Отель для отдыха с маленькими детьми Hotel for families with small children

From 12.08. 2011 to 26.08. 2011 we went on vacation to Bulgaria to the resort of Albena, four of us - me, my daughter (1.5 years old), mother and niece (10 years old). I would like to share my impressions, experience and thank the Avocado travel agency (Yekaterinburg) and the NEVA travel agency (Yekaterinburg), who organized our vacation. The country and the resort were not chosen by chance. When in May the question arose of where to go on vacation with a small child, the choice was between Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece. Turkey disappeared almost immediately, because in August it is still hot there - it’s hard for a small child... Greece scared me with an unstable political situation. And in Bulgaria it seems calm, mild climate, food close to ours - in general, Bulgaria was chosen. Regarding the resort, too, there were no particular doubts, since Albena is the only resort truly suitable for children - a sandy beach, a gentle entrance to the sea (20 meters of water from the shore knee-deep), no stones, the water is warm, clear; The resort has many water slides and attractions. Everything that was read on the Internet about the resort was confirmed. Umbrellas and sun loungers are free this year (although it is difficult to find free umbrellas at 10 am - only at the end of the beach - all umbrellas are occupied by the sea at 6 am, who is not too lazy to get up, and who plans to spend the whole day on the beach). We spent 2-2.5 hours a day on the beach, so we easily managed with sun loungers (they were always free at 9-10 in the morning). As the NEVA guide told us, Albena is the only resort that has been preserved in its original form - unlike Sunny Beach and Golden Sands, there have not been more hotels, and the resort is simply planted with greenery. The air is really just saturated with the freshness of flowers and trees. We rested at the Vita Park 3 * hotel. The hotel was also not chosen by chance. I read the reviews of tourists about the hotels of Albena, and the most positive reviews were about the Ralitsa 3* hotel, which is part of the Ralitsa hotel group (Ralitsa 3*, Ralitsa 4* Superior and Vita Park 3*). The main criteria for choosing a hotel were: 1. Impeccable cuisine, the presence of a children's menu. 2. The presence of children's chairs, preferably cots, preferably playgrounds, slides, etc. 3. Clean sandy beach. 4. Not far from the airport (within 30-40 km) 5. Lack of construction sites near the hotel. 6. View of the rooms on the park - or where it is guaranteed to be quiet and calm from 11 pm to the morning (lack of loud music at night and drunken subjects). Ralitsa fit all the criteria, but there were no empty seats. We were offered the Vita Park 3 * hotel. Knowing that it is part of the Ralitsa hotel group, I naturally agreed, and we were confirmed the availability. We did not regret the choice of the hotel at all - about it later. Flight. They flew great. The flight was at 7.20 am. The child had to be woken up early, but there was no particular inconvenience associated with this. Baggage was checked in quickly, customs clearance went through quickly - everything is calm, without delay, which cannot be said about Bulgaria - there is complete crap with this! Upon arrival at the customs, they stood in line for 40 minutes, if not more (two control posts) - and this is all stuffy with a small child - there are no elementary benches. Back - the same story - even worse - there are small children howling at the end (personally, mine did not give anyone peace - she was ready to climb the wall from her whims) - one control post and a huge queue. And there's not a single empty seat in the waiting room. . Compared to the Bulgarian airport, our airport is a fairy tale! For the plane, I specially collected soft puzzles, children's books so that the child would not get bored on the plane - all this was very useful. But the food in the jar was not useful, because there is no microwave on the plane, and the plane food is not so bad, as it turned out, they were content with it. The baby slept in my arms for 1.5 hours. Therefore, the flight went, in principle, imperceptibly both there and back. They thought for a long time whether to take a stroller with them - nevertheless they took it and did not regret it for a minute. For long distances without it, nowhere, you don’t have to think about whether you will get a stroller at the hotel (if not your own, but for rent from the hotel) - at any time at hand, the flight without problems - they took you to the plane, they loaded it into the luggage compartment for free at the plane, received together with luggage in absolutely normal, undamaged condition (there and back are the same). We flew with Ural Airlines (special thanks to them - the flight attendants are super - on the way back they even offered me and my baby a special chair that reclines to make it more comfortable to sleep - they put the bags there so that no one would take it; and little passengers were given coloring books with wax crayons and puzzles so that it was not boring in flight : ) Transfer. