Frommer's Review
This relative newcomer to Sofia's five-star hotels is my top choice, with the best location, neighboring the pretty National Theatre and overlooking the City Park -- not only a green lung but the perfect place to watch the full gamut of Bulgarians at play from a number of open-air cafes. It's also extremely luxurious, inspired by the cliché of the grand English gentleman's club, with dark wood-paneled walls throughout, some 400 works of original Bulgarian art, plenty of reproduction leather furniture, and incredibly generous bedrooms (over 50 sq. m/538 sq. ft.). There are three types of rooms all featuring, like the Sheraton, a general sense of opulence; book the entry-level Superior from the third floor up with garden view, or a room on the eighth and ninth floor for great city and Vitosha mountain views. Superior rooms offer good value, particularly over the weekends (165€/$210 double); deluxe and executive rooms are so big one struggles to understand why they bother with suites. The Grand Hotel doesn't exude the sense of gracious history of the Sheraton, but then it doesn't come with the price tag either.
Note that if the Grand is full, a good alternative, opposite leafy Doctor's Gardens, is Crystal Palace; room nos. 503 and 504 are a good deal -- the only standard-category rooms with a balcony (and views of the gardens) thrown into the 180€ ($229) price tag (tel. 02/948 9489; www.crystalpalace-sofia.com).
Facilities:
3 restaurants; cafe; 3 bars; 24-hr. room service; executive lounge; business center; conference center; health center; salon; concierge; indoor parking; laundry; dry cleaning
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
