Latest Reviews for St Constantine

We only went to the St Elena as the Koral was fully booked in high season (see our Koral review from June 2006).

This hotel is not a bad hotel we just thought it lacked a little bit of 'warmth' towards guests of all nationalities. Some of the staff were very accommodating and pleasant, the younger ones were uninterested and surly.

This hotel is newish and is well kept in the main public areas.

However, we can only give a review based n the fact that we stayed in one of the family 'apartment' rooms. Whilst this was very big we did not like the dull dark decor and the layout. There was a large twin bedroom and a smaller room which had a tv sink, fridge and cooker in. We only had a fold down settee-bed for the kids in the second room and it took 2 days for them to provide another fold up single bed. You try and get a 14 year old girl to sleep with her brother and see what hassle we had! He slept on the floor on quilts. The room with the bed-settee smelt of fag-smoke and the kids hated being in there. The air-con did not work fully either. Our bedroom was large and roomy. The wardrobe in the hallway was lethal as every time one of us went to shut the sliding doors we caught either nuckles, fingers or back of our hands in it. After we all had hand injuries we gave up and did not use the wardrobe for the entire holiday. There were TV's in each of the two rooms but both had different channels.

The hotel has tennis courts, outdoor and indoor mineral water pools. the kids loved the indoor pool as it was in the basement along with saunas, whirlpools, massage etc. The entire basement fitness suite was the best part of the hotel for us.

Breakfast was HORRIBLE, the worst yet in Bulgaria. Looks like it's set up for Russians, Bulgarians and Germans. Never seen that many hard boiled eggs since our early travels in Greece!!!!
Fried bread which was 2 inches thick and soggy!. The only cereals were Bulgarain bran flakes. Nothing tasted good. The kids would not go into the dining room after we saw a huge bowl of peaches which had long thin mould spores on the 'furry' skin. The mould was about 1cm long. I still shudder at it. We are regular visitors to BG and know the breakfasts were well below par.

The larger outdoor pool started at 1.40m depth so was too deep for the kids as they are small for their age. The smaller outdoor round pool is for kids but is not large enough for a decent swim as it is about 2.5m in diameter. The traditional Bulgarian restaurant by the pool serves terrific food which is very cheap.

The bus stop is right outside the hotel for Varna and Golden Sands. Opposite the hotel on the main road is the Ecoogical Park which is very good and very cheap to visit (2 leva for kids and 3.5 for adults). Lovely place to go for a picnic as it's woodland and massive.

The hotel is ok for the price we paid but we would not wish to go back there.

It was our first visit to Bulgaria and we did not really know what to expect.

We were a large group (2 families) and everybody had a great time. The hotel Koral was really nice. The rooms were big and clean and the maids had a sense of humour (several times they folded the sheets into amusing shapes). The pool was nice and clean, although it would have been nice with an evening swim but it closed at 6 pm.The kids enjoyed playing pool and table tennis in the foyer although it did cost a small amount. The restaurant food was lovely. Breakfast buffet had lots of things to offer, cold and hot, but you might want to bring teabags from England. We were half board and the evening food was really great. Pasta and pizza which appealed to the kids and lots of delicious Bulgarian and international dishes that we liked. We originally thought that we would also eat out some nights, but the food was so good, we ate there every night for the 2 weeks. Usually we went out for drinks some local bars afterwards. All the hotel staff were nice and friendly and spoke resonably good english. From the hotel there was a 5 min walk to the market, which was open until about 11pm. Plenty of shopping for the girls and bars for the boys at 50 pence a pint. Had lunch at Pizza Romana, on the market street, a couple of times. Very good, authentic, freshly cooked pizzas in their turtle shaped pizza oven.

For a different evening we popped into Grand Hotel Varna's Party Beach, just down the road from Koral, and sat on their four poster sunloungers around the pool and had a drink and chilled out to the music. Slightly more expensive, but well worth it. The beach at the end of the market road is ok, but there is a better one if you continue to the left, pass the huge ship restaurant. We tried some watersports, like parascending, bananaboat riding, big Mabel and jet skiing, all at reasonable prices. Took the local bus ( 1 lev, about 35p each way ) to Varna, which was a lovely town. Recommend a visit to the cathedral, archeological museum, (impressive gold jewellery collection) and the roman baths. The dolphinarium was also good.