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable minibus in 30 minutes. Our hotel is the first at the entrance to the resort, which is also a huge plus (although for excursions - a minus - we were always picked up last on excursions, seats were taken at the end of the bus right under the air conditioner, but if you ask the guide to book seats on the bus at the beginning or middle in advance, then it's not a problem). Currency exchange. The national currency is the lev. 1 lev = 20.53 rubles. Currency exchange throughout the resort at one rate - 1.85 leva for 1 euro. In Varna they give more - 1.93-1.95. At the airport, the exchange rate is unfavorable (buying euros - I don’t remember the exchange rate, and selling levs - 1 euro for 2.10 levs, in Albena for 2 levs). Basically, we changed at the hotel at 1.85. In Varna they tried to change it once, but without success. It was Sunday, banks are not open on Sundays. Changed at the exchange office - on the street the rate is 1.95, at the point - 1.59. You ask in the window at what rate the purchase of 200 euros will be. Answer 1.85 (as in our hotel). I had to exchange at the same rate. Although the taxi driver who drove us back to Albena said that we had been deceived - we had to contact him, he would have helped us with the choice of an exchange office - they would have changed for 1.95. In general, if the situation is the same, contact either the taxi driver with whom you arrived, or the guide, or be picky with exchange offices (he said that it is better to change on the main streets), or change on weekdays at banks when banks are open . Accommodation. We arrived at the hotel at 9.30. Our guide "NEVA" asked at the reception if the rooms were ready for us (we booked two rooms - 1 double and 1 single for me and the child). The boys at the reception gave, it seemed to us, a positive answer, and the guide happily said: “Your numbers are ready. Have a nice holiday. I went. " We, too, overjoyed by a pleasant surprise, said "Thank you" and said goodbye to the guide. thirty? " They answer us: “Why at 13.30? ” and after the call, apparently, the maid is answered: “In 10 minutes” (??? ) In general, I don’t know why this whole performance was needed, but they really settled us in 10 minutes, moreover, better than we expected - two double rooms with a connecting door (beauty! ), overlooking the street, not the pool, where it is noisy all the time. Everything you need in the room - two beds, two bedside tables, a table, a chair, an armchair, a TV with 2 Russian channels (ORT and Russia), a wardrobe and a cabinet for shoes. There is a table and two chairs on the balcony. Shower in bathroom. There is a mosquito net at the balcony door, so you can not take mosquito repellent. They immediately brought a baby cot to the room (free of charge). The rooms are not luxury, of course, but quite clean and tidy. It’s good that the floor is tiled, not carpeted, because we haven’t learned how to go to the potty yet, and I would like to take a break from diapers on vacation. All the initial unpleasant emotions from communicating with the reception immediately disappeared. This was, perhaps, the only negative moment of the holiday (with the exception of the lack of an iron - more on that later). By the way, the representative of "NEVA" Darina ("on duty" in Albena) did not take long to wait - she appeared literally 1.5-2 hours after it all started, apologized for the inconvenience, spent a lot of time on us, telling in detail about the resort, about the hotel, about excursions and about other little things that interested us. In general, a huge THANK YOU to her! Meals at the hotel. They tried to refuse us lunch, since lunch was ordered for us on the last day of our stay, but I said that we were leaving at 9.20 in the morning and we didn’t need lunch at all on the last day - we need lunch now, and the issue was settled. We agreed again through Darina. They immediately put on bracelets and showed where the restaurant is located. There is only one kitchen for 3 hotels of the Ralitsa group, the halls of the restaurants are different. For the first week I went to the restaurant with my children's dishes (a plate, a mug, 2 spoons), being afraid of any infections, until I finally realized that it was completely unnecessary, and the dishes in the restaurant are really clean - there is nothing to fear. The food there was really at a high level - delicious, varied, children's cuisine, high chairs (always free), pleasant music, delicious wine - SUPER!! ! I was afraid that the child would have stomach problems due to changes in nutrition, but the fears were in vain. Her appetite was better than the three of us put together, there was always a children's kitchen. For breakfast, porridge / scrambled eggs, a sandwich with soft cheese (overeating! - I tried to find something similar in Albena supermarkets - it turns out to be a rarity, so if you want to buy home, look in advance - they say it happens); for lunch - soup (with finely chopped vegetables, so a blender is useless), vegetable casserole / stuffed zucchini / steamed meatballs, fruit; for dinner - Bulgarian sour milk (our curdled milk) with berries from compote, depending