Hotel Rila
Features
- Terrace/Balcony
- Half board
The Rila offers an extensive range of facilities and a superb location close to the resort's main amenities including an indoor pool complex. All bedrooms and studios have been refurbished to an excellent standard. The Rila is virtually at the foot of the nursery slopes and directly opposite the four-person chairlift.
We also have larger Studios in the Rila
Location · skiing virtually back to the doorstep · good central location
Features · indoor pool and whirlpool · extra charge for sauna, steam room and fitness room · shops, hairdresser and nightclub · lounge and 2 bar areas · crèche · lift to all floors · 531 bedrooms
Meals · hot and cold buffet breakfast · 3 course buffet style evening meals with choice of all courses and daily salad buffet · Christmas and New Year's Eve gala dinner included
Rooms for 2 people on half board sharing a twin room with private bath, WC and balcony. All bedrooms have satellite TV.
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.
More Borovets resort information