The first trip we booked through our Balkan Hols rep,it was the Pirate Adventure. Great fun for all ages, but expect to get wet. We realised after that, that most trips can be booked with other companies at cheaper prices. TRAVELplus (the first company on the market street) were good. We did Balchik and Kaliakra and Nessebar-excellent trips with an excellent guide called Giorgie. We also enjoyed the People and Country trip with another company, good fun. Bulgarian people were friendly and welcoming. Some of the bar men were quite amusing.

All in all a great holiday and the weather was very good.

the first thing don't just get into the first taxi they are all metered but have different tariffs we got a taxi showing 3.95 lev this is per km .and cost us 95 lev we was told by the rep this was to expensive.

The hotel was clean but the maids lacked the skills of cleaning near the end of our holiday as the room was not clean for the last two days. And they only give you one toilet roll for three people. The rooms are very basic.
The restaurant is a buffet breakfast and a buffet evening meal and they don't cater for the English they cater for the Germans and Russians my daughter did not like any of the food served but there are loads of places to eat around the hotel. we was also told we had to eat outside as a wedding was taking place in the restaurant but there was no seating left for us to sit so we went an had something to eat at a restaurant near the beach.

The pool bar and the pool was excellent it was very hot so you had to go in the pool to cool down the pool bar you get 1/2 ltr and 1/4 ltr which is like a pint and a half for about a £1 cocktails non alcoholic was about £1.20 alcoholic cocktails was £2.if you want imported drinks these are dearer. I would recommend the cappuccino in the morning and a hot chocolate with rum.

The resort the beaches get packed so go down early or early evening the sea I warm so you can go swimming late evening. And as for a country that is meant to be behind us they have scooters for hire but they electric so no hairdryer noise it was lovely

This was our 3rd visit in a row to Bulgaria but our 1st to St.Konstantin.

We arrived at the hotel at about 4 in the morning so headed straight to bed but were impressed with our room which was both spacious and modern. We didnt manage to make it for breakfast that day but managed to have a good look around the hotel. The complex comprised of a hotel and villa and facilities of both were available to all. In all there were 2 outdoor pools and one indoor. There were bars at both outside pools but snacks and icecream were only available at the larger pool, however the villa pool was quieter and cleaner.

The food was not inedible but was repetitive. Basically what you had for dinner was served the next day for lunch either as a main course in the soup. There was not an awful lot of choice either (my daughter ate mainly bread, potatoes and mixed veg for the fortnight!) However we ate out several times and prices were reasonable but again the food was hit and miss so if you are a foodie this maybe not your cup of tea. The hotel was kept very clean and the cleaners were by far the most friendly of the staff. Some of the bar and restaurant staff were very miserable looking but some warmed up once they knew you. It does help if you try to speak a bit of bulgarian and tips also help.

The town was about a ten minute walk away which led you to a long market stretch selling all sorts of things but do haggle especially for the henna tattooes and hair braiding. Do visit the mineral pool if you can - if is about as hot as a bath and children will probably not like it but it is worth going. It cost 4 leva to enter and extra for sunbeds etc.

We went on a Pirate boat trip which was very enjoyable and good for kids both young and old. Also went to the water park (don't take a taxi the bus is 1 lev for adults each way and comes about every 15 minutes) which was a good day out. It cost us about £22 for the whole day but if you go after 4p.m you get 40% off and it shuts at 7p.m. You cant bring your own food/drink but prices are reasonable. We also got the bus to Golden Sands which was a lot busier and had more facilities on offer but we imagined it might be a bit too much at night. However a lot of the hotels there are about 10 mins up the hill so noise might not be a problem.

In all we had a great holiday. Bulgaria is a lovely destination for both families and couples alike - but please remember that tourism is still a new relatively new thing to them. Give them a chance and you will be relatively suprised. I would recommend St. Konstantin for families/couples looking for relaxation and low key entertainment but if you want more action go to Sunny Beach or Golden Sands. If you do go to St.Konstantin please try and vist Hotel Varna. This is the only 5 star hotel in the resort and although it doesnt look much from the outside it is something to believed and prices are reasonable too.

We hope to return next year but probably to Albena.

I would agree with most of the other comments about this hotel, the location and the local resort. You should take the list of facilities with a pinch of salt - when we visited the 'shuttle' bus only ran once a day; not necessarily at the advertised time. Likewise, the sauna etc. are unlikely to be working. You will need to be assertive in order to get much breakfast and so on. On the positive side, the hotel is small, clean and fairly quiet.

There is masses of construction going on all along the coast, including all around this hotel. It wasn't noisy, but it isn't pretty either. There is already no shortage of accomodation and in a year or two there will be hundreds of hotels and flats of this standard. It is already hard to see why Preslav features in so many holiday company brochures.

