and I would urge anyone giong here to take this into consideration... the animation team try so hard and I suppose it's not their fault but the hotel, they are a big hotel chain with a good reputation and could offer better for the teenagers and adults - even a disco would be nice.
When this was mentioned to our rep it was suggested we went into the clubs in Obzor town with the children (not a good idea when they are 12 and under)

Bad points

The jacuzzi has to be paid for

The pool table has to be paid for

There are no tea/coffee making facilities in the room

The wasps swarm all over the lemonade/coke/orange taps

The ususal farse with the sunbeds - you need to have towels down at 7.30 to 8.00 to get a decent spot

There are huge jelly fish here ... ok if you swim near the beach, can be seen on the pedeloes, dognuts and banana boats

The lovely bar on the beach directs you to a restaurant beside it for the loo ...which is a grill on the ground - you have been warned - go back to hotel if you have time

Good points

Money can be changed in the hotel and is easy and commission rates are good

The food is very good

The drinks are also good, very pleasant wine and good beer, vodka, gin etc

The outdoor pool is very refreshing

Most of the rooms have a sea view, very pleasant

There is plenty of wardrobe and drawer space

The place is very clean and the staff tidy up and clean constantly

Other points

The room safe is 60 Levs for 2 weeks

You have to vacate the room by 12 miday - and whilst there is a room by reception to leave the cases; if you have night flight you may want to keep your room and this is 10 lev per hour after miday

Trips

The excursions vary and the german rep "Peter" offered child prices (the english tours did not have this option) so we went with them for our final trip, they all speak english anyway.

The nessabar trip was great but not long enough and we were left behind at the first stop as my son had to go to the loo downstairs and we had to run for the coach - told the rep who should have done a head count - very scary as I was alone with my son.

The Khans tent trip was good and the entertainment was very appreciated

The Jeep Safari/rifle shooting was excellent

Some other people we spoke to went on the boat/fishing trip which was only a little way down the beach from our hotel and this was not what they expected

The Experience Bulgaria trip was reported as being very enjoyable but probably not for children

stayed at the riu helios bay in july 08,fantastic reception when we arrived very clean place, rooms spotless at all times. meal times were excellent giving you ample time at all meal times to enjoy the superb menu offered by the hotel, all manner of refreshments available some thing for every one. the hotel is right on the beech which has plenty of room for all to enjoy. we had two young children with us.8&9 and they loved it, very good activities for children, well looked after by the team very safe enviroment twice a day.all staff are very willing and polite.we always go on holiday with our daughter and grandchildren and in 2009 our son and his family are coming as well so that will be 8 of us and we are already booked in that is how good we found this place to be. an unforgetable stay

We stayed at The RUI Helious Bay and had a lovely two weeks The the food was wonderful and even had champagne for breakfast some mornings There were several theme nights and always a joint of meat
The cleaners were working from first thing in the morning till last thing at night and the hotel was spotless
Hotel location was what we expected and as my husband is in a wheel chair we could both go to the village
Hotel stafff were friendly and most spoke ome Englishand weere very helpful
We didn't go to see the evening entertainment but the team tried hard throughout the day to please you
We will go back again but a week or to later as the weather was dissapointing

I agree with the other reports that this hotel is excellent for an all-inclusive chill-out, so I won't repeat the comments. But this might be useful to future guests:

- free bottled water available 24/7
- no tea/coffee-making facilities in room
- 10 lev per hour late check-out, eg we kept the room until 8pm for 80 lev.
- no bath available in any room, but big shower

Do make the effort to try the Thematic Restaurant serving a buffet of Bulgarian dishes. Treat it like a Greek meze and try a little of this and a little of that. Yes, some of the dishes are available in the main restaurant but you get side-tracked with the salad, chips etc.

Our room overlooked the river which now doesn't run into the sea. There were plenty of fish jumping and birdlife, so I don't think it is polluted water any more.

We stayed at the hotel from 24th to 31st August traveling as a family of 2 adults and a child and from start to finish we had a fantastic time.

We were greeted with a cocktail on arrival and after a short time queuing to check in were taken to our room. Our room was very large and in a great position looking onto the beach. The rooms were spotlessly clean and made up with fresh sheets and towels each day.

The outdoor pool is quite big and kept clean but unless you are up early you have no chance of a sun lounger. Unfortunately people ignored the

The hotel is well designed and well placed at the end of a road, close to the beach and has lifts to all floors. Its 15 minutes walk to the centre of the village.

Floor one takes you to the pool, pool bar, salon bar, indoor pool and fitness areas. shop, hair salon, medical centre ans snack/speciality restaurant.

Also not forgetting the beach. All areas are kept spotlessly clean by the team of cleaners and lifeguards. Special praise to the lifeguards who removed all the brolleys from round the pool very quickly when a sudden and fierce wind blew up on our second last day. Well done.

Floor two. Reception, lobby bar and main restaurant. Again immaculately clean and always well staffed. Very friendly. All public areas have toilet facilities + disabled toilets. food was always hot and well presented and very varied during our one week stay. Choices of English or Continental breakfast. Lunch we used the snack facility for pizzas burgers etc so cannot comment on main restaurant.

Night time always choice of roast meats and vegetarian. always being topped up and an army of waiters/waitresses clearing tables of used plates. senior staff always on hand and making sure your every need was catered for. All in all as good as we have had in some 5* hotels. Well done to all the catering staff.

Floors 3,4,5 and 6 are bedrooms. An army of unsung heros keep all the rooms immaculate. Our room was big and had the usual facilities a 4* hotel should have. Good sized wardrobes (makes a change), safety deposit inside wardrobe(35 lev for one week)air conditioning, hairdryer and a range of soaps, shower gels and shampoos all topped up every day. We had an end room so we had a bigger than usual balcony overlooking the beach and Obzor itself.

The one thing that really stood out to us was the sound proofing. How many times have you been on hoilday and can hear everything going on in the hotel. Not here. It was so quiet once you had shut your door and windows.

Entertainment animation staff were superb. Wont mention by name but all the animation team were superb. Very friendly. Not pushy. Join in when YOU want to. Looked after the kids at the mini club. The night time programme could use some more work but this is not ment to sound bad. They have a lot to do and maybe some more of these very hard working people might help them out. Well done to all of them.

Finally to conclude hotel and staff. Facilities and activities programme excellent.

Well done Riu Helios Bay and all its staff. Keep it up.

WOW!!
I and my dad have just come back from this fab hotel.

Would definitely recommend it and go back there my self.
It was always getting cleaned and I feel sorry for the cleaners.

Food was also spotless and plenty of choice

The location was perfect. Not too busy but only a short walk from the town centre/
The staffs were all amazing. Spoke most languages and always smiling
Entertainment was good during the day but a bit pants on a night.

I would recommend this hotel.

Superb location of hotel, straight through a gate and onto the beach heaven.

The hotel was exceptionally clean maids working non stop all day.

Choice of food was excellent fresh food cooked in front of you.

The staff were very friendly and always willing to help in any way they could.

Entertainment in the day was excellent at night was a bit flat but on the whole they tried their very best and are particularly nice people. Tony, Ivan and Gerry.

I myself and my family would definetly visit this hotel again as it was excellent and also to see how much busier the town will be as there are shops, resturants and hotels opening all the time a holiday well enjoyed.