lti Dolce Vita Sunshine Resort

It’s our last day here at the Dolce Vita Hotel in Golden Sands and I have to say I am very impressed. We paid for a last minute package deal for just over £300pp for a week all inclusive here. For the price we’ve paid it’s been faultless. On arrival we walked into a high ceiling entrance with a lot of glass architecture, a double staircase and a genuine feel of elegance in the lobby area and bar. We were given a welcome drink consisting of non alcoholic mixed juices which is always a nice touch and offered concierge service which we politely declined. On finding our room the key cards were to be scanned and not inserted into those old fashioned door locks that take 3 attempts minimum to work which is always a nice modern touch. Walked into a lovely clean and spotless looking room with a 70s but modern feel to it. Huge walk in shower and bathroom with light up mirror on the entirety of one wall. Bedrooms are more than big enough and the balcony has a lovely Parisian style table and 2 chairs on it. Our light switches broke whilst we were in the room staying here and they were changed without us even having to ask by cleaning the same day before we had chance to report it! Pool is lovely and inviting looking with it having a darker blue look and a luxurious feel to it’s design. Beds by the pool are rattan effect giving them again that added luxurious feel compared to white plastic (this also applies to the chairs and table on the room balconies not being as such). Towels can be changed twice a day which to me is more than enough and we happily only changed them once each day. Food is average but again, for the price we paid the food has been absolutely fine. Breakfast you can have full English (eggs, fatty bacon but only because it’s never back bacon abroad, sausages and baked beans) or continental (croissants, pain au chocolat, waffles, Nutella and jams, hams, cheeses, breads, fruit). Lunch by the pool is usually pizza, chips, fish nuggets or cheese nuggets, hot dogs, burgers and fruit. Ice cream is whippy style and again for all inclusive it’s top notch quality to me. Of an evening, if you like meat then this place is for you as I am a meat eater but be warned, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, little is on offer other than salad and one meat free dish of an evening most evenings. However, we befriended a couple whilst here and the lady was a coeliac. She said the chefs couldn’t do enough for her to cater for her dietary requirements; this is always a special touch and very considerate! Drinks are local spirits and beer. Beer and lager is good but you are in Bulgaria so I’d be worried if it wasn’t! The spirits are weak and the juices weak but again, to be expected when using local brands in an all inclusive hotel. You can purchase branded alcohol if you wish. A very nice touch is the fact that champagne is included in the all inclusive price and it’s above average, very unusual! Twice a week there’s also the opportunity to go once to the specialty Bulgarian and Asian restaurant. You need to book a slot for both with the concierge in the lobby by the bar saloon. Entertainment staff are amazing, can’t do enough for you and are always trying to get you involved. Evening entertainment is no West End but that’s obviously going to be the case and my partner and I were both always laughing along with the performances and they were often better than average. Hotel has a shuttle bus that runs hourly to the beach but again, it’s a 10 minute walk and that’s if you walk extremely slow; it’s not far at all and a 90% shaded route to the beach strip which always makes it easier to walk! The strip has loads of life on it, bars, clubs, clothes stalls, mini markets, food stalls, McDonald’s, Subway and gift/beach stalls. The hotel has a designated section on the beach for the hotel customers to use free of charge and there’s always beds for you spare no matter the time of day. Overall I would recommend this hotel to anyone looking to visit Bulgaria; I really can’t fault the hotel spec, staff, entertainment or quality of the furnishings. Food is average as previously stated but more than edible and to me, a small price to pay for the spec of everything else in this hotel.

Myself and my friend have just returned from here from an R&R holiday. We arrived to the hotels customer relations manager who greeted us with a cool glass of refreshing lemon water, and we had a smooth and quick check in and the bell boy took our bags and transferred them to the room whilst we tottled off for some lunch. The rooms are fantastic, spacious, clean, comfortable and the maids are equally fantastic, friendly and quick to turn your room around daily. I think you can probably fit about 4 people in the shower! And it’s a proper power shower! You get a fridge and water and tea and coffee, I can confirm you get your first set of tea and coffee free in the room then you have to pay.... The food was plentiful and WAS hot, we never struggled to find something delicious to eat, I think we had just one day where we weren’t overly fussed with the selection but we still ate very well. There’s options for vegetarians, there’s salads, pizzas, soups and the deserts and ice cream were equally excellent, fresh fruit is plentiful. So it is true you can only get hot drinks in the restaurant at breakfast however the bars do serve hot drinks all through the day so you can get one if you want! The Asian Restaurant is opened as a continental breakfast and snack bar throughout the day. We ate at the Bulgarian Restaurant and weren’t disappointed, we were greeted by the Restaurant Manager with bread and salt dip plus a shot of traditional Bulgarian spirit and then seen to our table and offered the food selections, the restaurant itself is recreated into a traditional Bulgarian home! The pools had plenty of sun loungers, and you had partial privacy with the gardens incorporated - a nice touch! The life guards are on duty daily from 9-6 but you can only get towels between certain times! I think it was 9-12 and then 2-4, something to be aware of! George, Denny and the team of entertainers are so full of positive vibes and really try and get you involved in the activities, they work incredibly hard to keep everyone entertained and put on shows 6 nights a week as well! Everyone I have read reviews on here say the same thing and it is true - they make your holiday, always smiling, always helping, if you get the chance ask Denny to show you some magic - you won’t be disappointed!! Now the slightly negative part, yes there are groups of young adults at this hotel, they are loud and they did cause us considerable disruption to the point I complained, I will say as soon as I did complain the hotel management went out and spoke with all parties and continued to patrol regularly, dissipating the disruption when it happened again. Sadly this happens, this hotel can not discriminate and pick and choose who stays here, it is a hotel and therefore a business! I would say this - I returned to my room after I complained to a bowel of fruit and a personal letter of apology from the management, they asked me to call which I did and they apologised again, I had a small issue with a towel rail that had broken and I was also asked if this had been fixed. I think it’s unfair that reviewers are blaming the hotel for the groups behaviour, they are asked to be respectful of other guests on check in and if they choose not to do this I can’t blame the hotel, for us they were immediately helpful but you do need to be aware that there are large groups of young people that do drink all day and play music however I am advised this is only at the start of the season which is end of May beginning of June. This is a family hotel with the facilities and the entertainment. Finally I can confirm there IS Bulgarian champagne on the all inclusive menu, and you can fill your boots, no restrictions!! The resort itself (outside of the hotel) is quite seedy at night, it is to be tackled with caution, sadly we didn’t feel comfortable or, at times, safe. It is a party resort therefore you do encounter drugs and drunken party goers along with a lot of vomit 🤢 We highly recommend this hotel and its staff, the grounds are beautifully tended and the staff actually care about the hotel and it’s amenities! A holiday is what you make it and this place helps you along nicely, would have no problem returning!