Lots of people remark on the unwelcoming metal gate that serves as an entrance to the hotel. This is for security - most new developments are walled and have doormen - there are checkpoints on the entry roads to the main resorts. That said, tourist areas feel safe enough. Varna is a different matter. You are unlikely to meet with violence, but I would advise working on the assumption you are going to get robbed, one way or another...

Bulgaria: think of Greece populated by Russians.

First time in Bulgaria and not knowing what to expect, we were a little apprehensive,to say the least!

Arriving early hours at Varna Airport with a bonus unexpected private transfer things got off to a good start....
Got to hotel,looks good from outside,BUT!,getting to our allocated room we thought we'ed timewarped back to 1976! NOT joking! the rooms are VERY dated to say the least! This obviously was a luxurious hotel for the well-off Bulgarians and Russians in the pre-communist days,but the rooms really need updating and quick if it to keep in touch with all the modern new build properties currently springing up all over the Black Sea resorts.
First morning(staying BandB),went down for breakfast, in a word, bizarre! Brought a tray of sliced tomatoes with olives,then sliced cold polony(meat subsistute) and stong cheese;and the most revolting tasting fried eggs ever tasted,done in olive oil.yuk!
After that decided to eat out for the rest of week as it was so cheap!

This hotel is at the top of a side road(2mins walk) off a very busy dual carriage way(fast road) getting across the road which has an under carriage, wasn't a problem. When across the road it just head thru the green fence/gate and walk down the pedestrian walkway to the resort area.

THE RESORT.
St Kontantin is beautiful and we WILL go again,it is set in a lush forest/wooded area with a winding market area with bars/restaurants scattered along it.
The paths all end up at the beaches, few little secluded bay/beaches and more busier beaches.Beware there are jelly fish!
Plenty of trips to go on,(Romania,Istanbul(2/3 days)) We went on one to Nessebar down the coast,2 hour trip to get there and was not bad,just a tourist trap really,just mega busy and selling same stuff in the shops for more money.

EATING OUT.
In a word very inexpensive and very nice, we did not have a bad meal all week, fish dishes are a speciality!We found a little place that did fresh fish skewers/kebabs for 90p each and they were lushious!
Drinking is very cheap also;all beers and wine and spirits are easily affordable.

NIGHTLIFE.
This is a mainly couples/family resort,only 1 nightclub in the resort,We went to Varna a few nights for drinks,the bus is only 1 Lev(36p) from the above mentioned dual carridgeway and very easy to use,most people speak English in bars/restaurants/buses etc.
Varna is even cheaper,loads of shops,for a mega cheap night go down to the bay(just follow all the locals(20-40 years olds down towards the bay area)The area is FULL of bars and restuarants and even cheaper than the tourist resorts, we could'nt believe how cheap(3 glasses wine,3 beers.£4 maximum)

All in all Bulgaria is great, a little rough around the edges, and quirky.If you go,DON'T expect it to be like Spain,it's not! Just remember this is a fledging holiday destination just gearing up for much bigger numbers in years to come(the thousands of new build hotels in bigger resorts tell you that.)
Just take it for what it is,cheap to live and a stunning green country, full of very friendly people giving us the best welcome we ever recieved on any holiday!

Just returned from Hotel Koral at the VERY beginning of the season(1st week in June 2006). Weather-unpredictable- June and Nov are the months when rainfall is above average. Hotish (23-25) and sunny in the day but poured down each night from 7ish. Showers are heavy and come on VERY fast and if they last a couple of hours it can get a bit chilly.

BALKAN HOLIDAYS: First time with this company but reps. not as bad as I have read here. I do know that the pattern of Balkan of changing fights and times mentioned here on numerous reviews is true. Our flight was changed 3 weeks before going from early morning to 8.30 on a Friday night from Gatwick. We were not happy to have to travel from Essex to Gatwick in the Friday night rush hour.

Reps in resorts do not speak perfect English but tried their hardest. The good thing for us was that they are no where near as pushy to sell trips etc as other reps in the Med. resorts. Service was good and if you wanted them to not bother you it was fine. Our reps could not have been nicer when on the last day of our holiday, Balkan were informed that our Travel Agent - OAKLEY HOLIDAYS - Peterlee, had gone bust and had not paid them the money we had paid to Oakley. ABTA claim forms etc. were filled in and handled within 1 hour and we did not have to worry whether or not we would have to pay for the holiday twice.

