Melia Grand Hermitage Resort
Hotel review Melia Grand Hermitage Resort
Age: 51-55
Travel time: in August 11
I travelled as: Family
Children: 1
Duration: 1 week
Type of trip: Beach Holiday
Recommendation: Yes
Average rating of this review: 5.5
A great hotel that is going to become outstanding
Enlarge letters A A Downsize letters A AThis is a big hotel but it is surely one of the best / finest in Bulgaria. It was certainly a great start to our first visit to this country. There was no accommodation as good as this in the entire resort and beyond. The Hotel didn't feel big, or crowded, more especially as we booked into 'The Level' programme which is so much more personable and tailored to the individual. (This service is not always bookable from UK Travel Agents so our advice is to talk to the Hotel.) Indeed this Hotel's staff couldn't do enough for us, and their friendliness is one of our fondest memories of this first trip. The location of the Hotel is ideal - just placed a sufficient distance from the centre of Golden Sands to not be dominated by the 18 - 30s culture which seems to predominate the resort, so the Melia provided us with a safe, entertaining and appropriate family feel. Yes, there are quite a few guests who have not yet learned to smile - but that may well be a cultural norm, or a macho thing, in some parts of Eastern Europe? Others have commentated in their reviews at having to get used to this phenomena, but again we found that the staff were amongst the friendliest we have encountered in any Hotel chain throughout the Western European resorts. They smiled back and we all got along just fine! It's a clean hotel, it has a great range of services and entertainment, and it is on the up and 'wants to improve'. Most importantly of all it is a listening hotel.
Location
The Melia is very near to the wonderful beaches at Golden Sands - and offers its own beach umbrellas and loungers - provided at no extra charge through 'The Level' programme. Again highly recommended. Varna Airport is 40 minutes to an hour away - but if you hire a car please be aware that the Airport is not well signposted when you are trying to locate it to go home! Shopping is at the bottom of the steps of the Hotel - but you do not feel in the Resort until you choose to access it. Great authentic Bulgarian restaurant just opposite too where they do 'Fire Dancing' and play folk music most nights. We travelled independently and did our own thing but there were lots of planned excursions had you wished to access them. Again friendly, knowledgeable, caring staff was the abiding memory for us of this particular hotel.
English was well spoken by all the staff - and they smiled as they spoke to you! The Management were brilliant. They listened to our needs and met them 150%. 'Golden Sands' has an influx of 18 to 30 holiday makers, attracting the low budget end of the market, so it was not the ideal destination for a couple with a young 8 year old daughter, seeking a quiet family break. That meant that the 'Hotel' experience, for us, had to make up for the resort experience, as we spent far more of our time 'inside the hotel' than exploring the nightlife and Casinos, in Golden Sands! That's why we were pleased that the staff made the holiday a positive experience. The animation team in particular offered a very varied programme - entirely suitable for children. Primarily, through The Level programme, we also gained the freedom to come and go to meals etc. as and when we pleased and we always had loungers by the pool, no matter what time we chose to arrive for a swim.
Gastronomy
The eating experience has to be the Melia's next focus, in order to become 'Outstanding' and truly 5 Star by any standards. We did have one amazing meal - a fabulously cooked steak - in the exterior, balcony restaurant one evening - but the consistency was not quite there when we returned! A different chef? So they can do quality gastronomy but they need to learn to do it every time. Much of the food provided was designed to be mass produced, so that guests could access it 'buffet style' over the full duration of the meal times. However, a guest collecting ones meal from an array of dishes is not the same as being a 'diner', (a gastronomer) being served at one's own table, with a customised menu. This is what real 5 Star Hotels provide, and that is where the Melia needs to focus its attention next.
Sport & Entertainment
Superb. A massive pool and a wide range of different daily acitivities were available.
Room
Excellent and roomy. Spacious, clean and well maintained. Great friendly cleaners.
Additional info concerning your hotel review Melia Grand Hermitage Resort
| What type of room did you review? | Double room |
| Did the hotel meet the standards of its official catalogue description? | Yes |
| Does the hotel deserve its official star rating? | Yes |
| How would you describe the value for money? | Excellent |
| Which tour operator did you travel with? | No details |
