Four Points By Sheraton Bansko

Recent Reviews: 383

• User:BomberCommand

  Trip type: Family

  Oh, If only they could sort the kitchen out

  18 Oct 2024

  Well, Just had a weeks skiing here in Bulgaria - in itself, that review alone could cover enough pages to warrant a novel - but here I will stick to our accommodation.The Strazhite was well researched before we booked with Crystalski - but I have to say that the fears we had, having read several of the lesser constructive reviews, were certainly not realised.The Strazhite is centrally placed in the town and is reasonably close enough to the main Gondola up to the piste area. We walked it in ski boots and it is do-able, trust me, especially if you stop off for some apres-ski in the myriad of bars on the way back!!But, back to the hotel. It is large spacious, reasonably well laid out and perfectly acceptable as a base for a ski trip. The rooms were large, clean and warm - plenty of hot water and no issues with anything at all. The balcony onto the main street was never an issue either.The facilities here are exceptional, the pool, the saunas, the gym kit was first class and exceeded anything that we have ever experienced in France - add to that a 6 lane bowling alley underneath (though you do have to pay for that) what more can you want. The bar was staffed by a cracking Local who has worked extensively in Manchester, speaks great English and was a pleasure to chat to - the drinks? well, at 4 lev per pint, I reckon its the cheapest I've had since the early 1980's!!!So onto the kitchen - here is the only place I could level any criticism. The meals were self service buffet style with a massive choice at every mealtime and there was plenty on offer to temp the adventurous into a bit of the local fare. But (yes you heard it coming) I have to admit that the 'hot food' never quite cut it, nonetheless, the taste of it all was great, but it was never "piping hot", if you will. I was there when a full tray of chips was delivered by the chef but even though they had just come from the kitchen, they were only luke warm - maybe it is a Bulgarian trait - I don't know, but I reckon if they upped their game in the kitchen this would qualify as a fully paid up 4 star hotel without doubt and, considering the prices we paid it is fantastic value.BTW the boot room has to be the biggest I have ever seen with great storage facilities and heated boot racks for dozens of pairs of boots. The actual resort is another issue which I recommend you research carefully. The hour plus wait for the Gondola every morning is ridiculous and the ski schools are not a patch on the ESF ones I am used to for the little 'uns.Would I go back - maybe?, as a cheap last minute weeks grab for the pistes - but for a main Ski holiday, naw, the whole resort needs to just move it up a tad before it can be classed as a serious contender. As for Hotel Strazhite - I would stay here anytime!

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• User:Alison S

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Don’t stay half board!

  09 Jul 2023

  Awful food, dreadful service . Rude, aggressive staff and the food was the worst I’ve experienced. Night staff didn’t make me feel safe or welcome . The location. Is great for skiing but there is much nicer hotels in Bansko. Try St George’s or Sport hotel

• User:alex h

  Trip type:

  march 2023

  24 Mar 2023

  So, after reading reviews before staying here, I decided to keep an open mind. So, to begin, I approached the desk with a smile, aware of the slating staff were receiving, only to be greeted by a woman with her head buried in her phone. After making small talk and asking how she was, how it's been, and so on, she reluctantly answered with a miserable face. She hands me my key and points us in the right direction, ( or so we thought) and we're off.What needs to be mentioned here is that the architect was either high on acid at the time of design or a die-hard "Labyrinth" (David Bowie movie) fan, as there were more ups and downs that ended up on the same level than I have ever seen. I had to return to our ever-happy receptionist, who was still engrossed in her phone screen, after 10 - 15 minutes of walking in circles and hitting my monthly steps target, to ask to be shown to the room only to have her point in the direction I came from and tell me "the second corridor on the left."Eventually after sending out a 3 man skirmish, packed with a nights worth of supplies in case the maze that is the Strazhite took us prisoner, we eventually established that the floors were actually over split levels yet still under the same number and even though Richard O’Brian wasn’t there to greet us with a prize crystal we managed to locate our room………The Room, So we had a family room with a mezzanine floor and two single beds, as well as a sofa bed + chair bed in the living room. The room appeared quite nice at first glance, but that was before we endured our first night of sleep on a steel mattress. These mattresses are superior to anything I've ever seen outside of cell 6 on B wing. In all honesty, I was so delirious after waking up that morning that I took my pot noodle to breakfast in preparation to barter for some cigarettes before realizing I had woken up on holiday after all. Not to be defeated, we decided to switch the kids and take flight on the sofa.Unfortunately, said sofa only brought its own "wave" of problems, and by wave, I mean the sensation of a boat bouncing over a wave each time you breathed in due to the lack of center supports. With the added noise of the springs that creek with each turn, you are suddenly transported back to the wife's early dating days, minus the enjoyment. The Food Let's begin with breakfast.Now, assuming you make it before it gets cold, and assuming you are content with warm bread rather than toast (which I was), you can make breakfast edible. Unfortunately, that's where it ends. The dinner was simply not edible, unless you were used to 21-day matured road kill or fish skins that had defrosted in the garage freezer due to not noticing the freezer had been accidentally unplugged the week before. What I would say is that, despite the bad food, the restaurant staff was always pleasant when we spoke with them.The Bar and Lounge Area Let's start with the bar, which is staffed by people who, by all accounts, went to the same etiquette school as our receptionists. So, despite signs in the lifts indicating that card payments were preferred, our somewhat socially challenged executive drinks pourer would only accept cash! Even after advising that the ever-glowing ray of sunshine at reception had confirmed we could charge to the room, he was adamant that in exchange for a tasty beverage, which should be noted was reasonably priced by ski resort standards, we would have to endure another strategically planned operation to the cash machine before being allowed to drink.Fortunately for both of us, we found some cash, which oddly went straight into the wallet he produced from his back pocket? The departing Unfortunately, it was not much better than the arrival, as our bellboy, who was smoking his cigarette at the front door of the hotel, simply stood and observed my magnificent manly display of strength as I fought with 5 suitcases and 3 snowboard bags through the spring loaded single side door. So, what are the advantages and disadvantages?Advantages Location! This is perfectly located between the old and new towns, making your week much easier. Boot room! Without a doubt, one of the best boot rooms and heaters I've ever seen in a hotel or chalet. The swimming pool! Although I admit that I never went in, the kids enjoyed it. The Community Lounges! There were plenty of areas and sofas for our two families to relax and enjoy our evenings (with our shop drinks). The disadvantages? If you haven't figured it out yet, I recommend you book yourself in for a fortnight! Would I return here? If the choice was between here and HMP Sudbury, I would have to choose the grey tracksuit and PE pumps sadly!

