We went at the end of July we thought the accomadation was excellent, very clean, good pools and facilities, staff very freindly the only downside at the hotel was that the food was very basic other than that we had a great time and we have booked the same hotel at the same time next year. We would recommend it for couples and families.

I took a group of 18 adults to Golden Sands last May, and stayed at Hotel Shipka. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience at Shipka - the food was very good - a bit on the cold side for the UK palate, but there was plenty of it, good variety, and pleasantly presented. Staff were brilliant, hotel rooms excellent, scrupulously clean, generous lobby.

The prostitutes who worked outside Shipka and along the street were plentiful, and not appreciated.

Resort was excellent for elderly people - flat, convenient and plenty of seats.

I am bringing another group to Shipka on 28th May for two weeks, and we are looking forward to it immensely.

I spent this week at this hotel & found the whole week to be completely satisfactory. I came with a friend & will be returning next year with my children.

Visited Setember 2003 for 2 weeks. Hotel was great. Clean, good food excellant swimming pools and very friendly staff. It could get a bit noisy at night if on the front but a great location for what ever you want be it restraunts, clubs or quiet bars. We were unlucky with the weather so the indoor pool was a major bonus.

The entrance to the hotel is attractive, clean and welcoming. The rooms are basic but comfortable. The restaurant - well, that's where the real trouble starts! The staff are very unfriendly and rarely smile. Their customer service skills are almost non-existent. The boy at the door who takes your room number was the only person to smile, talk to us or be polite. The head waiter and waitress regularly shouted at other members of staff and ticked them off in front of guests. The young girls were poorly trained, lazy and not up to the job in a hotel that claims to be 4 star. They dropped plates, mugs and cutlery on the floor every single mealtime. They regularly snatched dishes before you had finished eating. Sometimes they left the dishes from the entire meal on the table till you left the restaurant. The food was awful. It was stodgy, lukewarm and obviously prepared for German palates, not British. I had serious food poisoning twice and my wife had it once. On the second occasion I didn't eat for three days. After that we decided to eat out and only took coffee and rolls for breakfast. The resort is very poorly run. Everywhere you went there were young girls offering tickets for free drinks at bars and discos. Walking 100 yards from the hotel you would be stopped at least 15 times and asked to go to the Muppet Club or Papaya (a sleazy sex joint for women) which really embarrassed us, considering we were obviously a married couple! The street outside the Shipka is riddled with prostitutes plying their trade and selling their wares which were as tacky as the rest of the merchandise on offer in Golden Sands! Safety on the beach was terrible. Jet skis and paragliders mingled amongst children and adult swimmers, endangering their lives. No Health and Safety legislation here, which does not augur well if Bulgaria is serious about joining the EU in 2007. The prices for watersports were excessive in relation to the cost of other things in Bulgaria and on a par with decent resorts in Spain or the Canary Islands. The whole resort had an air of desperation about it as the locals constantly pestered you to part with your hard earned currency. They were rude, aggressive and just absolutely nasty when you ignored them or refused to enter their establishments. Bulgaria has a lot to learn if it wants to attract British visitors. If things do change then I may consider a return trip around 2099!