on the appetite, something vegetable. From drinks they drank, mainly compote. For adults, there is also a very large selection: salads, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, etc. I read in some reviews about the lack of free tables and lines for meat. There was no free table 1 time in 14 days, and then we had to wait not long. There really are lines for meat - there used to be 10 people, for pancakes the same way, but we somehow managed without all this - there is a lot of food without this. And if you come immediately to the opening of the restaurant, then no queues. Beach and sea. The beach is 20-25 minutes from the hotel. With a child - far away, so we went by bus. The bus to the beach and back runs every 20 minutes. Travel time is 3-5 minutes. From the bus to the beach - 2 minutes. Trains also run around the resort, but they are paid - 3 levs for an adult, 2 levs for a child, babies are free. They also run every 20 minutes. I already wrote about the beach - impeccable. By the way, you can ride a boat - 30 minutes 5 leva per person (100 rubles), small children - for free. Great walk with music. As beach accessories, we bought a lot of all sorts of things, of which only a sand set for the little one and armlets for the niece were useful. A tent from the sun, an inflatable circle, an inflatable mattress - all this lay in the room as unnecessary. And in Albena they bought a boat for a child with two cut holes for legs in the bottom, and she swam in the sea with pleasure with us - it turned out to be an irreplaceable thing. The prices there for such goods are the same as ours - there is everything from swimming goggles to mattresses and sun umbrellas, and they inflate, by the way, right there. But the hats are expensive - a simple panama hat cost me 10 leva (300 rubles), so it's better to take care of it at home. Large beach towels from 8 to 10 leva. Attractions. Attractions are indeed located throughout Albena. The cost is from 1 lev to 10 lev. Free only playgrounds with swings and slides, which are even on the beach. The average price of attractions is 3-5 leva. The assortment is small (there are more attractions in Eburg and better in quality). We were not advised to go to the local circus (a visitor, very meager compared to the Russian one). For attractions it is better to go to Varna - Seaside Park. The driver of a taxi or minibus so directly and say - you need to go where the rides are, because the park is long - a dolphinarium, an aquarium and attractions in different parts of the park. There are a lot of attractions - both for adults (there are even roller coasters) and for children. The cost for all rides is 2 leva. If you buy a card of 30 points for 15 leva, the cost of the attractions is 2 points (i. e. 1 lev - 20 rubles). It is better to go there for the whole day - from morning to evening. There are cafes right in the park. Lunch for 4 cost us about 40 leva (shopska salad, beer/cocktail, pizza). Animation. I won’t say anything about the daytime animation by the pool - we were sleeping at that time, and the hotel’s evening animation was excellent. I'm talking about children's animation in the hotel's amphitheater, as they entertained children, not themselves. From 20.30 to 21.00 every day children's disco, from 21.00 to 21.30 shows for children. Children (and not only children - adults on the ground danced and sang along) were completely delighted. Guys-animators - Well done with a capital letter! Excursions and transport. Since I have a small child, only my mother and niece went on excursions. On excursions with "NEVA" we went to Nessebar (2.5 hours by bus from Albena), Veliko Tarnovo (4 hours from Albena) and Sofia (7 hours from Albena - only mother went - it's hard for a child). They say that you can take excursions in Varna - perhaps it will cost less. You can go by yourself (buses go from Varna), the hotel can be booked via the Internet. We didn't experiment. I liked the excursions very much - the most beautiful ancient cities (especially Plovdiv, Pleven - on the way to Sofia), an interesting laser show in Veliko Tarnovo, which is worth seeing, Shipka Mountain, from where a beautiful view opens, good guides. Collectors of knives and daggers can complete their collection at the ethnographic open-air museum in Gabrovo (on the way to Veliko Tarnovo) - they are made there and delivered throughout Bulgaria. They also produce silver jewelry. In Sofia, the Rila Monastery - my mother said that for this alone it is worth enduring 7 hours of the road. We went there overnight. We spent the night in a great hotel. They fed both lunch and dinner. But you can go to Varna and Balchik yourself. Minibuses run from the Albena bus station (autogara in Bulgarian). 