Avoid Sol Nessebar Mare Hotel – Disappointing Experience
My family and I recently stayed at the Sol Nessebar Mare Hotel in Bulgaria, booked through Tez Tours, and our experience was extremely disappointing. The hotel fell far short of our expectations in almost every regard.
First, the condition of the beds was terrible—squeaky mattresses that wouldn't stay on the frames, making sleep nearly impossible. The pillows were flat and uncomfortable, adding to the problem. For a hotel of any star rating, this is simply unacceptable.
We encountered several major cleanliness issues. The kids' pool constantly smelled like urine, which was incredibly off-putting, and the downstairs bathrooms near the restaurant were filthy, poorly ventilated, and slippery throughout our stay. Additionally, the lobby lacked air conditioning, which made waiting around with an unwell child very uncomfortable.
The lifeguard sat far from the pool, often distracted by his phone, which raised serious concerns about guest safety. Adding to the unprofessional behavior, a hotel staff member approached my brother to ask for cigarette —this kind of interaction is inappropriate and unprofessional for hotel staff.
The hotel also required an extra charge to use the in-room safe. For something as basic as storing your passport and valuables securely, this should have been included.
The hotel's changing rooms were filthy, with mold, hairs left behind from previous guests, broken taps and no hooks to place your towel on. On our last day, the towel station ran out of towels again, and staff told us that no new towels would be provided, leaving us with soggy, sunscreen- and chlorine-soaked towels to dry off. After repeatedly demanding clean towels, we were eventually given towels from the rooms, but we were required to return them to reception afterward adding an additional inconvenience to the whole process. Having basket to place used towels in could have made a big difference.
To add to the frustration, four out of five members of our group fell ill with severe diarrhea and vomiting halfway through the trip, severely impacting our ability to enjoy our holiday. The hotel staff's lack of empathy was shocking—especially in the Mare restaurant, where my child became ill again and vomited. The staff did not offer assistance, and it was another guest who finally helped us.
I also reached out to the hotel for an explanation but after a week long wait have yet to receive any response.
Given the number of issues we encountered, I strongly advise other travelers to reconsider staying at this hotel. This was far from the relaxing holiday we were promised, and the overall quality and service did not live up to even the most basic expectations.