+ Review by Joe Strong
23.08.2008 12:44

Date of stay: Aug 2008
Type of traveller: alone on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 3 out of 5
Value for money: | 3 out of 5
Location: | 4 out of 5
Staff/service: | 3 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 4 out of 5

The Sheraton shares a complex with the Presidential Palace, and it is the hotel used by foreign dignitaries. It is grand and opulent, and it's worth walking into the lobby and imagining which communist leaders have been there.
The airport pick-up was great, and we found ourselves in a beautiful car.
Other service was, however, sullen to say the least and downright rude at times. It seems more like they are doing you a favour by letting you stay.

+ Review by Sergei Honkiev
25.06.2008 01:32

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Jun 2008
Type of traveller: alone on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

Due to my Platinum Starwood Card I always get an upgrade to a very nice and newly renovated Junior Suite. The service is great, the lounge well equipped. I can say that the Sheraton is really the No. 1 in Sofia.

+ Review by Phyllis Morgan
21.04.2008 06:25

Date of stay: Apr 2008
Type of traveller: a couple on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 3 out of 5
Value for money: | 3 out of 5
Location: | 3 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

Spent three nights at this hotel in mid-April and my overall feeling was that it was OK, but I was left a little disappointed as I expected more given it is a Sheraton Luxury Collection hotel. Check in was OK, although there was no upgrade even though my partner is a Sheraton hotels gold card holder and front desk service was a bit snappy.
The room was OK, for a top quality hotel I expected more as it was not as big as I was expecting and was a bit tired looking. The communal areas of the hotel were very nice and the marble stairs were great. Service standards are variable at this hotel which may be normal in Bulgaria as it develops this side of things.
Drinks were expensive as was food and I suspect the hotel is geared more to the business traveller who can whack things on expenses. The location is great as you are right in the centre although finding a decent restaurant was a struggle.

+ Review by Maxim Hedo
09.10.2007 12:55

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Oct 2008
Type of traveller: business traveller

Hotel rating: | 4 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 4 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

The Sheraton Sophia is located in the central part of town, approximately 20 to 30 minutes from the airport. It is reportedly the hotel where heads of state frequently stay. The office of the President of Bulgaria is an adjacent building. Between the hotel and the President's office is the remains of the Church of St George--built upon Roman ruins, and a pagan facility dating back to the 3rd or 4th century.
It is an old world style hotel with crystal chandeliers, high ceilings, marble staircases and "old-fashioned" rooms. The front desk and bell staff are very helpful and attentive. Check-in was quick and easy.
The rooms were clean and well appointed. Our room was decorated in an off-red color with wood furniture and comfortable beds. The bathrooms were meticuously clean and all appliances and water fixtures worked as they should. Internet access worked well. Prices were high.
Restaurant food quality was good but the prices were very high compared to similar menus available outside the hotel. The nightclub played a good variety of music and the crowd was a good mix of local people and visitors.

+ Review by Philip Sue
08.06.2007 09:00

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Jun 2007
Type of traveller: alone on a holiday

Hotel rating: | 5 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

I spent a weekend of downtime on a European business trip in this hotel. I was in sofia just for sightseeing. The Hilton is too far from the old cultural centre. The other hotels mentioned above are both nondescript cookie-cutter facilities, whereas the Sheraton is a converted old building with some character. The lobby is all marble and pillars, the guest floors have big wide corridors and the rooms are very comfortable and very good value for money. The staff were helpful and friendly.
On balance, in my opinion, this hotel is the best bet for looking around Sofia on foot, with a marginally better location and more atmosphere. I would definitely stay here again and recommend it to friends.

+ Review by Tomas Hull
29.07.2005 12:31

I would recommend to a friend

Date of stay: Jul 2005
Type of traveller: business traveller

Hotel rating: | 3 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 5 out of 5
Staff/service: | 5 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 5 out of 5

I found this hotel to be excellent. The service staff were some of the most courteous I've encountered anywhere in my many travels. The business center and the gym are not open in the late evenings, but they have always happily opened it up for me, even remembering my name from when I checked in. The rooms were average-sized, the bathrooms were excellent with the beautiful tiled floor and walls, the restaurant was 1st rate, although much overpriced for Sofia's standard of living. The location is superb - a short walk from most historical sites, restaurants, and shopping. Additionally, the free city guides in the room, complete with maps and restaurant recommendations were very helpful.

+ Review by Leikamaster
08.12.2003 11:55

Hotel rating: | 4 out of 5
Value for money: | 5 out of 5
Location: | 4 out of 5
Staff/service: | 4 out of 5
Rooms/accommodation: | 3 out of 5

A great hotel in a city that can be difficult manage. They have kept the old world feel to the building while working in new world ammenities. The beds are quite comfortable, the staff is friendly, and the location is perfect. Be warned that the casino is not a place to get rowdy, it is run by the overt Ukranian mafia. Also, the nightclub is not a disco, rather it is a strip club. While poverty runs high in Sofia, there are plenty of plainclothes security near the entrance that I never felt as if criminals could enter. There are no irons in the room and pressing a shirt ran around $4 a piece.

+ Review by Cliff
10.07.2002 06:35

No other hotel in Sofia can beat the Sheraton for location. It is right in the city centre, a few minutes' walk from government offices, shops and a decent Irish pub. In the old days, before it was taken over by Sheraton, it was known as the Balkan Hotel and faced an imposing statue of Lenin. A banner strung along the roof proclaimed 'Forward to Communism'. Nowadays, the square in front is ringed with nightclubs and fastfood restaurants, and usually jammed with imported Mercs and Beamers

+ Review by jwagner
23.08.2000 05:45

The Sheraton is nice by any standards and is a welcome respite when you tire of the challenges of visiting Bulgaria. The whole hotel was carefully remodeled in the early 1990s and the staff is very helpful. You'll find a lobby bar where the beer is actually cold and a decent resataurant. Busy downtown Sofia is right outside your door and lots of restaurants abound. Close to museums, the interest mega-department store that used to be state run (and still feels like a museum) and other attractions. Splurge for a night or two. You'll save enough on other accomodations to stay within your budget.