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You can discover the charm of Borovets in hotel Ela, located in the very center of the resort. The distinguishing pyramidal building is easy to remember on the outside and magically calming on the inside. Hotel Ela is located near the very station of the lift to Yastrebets and the peak of Musala and is 300 m away from the ski drag lifts. Throughout all seasons, in hotel Ela you can enjoy complete rest, hold trainings or team buildings, lounge around breathing the crystal-clear air of the centuries-old forest or head for the third highest peak in Europe - Musala /2925 m/. All hotel guests use free parking, fitness and Wi-Fi in the entire hotel. The hotel has a restaurant, lobby-bar with fireplace, billiard club, table tennis, electronic darts, fitness, saunas, steam bath, relax area, internet club, kids's corner, ski wardrobe, bike wardrobe, football playground with small gates, parking, security and elevator. Pets are allowed inside. For organized events, hotel Ela offers three conference halls, each of them having respectively 100, 40 and 20 seats convenient for work, a sound system and a flipchart. Hotel Ela has been an arena of memorable events such asfestivals, graduation balls, weddings, baptism parties and company parties. The restaurant can accommodate 130 seated guests. Borovets and hotel Ela host sport and recreation camps due to the high sea level, the proximity of Musala, Arena hall in Samokov, the slopes for skiing or ski-running, the bike-park and the mineral springs in Belchin Banya and Sapareva Banya. The four-storey hotel offers 52 double rooms, 20 single rooms and 4 family rooms, each of which has a bath, hairdryer, cable TV, telephone, mini-bar, soundproof frames card electrical installation, and option for an extra bed or a child's bed. The rooms on the first floor have balconies whereas the western hotel side offers a panorama of the centuries-old pine forest.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Centrally Located
Classic
Languages Spoken
Bulgarian
Location
Borovets 2010 Bulgaria
Ela Hotel
4 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
We had never been to Borovets before and only booked a few days prior via Booking.com. We had a 5 star experience from the minute we arrived the reception team were fantastic and so helpful, arranging tax transfers and late check outs without any trouble at all. All staff were so friendly and welcoming, the restaurant staff and chefs were wonderful and provided a great service throughout our stay. The hotel has just been refurbished to a very high standard, I've never stayed in such a lovely hotel. The bedrooms were beautiful, comfortable beds and furnishings, hot showers, TV and fast WiFi. A daily towel change and beds made was a nice treat. The whole hotel is gorgeous, the restaurant is spacious and classy. The breakfast buffet had massive selection of pastries and breafs, fruit platters, cheese and meats, cereals, yoghurts, coffee and juice machines as well as a huge hot buffet. We had paid for half board and every evening a huge buffet welcomed us all Everythibg was so fresh and tasty and home cooked. Local soups, a big said bar, cheeses and tapas, bread baskets, huge choice of desserts and then again a big hot buffet with ever changing choices of pastas, rice , pork, chicken, beef, fish, there was no chance of being bored and it never ran out. Service was fantastic too. We also used the spa every day, each changing room had its own sauna and steam room, there was a lovely pool and soaking tub. All gorgeous plus a massage therapist if needed. The hotel was only a 2 minute walk to the gondola and about 10 minute walk to the Rila chairlifts and ski area. We used the ski shop beneath the hotel to rent gear and got a 20% discount which was brilliant. I would definitely return to the ELA, we loved our stay.
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Date of stay: March 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â You get 20% off ski rental gear if you use the ski shop under the hotel.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
It was my first time visiting Bulgaria and I booked the hotel as a skiing package. The hotel is lovely and clean, the rooms are cleaned daily and have a tv and en-suite. The staff are professional and welcoming and adhere to Covid-19 regulations. The breakfast was lovely, offering traditional Bulgarian items as well as your traditional cereals, etc. If coming for skiing there is a dedicated room for ski, poles and boot storage which is easily accessible so you can head straight out to the ski lifts. The hotel itself is literally 100metres from the Gondola and not much further to the 4-man chair lift. Not only this but it is next to the main food / shopping area so getting food / drink is no issue at all. You can literally walk out the hotel and have a large variety of restraints / bars to choose from. Some of which I would book as they can get busy. Overall I must say my week stay in Hotel Ela has been a pleasure, and I can be sure when I come back to ski I shall be booking here again.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
For what we paid for 4 nights I expected very little however we were pleasantly surprised with what we received and exceeded our expectations.
Warm welcome at 2am in the morning
Clean, comfortable room with empty fridge and a fresh much needed picnic left in room for our late arrival
Fresh towels replaced every other day, with hairdryer, soap, shampoo and shower cap in room
Comfortable bed with selection of big lumpy pillows and smaller flat pillows
TV with English channels
3 plug extension lead in room (very rare find always pack own)
Plenty of hot water from a great powerful shower
Breakfast and evening meal more than adequate and bar food
Friendly cleaning and reception staff
Prime position next to gondola
3/4 minute walk to the slope in front or Rila
Pool table in reception area
Great WiFi
No safe in room
Although we had half board we did eat out some nights and would recommend, Red Lion, The Happy Duck and Mamacitas, the Terrace at the Rila
Handy ski hire shop under hotel with great equipment and heated lockers
Would definitely return and stay at the Hotel Ela again.