HOTEL KORAL: Went 3 star rather than take chance on 2 but apart from TV in rooms not a lot a difference. Room was large and spotless. Bathroom the same. Rooms are cleaned every day to a high standard. Only trouble was maids come round from 7.30 to 8.00am. If you want a lie-in you MUST put do-not-disturb signs out the night before or you will be woken up by the staff. Breakfast is served from 7.30 to 10.00am but if (like us on our first morning) you are 1 minute late (due to early morning arrival- 04.25am) the manageress will refuse you entry if she is around. Pool was kept spotless but tiles around were very slippery if you walked on them with normal shoes on. Don't know if it was slippery with bare feet as was too cold to try but suspect it may be. Food in hotel was excelent at breakfast but not really that good (compared to all of the eateries nearby) in the evening. But a 3 course evening meal was only 10 leva so if you are on a budget it is perfectly acceptable. (NOTE: In June 2006 there are 2.80 leva to the pound so a meal of 10 leva is only £3.50-£4.)

Hotel staff did not seem to speak a lot of English as in the past the resort catered more for Germans and Swedes. English is getting more and more popular and the younger Bulgarians will have a go at it. Hotel is set back from the road within lots of trees. It took a couple of days to realise that all the hotels are 'hidden' in the trees which make you feel very private. We asked for a quiet room at the back of the hotel as the pool is at the front and the reception/lounge has nightly entertainment. The hotel has a bar/club/disco room attached at cellar level, entered by going outside and down some steps. This is where the reps hold their meetings. However, it is so stuffy, with no air circulating and stinks so badly of fags we could not sit in there for a night out. (I am a smoker but this place was rank). Go next door instead to the open air CLUB VEE bar which you can see from the hotel and the pavement outside. It's new this year and built of wood and the 2 guys who run it are brilliant. We were virtually the only customers as they have just opened and they brought in a telly from their home to let us watch the footie (World Cup) every day and gave us free beer on our last day. They also do a mean fresh chicken 'n' chips.

ST KONSTANTINE:
Seemed a little run-down when we first arrived but as the week went on the council were out and about sprucing it up. It is a very pretty place with all of the trees etc. Walking down from the Hotel Koral you pass the Grand Hotel Varna which dominates the main bit of the town. I have never seen such an ugly looking ex-communist lump of concrete.

However, don't be fooled by it's horrible look. Go inside and be amazed at 5 star luxury. The place is like the Tardis, it's bigger inside and full of marble walls. It has 3 swimming pools, one bowling alley and facilities coming out of it's ears. In the gardens you don't get a sun umbrella or a cover made of palm leaves, you get a full wooden four poster bed/settee with white cotton drapes to lounge on. Just go in and see what I mean. Opposite the Grand Varna are restarants, open air bars and market stalls/shops. Turn left and head for the ALDO mini supermarket. This is where the only cashpoint in the area is.

The middle of ST Konstantine is full of wooded walks where you will pass numerous stalls with shoes, fake designer stuff, nicknaks etc. You cannot get lost really as all the roads and paths lead to somewhere you will recognise. From the Grand Varna if you carry on past the left turn for the ALDO supermarket and walk on for about 100 meteres the road takes you down to the coast areas. There is not a single beach but a selection of small coves reached by quite a few steps. This is not a place for anyone who has trouble walking. As you go down this 'beach' road you will come across the mineral spa pools. You will know when you are nearby as they smell like the drains in Greece. They are like large swimming pools and you pay 4 lev to get in (or 10 if you want the luxury loungers etc). The water is stinky but very warm and really relaxing. Give it a go but get showered before you leave the complex or you and your clothes stink.

SURROUNDING AREAS:

Nearby Golden Sands and Sunny Beach are brilliant if you like Blackpool on Black Sea or Palma Nova/Magaluf (but even more developed). If you like constant noise, bustle and the next hotel room looking into yours then these are the places to be. If not avoid like the plague!!!! We, personally were so thankful that we were no where near them on our first trip to Bulgaria.

Varna as a city and a port and is still struggling to come out of the communist era. Lots of horrible concrete blocks of flats with shabby exteriors and rusty facades. We went to the museum in Varna which was very impressive, but the grounds were very shabbby with broken steps, seats, rubbish bins and large areas of paving stones collapsing into the ground (we mean looking like they had been sucked in by an earthquake). If you are near the impressive Catherdral of the Assumption, at the front where the dozens of cabs all park, over the other side of the main road (by the MCDonalds sign) you will find little baker's shacks which sell REAL Bulgarian food for a fraction of the price in a cafe'. These shacks are really clean and the food is delicious and cheap. You can buy what looks like a HUGE triangular pasty, filled with either melted cheese, salad or sweet filling for about 1.5 leva(0.18-20p approx).