10 minutes walk from the hotel. Ticket price to Balchik - 2 levs, to Varna - 5 levs. You can take the stroller with you - the driver will put it in the luggage compartment. To Balchik - 10 minutes, to Varna - 30 minutes. You can use the services of taxi drivers (they cluster at the Albena bus station, at the Varna Cathedral or at the Balchik botanical garden). The road will cost to Balchik - from 20 to 25 levs round trip, to Varna - from 40 to 50 levs round trip. Taxi drivers at the hotel charge more - up to 70 levs. Waiting is negotiated separately. Be sure to bargain, pretending that you know everything, and say the end point of the route, otherwise it will take you to the Albena bus station and ask for 5 levs from the top to the hotel, although it is 2 minutes away. In Balchik, it is worth seeing the batanic garden (you need to ask to stop at the botanical garden) and the palace of Mary (which is located there). In Varna, we were in the Seaside Park (the attractions are excellent; there is nothing special to watch in the aquarium, we didn’t have time to see the show at the Dolphinarium - there at a certain time, so it’s better to know the schedule in advance - they say it’s good). If you decide to buy a tablecloth as a gift for someone (they are sold by grandmothers in the Seaside Park), it is better to buy in the Albena supermarket - it is better and cheaper there. Take a trip to the Stone Forest (by taxi from Varna Cathedral 20 km, from 40 to 60 leva round-trip - bargain! - we went for 50 - they threw it for an extra wait and for delivery to the attractions). Waiting there will be at least 1 hour (we thought it would be less). We read a lot about the fact that photographic equipment breaks down there. Actually, I’m a skeptic and don’t really believe in such things, but right in the energy center of the Stone Forest my camera shutter broke, and at the end of my vacation it refused to work at all - photos are viewed on it, but the photography and video shooting mode does not work. Of course, I find other explanations for this - most likely the sand got in (it is very dry, hot there, there is sand, stones and the wind is blowing). Perhaps if the camera was in a case, everything would be fine. But doubts remained. . .  The pirate walk didn't make much of an impression on me personally, but the kids seemed to be satisfied. The guide from the Safari (jeep trips) said that this excursion should be taken in Varna. It’s more interesting there - the “battle” between pirates of different ships. We took from "NEVA" and "the battle" was on the ship - we were divided into two teams and we poured water over each other from buckets (not particularly interesting). Safari (jeep ride) is also so-so. Instead of giraffes, horses, instead of lions, a cat and a dog fed mushrooms (for the first time I saw a cat and a dog eating mushrooms - they were starving, apparently). The excursion program includes driving on broken roads in a gas truck, a trip to a local apiary, where they will tell you how honey is produced (by the way, honey is very tasty, natural and inexpensive compared to ours - you can buy it), a trip to a private "factory" for the production of barrels for storing wine (you can also buy homemade Rakia there) and a picnic (wine, mineral water, soda for children and fried mushrooms). Fans of "broken roads" might like it. Riding over bumps and dusty clothes do not impress me very much. Communication and Internet. Free Wi-Fi is available in the hotel lobby. But it works disgustingly (or I was just unlucky) - it constantly crashed and tried to restore the connection again for 30-40 minutes. Wi-Fi does not work in the rooms - checked. I used Skype and ICQ to communicate with family and friends - the most inexpensive and most convenient way to communicate. The laptop can be deposited in the safe. The safe is not in the room, but at the reception, it costs 40 leva (800 rubles) for 2 weeks. When there were problems with Wi-Fi, I called from the post office. The post office is 5 minutes from the hotel. A call to a landline number costs 0.20 leva (4 rubles) / minute, to cell phones, in my opinion, 1 lev. But the connection, as I was later told, was not very good - they heard me badly. To communicate with each other, cards are sold at the post office, but we did not need it. ADVIСE. 1. Perhaps it’s better to take a small travel iron with you, since I froze the iron at the reception for the whole day (I got everyone there) - they have 2 irons for the whole hotel, there is no system of use, as such, there is no need to leave any deposits, use it as much as you want, so the irons roam around the numbers of friends, acquaintances of those who originally took it - in general, there are no ends to be found. The hotel manager had to donate her iron to us so that I could finally fall behind. 2. Take diapers with a margin - it took us 4 pieces a day at least (at home we manage a maximum of 3). 3. There is no hair dryer - take your own. 4. Do not forget to notify the reception about your departure in advance if you are leaving early in the morning, so that they can prepare a dry ration for you, as the hotel guide will not warn you, and you may be left without breakfast at all. When leaving for excursions early in the morning, it is also better to warn just in case. 5. When leaving Bulgaria, do not forget to put all sharp objects in your luggage - my folding knife was confiscated at customs - all bags go through a personal inspection (carefully checked by hand). You can’t take liquids with you on the plane - only baby water, but they will ask you to drink from a bottle with them.