Hotel Slavyanska Beseda

Room 205. Reception Diyan is the best, very friendly and helpful! Immaculate room with mini bar fridge, TV, aircon, nice beds, clean all around! Best hotel in the best part of Sofia's Center, walking distance to all attractions and parks. I had the best time here, thank you hotel management!

Overall, my experience at the Hotel Slavyanska Beseda to be just OK. The hotel is desperately in need of a major refurbishment, but even in its current condition, it remains functional and acceptable for short-term stays. The two biggest positives, in my opinion, are its central location with the city of Sofia and it is a pet friendly hotel (though negatively, they charge extra for pets at 25BGN per night....which i think is a bit expensive). My assigned room was located on their top floor (accessible by an old, but fully operational, elevator....looks like the original one when the place was first built), and had a large balcony, but the actual room was very small. Like the hotel, my room was in dire need of a refurbishment, and in its current state, looked a bit dirty (only due to wear and tear), especially the single bed. I did complain about the bad sagging, and they sent someone to fix it. Though unsure what (or if anything) was done as there was no improvement. Instead of complaining again, I just used my dog's mattress (from her dog crate) to bolster the middle. The room was only very basically furnished but did have a TV and a small refrigerator (minibar with drinks & snacks), along with complimentary tea & coffee (plus a kettle). Heating in the room was sufficiently achieved mostly by an air-conditioner and very minimally via a radiator heater. The private bathroom was a little more spacious than the living/sleeping area and was clean and practical as well as functional, with a good constant supply of hot water. I didn't eat anything from the hotel's restaurant as I found a vast selection of restaurants, all within a short walk plus a small supermarket only 50 metres away (and a Lidl about a 10 minute walk along the main street). The hotel is also situated near to all the main tourist sights/attractions in Sofia, which is very handy and are all easily within walking distances. I find all the ex-communist countries from the defunct USSR, lacking a bit in hospitality and friendliness, but the staff here were quite polite, friendly, and seemingly helpful. (Reception staff also speak English too). Noteworthy, if you have your own vehicle, parking on the street and surrounding streets are in very short supply (illegal parking will result in your car being towed away) but the hotel does offer paid parking (spots are very limited and a bit pricey too).

Old hotel but maintained. Medium sized room with a double bed. Bathrooms are small but clean. Location is almost good. Yards away from tram service, and few steps away from bus. Reasonably priced. Check-in is little bit slow but ok. Receptionist is smiling and helpful.

Pros: Good location, the hotel isnt as bad as what the comment saids online. The cleanliness is within good standard and honestly I can see the hotel owner trying their best to maintain this hotel. No bedbugs or whatsoever in the hotel and the room size is great. If you are a historic enthusiast, this hotel is perfect for you. I love the manual lift they are using and this gave me an authentic stay in Sofia. Extra star for the safe luggage storage service :) Cons: The only downside is the drainage system in the bathroom, please consider installing some room perfume. One tips for future travelers, the hot/cold water switch is in reverse which means you need to set to cold water inorder for hot water. This can save your life in winter.

Overall Rating: 1/5 Stars My recent stay was severely hampered by a series of operational inefficiencies and unacceptable maintenance issues that significantly detracted from the experience. While I value friendly service, the pervasive issues outlined below require immediate management attention. 1. Check-in Experience and Delays The initial check-in process was inefficient and poorly managed. Upon arriving at 1:00 PM, I was correctly informed that check-in started at 2:00 PM. However, when I returned at 2:45 PM, I experienced a subsequent delay of approximately 20 minutes due to staff managing a shift change and break schedule. This secondary, unnecessary wait made for a frustrating start to the stay. 2. Room Environment and Cleanliness The assigned room had a strong and pervasive odor of stale cigarette smoke, indicating a potential failure in deep cleaning protocols. When reported, the only solution offered by management was to open the window. Despite keeping the window open for two full days, the odor persisted, making the room environment unacceptable. 3. Maintenance and Functionality Failures The room presented multiple critical maintenance issues: Climate Control: The air conditioning unit was non-functional. I was forced to request and use a portable space heater from reception, which is an inadequate and inefficient solution for proper climate control. Electrical Issues: The room's electrical power initially required multiple attempts before being successfully switched on. Plumbing Issues: The bathroom drainage was severely obstructed, causing water to pool and overflow during showering/washing. Furthermore, there was a persistent and foul odor, consistent with sewer gas, emanating from the bathroom area. 4. Reservation Inaccuracy (Bedding) As a solo traveler, I had specifically reserved a room with a large single bed. Instead, I was assigned a room with two separate twin beds. A further complication was that these mattresses were overly worn, sagging significantly in the middle, which made it impossible to push the beds together to form a comfortable sleeping arrangement. Conclusion: The accumulation of these issues—from delayed check-in and poor room air quality to critical maintenance failures in plumbing and climate control—demonstrates a clear lapse in standard hotel management and upkeep. I strongly advise future guests to confirm all room conditions prior to booking.