"We had a fantastic week in Borovets staying here. Our room was big and comfortable, the hotel was quiet but we appreciated that after a day skiing and plenty of breakfast choices every morning. Lovely bar area with nice cocktails, we had dinner in the restaurant which was authentic Bulgarian food and the Spa was great."

"Hotel was OK - average but OK for Bulgaria and at the price charged. The room was large and OK. It was warm and clean. The restaurant & bar was actually quite good - breakfast was average by UK standards but it was OK."

"I recently stayed at the Samokov Hotel for a ski trip with my teenage daughter, booked as part of a package through Crystal Ski (TUI). The whole experience with Crystal Ski was mostly fantastic — everything was well-organised, and the support they provided throughout the trip was excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate to book with them again. The hotel itself is a budget option in Bulgaria, and while the décor is tired and a little dated, it’s functional and clean — exactly what you'd expect for the price. Our room was comfortable, with adjustable heating via the radiator, which worked well throughout the day and night. The beds were surprisingly comfy. One downside was the noise — the walls are quite thin, so we could hear people coming back late from après-ski while we were already asleep. That’s to be expected in a ski resort where nightlife is a big part of the experience for many, though it was more noticeable for me than my daughter. The sound of flushing toilets from neighbouring rooms was also quite loud, which could be a bit disruptive at night. The bathroom is a plastic wet room — I noticed some reviews complaining about missing bath sealant, but it’s simply not designed that way. The wet room style might be different from what some people are used to, but it was practical and worked perfectly fine. Breakfast was basic but adequate — enough variety to set us up for a day on the slopes. It’s not a luxury spread, but we never left hungry. The location is a real highlight — right by the gondola, making it incredibly easy to get to the slopes. I’d definitely recommend taking the gondola up the mountain, even if you’re not skiing, just to experience the stunning views — it’s absolutely worth it. A word of advice for first-time skiers — while dry ski slope lessons back home can give you a feel for the basics, I’d suggest keeping them to just a taster session. Even if you’ve done some dry slope practice, I’d still recommend joining the beginners’ group at ski school when you arrive. Learning on real snow is completely different, and the instructors go through all the basics again anyway. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have done more than a brief dry slope session — the real learning happens on the mountain from day one of ski school. A major downside to be aware of is the sickness bug (diarrhoea and vomiting) that seems to be a constant issue in Borovets, season after season. It’s not limited to a particular hotel, or caused by water, ice, or food — it most likely spreads through the crowded, poorly ventilated bars and the generally low hygiene standards in some places. The John Smith’s pub and White House had the worst bar toilets we saw, which likely doesn’t help the situation. From what we experienced and heard from others, at least half the travellers seemed to get the bug during their stay, often losing a day or more of their holiday to illness. What’s concerning is that there appeared to be no infection control in the hotel. I saw a cleaner in"

"The hotel is very nice. It is very well renovated and refreshed. The room we were accommodated in was very clean, large, tidy and warm. The beds and pillows were comfortable. The staff were very friendly and the view from the bar is amazing. In general, the hotel is very well heated, which is very important for a mountain hotel. The breakfast was very tasty. The price-quality ratio is excellent and we will gladly come back again."

"Good breakfast"

"Great experience and clean hotel"

"I can recommend this place."

"Due to unexpected engagements at work, one week in advance we tried to change dates and someone who rather sounded like mobster told us in very disrespectful way over the phone that we will probably loose our reservation fee. So, we changed business plans instead and finally came to Moura hotel. The experience in summary: rude staff, poor hygiene, terrible dinner. Stay away from this hotel if you are looking for lodging in Borovets."

"This was our third time in Borovets and I couldn’t recommend the Lion hotel enough- despite being a 4*, it was better than the 5* hotels we’ve stayed in. Our room was modern, spacious and comfortable, the meals fantastic and the spa was the best I’ve EVER been to. My son had an absolute blast too. Whilst it’s not in town, you don’t feel far away and can walk in. The minibus shuttle was regular during the day and very easy. A real gem and great value for money!"