We travelled around the countryside quite a bit and preferred it to some of the 'concrete' and run down towns.

Went to Romania on a trip booked through the reps but to be honest it was a really long day (06.30am to 9.30pm) with not a lot of time spent off the bus in Romania. Spent 1 hour in Romanian museum, one hour for lunch and 45 mins in a seaside resort. We went to compare the 2 countries but there's not a lot in it. The crossing at the border can take anywhere from 45 mins to 2 hours EACH WAY and is dreary. Unless you really want the extra stamp in your passport (like us) this trip is very expensive for what you get, and is such a long tiring day.

Spend your cash on the Bulgarian day out seeing the stone forest, have Bulgarian lunch,visit beekeepers, go wine tasting for hours. Much better value AND everyone came back pi**ed.

Loved St Konstantine and will go back. Might try the Grand Varna for the pampering, but if we cannot afford it we will be more than happy to go back to the Hotel Koral.

On arrival at the Preslav you will be greeted with a brick wall and two metal gates for the entrance. The hotel is absolutely rubbish, the food is disgusting and not worth getting up or going for! If you stayed at the Preslav for one week and ate only the food you were provided with you would starve to death! However, eating out is extremely cheap and so this was not a problem.

The pool is tiny and did not look very clean, I didn't see one person swim in it the whole week we were there, and generally it is not a nice place to be around. Every one staying at the Preslav was disappointed and could not wait to get home!

The rooms are clean though and very spacious although they are all set-up differently and we had a really nice bathroom in ours, though our other room had a tiny one! The only time I had a hot bath whilst there was on the day of arrival and one other night, because the water was constantly freezing. We complained to the reception who reasured us it would be hot again soon but it never did. The Preslav is in the middle of no-where and at the bottom of the road is the dual-carriage way. You will need to get the very un-reliable bus if you wish to go into Golden Sands or St Konstantine, but taxis are fast to arrive and extremely cheap so we regularly used them to go in and out of Golden Sands every day. (You have to in order to find places to eat and things to do)

Golden Sands is amazing though and better than any place we have been before, so cheap and although not many English it is great. The beaches are lovely and the nightlife is excellent if u like clubbing! Anyway, STAY AWAY FROM THE PRESLAV!!!!!! It is a dive and not a nice place to spend a holiday, the view from your balcony is guaranteed to be a dreary dirty pool and some building work if ur lucky!! At least thats a bit of action. I am not exagerrating either, this is the worst hotel ive seen, it should not even be called a hotel, it is like a hostel for the homeless!

Bulgaria is highly recommended though, its a great place to go for families, couples, the elderly, kids, anyone! We will be back there this year, going to try Sunny Beach instead though.

This was our first visit to Bulgaria enjoyed holiday but would not return.
The hotel was excellent my daughter celebrated her 13th birthday whilst on holiday. Hotel staff left a bottle of wine and flowers in the room for her.

Booked a local trip with private company we were the only brits on trip,all GERMANS so driver only spoke in german.So check before booking.

Be very careful pickpocketing is very high,hassled you in shops and markets to buy,only change money at bank or hotel as money could be fake.

Cheap to eat out and taxis are the best way to get around.

Dolphinarium is worth a visit so is the town of nessebar.Whilst you are there coffee and cake is a must slices are huge and so cheap.

Hi folks well bulgaria sounded a bit scary at first booked holiday on internet didnt no anyone who had been b4 but thought oh well sod it!!!
well wat a pleasant surprise we stayed in a resort called SAINT CONSTANTINE about 12km from sunny beach the hotel was 4star only built last year spotless throughout staff friendly only niggles were language barrier but soon got past that,hotel food was not bad considering there were mainly germans in the hotel but those we spoke 2 were very nice!.

resort itself bout 5min walk from the beach these not quite med standard but sea very nice and clean.
small hippy market near hotels open all day good 4 bargain hunters, the whole resort also surrounded by woodland very pretty and unusual not wot we xpected.
one word of advice watch the taxi drivers if u get in cab make sure they use the meter otherwise if u ask 4 a fixed fare they will always treble it!!
good points were weather, cheep beer 50p pint cheep fags 50p 4 20 good food friendly people who look genuinly pleased 2 c u
woood we go bak yes hope 2 c u there next year forget spain this place is fab wish we had found it years ago we paid 2,300 for 4 people half board 4star and lovd it
hope this reveiw ok thanx and enjoy ...