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• User:louisehall2016

  Trip type: Friends getaway

  Great holiday, great facilities at hotel - shocking reception staff

  20 Mar 2023

  After reading the reviews about the hotel we were quite concerned about staying at the hotel, however we were very pleasantly surprised and had a fab holiday.The good points:-Perfect location Rooms were big, airy and warm, gowns and slippers provided Hotel was spotless Lovely comfortable bar/lounge area (drinks prices were cheaper than bars across the road)Spa area was great - excellent facilities and all included Plenty of choices for breakfast and dinner - not particularly hot but on a par with the other hotels we have stayed at in Bulgaria Bar staff, waiting staff and cleaners all very friendly particularly if you took the time to just say hello and thank you Bad points:-The reception staff were incredibly unhelpful and rude and really let the hotel down. We arrived at 2 am with a party of 10 including a baby and were not given any directions to our rooms. We spent 15 minutes trying to find them before returning to reception to ask where they were only to have the blonde receptionist wave her arms in one direction which incidentally turned out to be the wrong way. Not all our party were given a dinner bag and by this time we were too intimidated by the receptionist to do anything about it. There is no easy route to the rooms and impossible to get to the ones allocated without having to take 2 flights of stairs which with a pushchair is not ideal, the lifts do not stop on each floor.Such a shame that a lovely hotel is let down by the first member of staff you meet - clearly it was all a bit too much trouble for her and we were an inconvenience when she was trying to watch tv and play on her phone.

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• User:Chelsea P

  Trip type: Friends getaway

  THE WORST HOSPITALITY EVER EXPERIENCED!

  19 Mar 2023

  THE WORST HOSPITALITY EVER EXPERIENCED!We chose this hotel as a group of 12 friends ready to celebrate a friends 30th birthday & two other birthdays, skiing in Bansko, Bulgaria. Writing this review, it is rather unfortunate, as this hotel [Strazhite Hotel] has so much potential with amazing views, location & amenities. However, upon arrival we (my partner and I) were "greeted" with the worst welcoming we have ever experienced - we have traveled a lot and have never received this sort of treatment.The blonde lady working at the front desk was on the phone for a few minutes and then proceeded to ask for our passports, gave us our key cards and pointed towards the lift, as if to say "go there", then, remembering, passed us what was our "dinner" (having arrived late, around 10:30pm), this consisted of x2 sandwiches, an apple & a water in a plastic bag. After noticing that the sandwiches contained meat (my partner is vegetarian), we politely asked if there was a vegetarian option to which she [the blonde lady] responded "NO!"Throughout our stay, the staff at the breakfast & dinner buffets would remove our plates, mugs & glasses, whilst we were still eating and were then unable to get more coffee at breakfast, once all mugs were used/removed. There are NO DRINKS (not even water) served with dinner, unless you order & pay from a drinks menu, but this option was not made available to us. & you are not allowed to take drinks up from the bar. The staff would also mumble & swear under their breath, whilst around our table, unaware that we understood them. For a 4* hotel, the lack of food variety (4 guests of our party were vegetarian) was not only shockingly limited, but cold & unappetising too.Another night, we asked the bartender if he could dispose of some rubbish we had with us, he told us "no" & said that we would have to deal with it ourselves or use the bin in our room - as insignificant as this sounds, it's just to show that ALL staff were unfriendly, unprofessional & unaccommodating during our stay.My partner went down to reception on our last night to get some more information regarding our coach transfer back to the airport. There was no one behind the desk, so he rang the bell on the front desk, where the same blonde lady marched out and threw the bell under the desk, to prevent guests from using it further. When he asked for the information, she pointed at a board and walked off, swearing under her breath once again.We left early Saturday morning, returned our room key cards & got given the same packed meal, as upon arrival. We took our water & left the rest, as it's just not something you would want to eat at 6am, or something you would expect q 4-star hotel to serve.As previously mentioned, this review is rather unfortunate, as the hotel truly has so much potential. The lounge (cosy fireplace), bar & spa areas were lovely but due to the staff & feeling uncomfortable in the hotel, we spent most of our days & time away from the hotel, which was disappointing considering we spent quite a bit on this holiday and wanted to make it a special and memorable one celebrating x3 birthdays. We had not planned to spend much time at the hotel, but did not expect to attempt to stay away from the hotel or staff due to the discomfort and confrontation that they brought about.After talking to other guests and sharing our experiences with one another, the consensus was that this is just what the staff was like at the hotel, and that our negative and confrontational experiences were not unique.I wouldn't even recommend this hotel to anyone seeking comfort & hospitality.

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