Hotel Breza

Features

The warm and welcoming Hotel Breza offers guests a cosy and intimate atmosphere. Occupying a superb central location, with all resort facilities close by, the hotel is only 150 metres from the main gondola and ski school meeting point. Other resort amenities including restaurants, bars and nightlife are all within easy walking distance. The bar is a popular place with guests to meet up for a pre-dinner drink, or you can relax in the sauna or steam room after a full day of skiing.

Bedrooms: 30. Comfortably furnished twin rooms all have shower, satellite TV, minibar and telephone.

Meals: Hot and cold buffet breakfasts and buffet style dinners with choice.

Facilities: Pleasant contemporary bar and lounge area; restaurant; sauna and steam room.

Special Attractions: • Welcome drink • Christmas and New Year’s Eve gala dinners included

Official Rating: 3 stars

Borovets Resort Info

Eastern Europe's biggest ski resort (58km), Borovets suffers from many of the usual complaints about this finance-friendly region. Most commonly associated with budget-conscious skiers and beginners, Borovets has an excellent ski school, a fine snow record, cheap prices (especially for beer and spirits), lovely scenery - and it's only 90 minutes from Sofia. On the downside, there are unattractive buildings, skiing for better intermediates and advanced skiers is no more than average, the lifts and piste are kept poorly and there is the constant threat of theft, boring food and bad queues.

But, many people regularly return. Why? Most veterans talk of the great teaching they have received and the low prices, as well as the varied nightlife available. You'll have to forfeit western creature comforts, but it can be well worth it. It's skiing in a very different culture and is, joy of joys, half the price of the Alps. If the skiing doesn't interest you, there are always site-seeing trips to Sofia and other historic sites to keep you busy, although the archaic transport systems can make this rather time-consuming.

Overall, Borovets is a place to go to learn if you have a tighter budget. You also need to have a sense of humour and adventure, as it is very much the poor relation to Western European skiing. It isn't going to replace Val d'Isère as your venue of choice, but it does successfully cater to a completely different clientele.