Happy to answer any questions
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel E, General Manager at Ela Hotel
Responded Mar 17, 2020
Thank you from the heart !!! We wish you health and waiting for you next season!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I stayed here for 3 nights on a cultural snowboarding & culinary trip with some friends. The check in desk staff were very friendly, I was able to arrange my airport transfer with these guys for a bargain 64 Lev return, they even sent a guy with a sign with my name written on it to collect me at Sofia airport as promised, as a failsafe they also asked for my mobile number in case I did not see their driver, thankfully it did not come to that. My room was not ready on arrival, but I did arrive earlier than the rest of my party, so I could forgive this unfortunateness, to pass the time as I waited 20 minutes for the maids to prepare my room, I logged on to the WiFi, which many people will be glad to hear is free, and does not ask for a password, to some (not to me) I know this is important when choosing a hotel. As I waited for the others to arrive I decided to hit the gym & sauna, this ended up being a waste of time as the calibre was much below the standard I am used to and neither treadmill seemed to work, I did manage some bench presses & bicep curls though. The sauna I didn't even bother with in the end as I felt I hadn't earned it. I had a shower and this did prove to be one of the highlights of the stay, the water pressure was to perfection, in such a cold climate this was such a relief after coming back from the slopes each afternoon, I'd come back to Ela hotel again just for this. Dinner was good, a selection of various meats & pasta dishes, soups, salads, no issues encountered at all, the same could be said for breakfast the one day I didn't miss it / felt up to eating it. For a western European pallet you will have few hesitations tucking into the cereal, sausages (a bit German style), bacon, beans & egg, with tea, coffee & juices also available. It is located quite centrally in Borovets, very handy if you wish to explore the local delights this resort has to offer, with many establishments serving exquisite food & alcohol into the early hours of the morning. Don't forget to leave your key at reception, there is only one per room and it hasn't updated to modern electronic keyboard entry yet, this did not impact the stay too negatively but is something I think they should prioritize when considering enhancements. We were able to arrange snowboard hire, lessons & ski doo with the reps in the hotel also. All in all I'd highly recommend, a definite 7 from me.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel E, Manager at Ela Hotel
Responded Jan 25, 2020
Thank you very much for your assessment, it makes us work even better. In the summer we are planning a renovation and we will be glad to visit you again and fully respond to your requests! The team of hotel "ELA"
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Let’s get a few things straight this hotel isn’t the best hotel in the world. The food isn’t the best in the world. The rooms aren’t the best in the world. However, what this hotel offers is good value for money at a stones throw from the main gondola.
A few points to note, if you are renting skis and boots then you have to pay 18 Levs to store them at the hotel for the week. If you bring your own it’s free. But again, think about what you have paid for the hotel, ski pass and rental for the week and then another £9 (about current conversion rate) isn’t that much.
The rooms are fine, they are clean, the beds are as comfy as you are going to get at this price.
The food was, in my opinion good value. Breakfast was a standard European breakfast with a hot offer as well as continental choices. Dinner was good, food was hot and there was a variety of meat and vegetarian options each night.
The staff to us were very helpful. Any requests were dealt with swiftly. At one stage our son had a nosebleed in the room. Between going down for breakfast and coming back to the room about 45 mins later all the sheets had been changed.
I would most certainly recommend staying at this hotel if you can ensure you are not paying over the top. As a budget family ski holiday this hotel ticked all of our boxes.
I personally wouldn’t return to the resort because after a week skiing I had covered all of the runs and there wasn’t enough of a challenge.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Arrived At Hotel Ela quite late due to a delay at Gatwick. Was given sandwiches, a chocolate bar & an orange, which was most appreciated. We Loved our stay here, & with only minor gripes. My wife & I are not big people, 5ft 8 & 5ft 5 respectively, but the bed seemed small, But cosy. The location to the main gondola was brilliant & this is so important as this serves 80% of the runs. The ski hire shop is located here as well, so very handy when finished. The food was more than adequate, the shower always had hot water. One small gripe, you pay for the ski storage, but I think this is in liu of the normal daily tax levied per person. No boot warmers, but shelving with a radiator behind, No problems, however the ski storage racks although have individual room numbers, are not really suitable for two sets of ski's as you will discover when storing. All in all very enjoyable & would use this hotel again with no hesitation. My comments are there to help & not hinder!
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Date of stay: December 2019
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â This hotel was very quiet & I don't think it would have mattered where your room was!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great location for the Gondola. Staff here are friendly apart from one person with long dark hair and a fringe. My husband wrecked ligaments on 1st afternoon. When we hobbled back to the hotel we were 3 minutes late from happy hour as buy one get one free. She wouldn’t give us the offer even after pleading. Our group of 8 drank at BJs up the street from then on for the whole week. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Room bit dated but of a good size. Our bathroom was very small and dated. We had 3 in our room and another member of our group got one of the basement room and had lovely walk in shower. Though the pressure of water in shower was amazing in all rooms. Food was a fair standard. We were there over half term so stuff ran out quickly as so busy. Food was usually hot and we asked for chips one night and it was no problem. All other staff were pleasant This hotel is being refurbished later in year. I would have given 4 stars only for lack of compassion in the bar on the 1st night. I would prob come back here again after the refurbishment
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â Try and get a basement room
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Hotel E, Manager at Ela Hotel
Responded Feb 23, 2020
The happy hour is set software, the times are clearly mentioned. It has no personal relation to you.
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This hotel is very close to the gondola so easily walkable even in ski boots. The food in the restaurant is buffet style and is very good. Drinks are quite cheap in both the bar and restaurant. The rooms are nice although the one I stayed in was a bit on the small side and there's no chair to sit on as there's probably not enough room for one. The only rooms that have balconies are on the first floor despite the appearance of every room having a balcony from the outside. However, the price I paid I didn't expect much so I was impressed with the hotel overall.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip:Â Only the first floor has balconies.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed here for a week in March 2020. The room was a little small but big enough, always clean, a little dated but this didn't bother us as the room was comfortable. There is a ski depot in the basement to store the equipment which was free and the hotel is very close to the gondola. Location was very good and it was fantastic value. Only thing that let it down slightly was the food, there was some variety and it was ok overall but cannot complain for the price. No safe in the rooms.
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Date of stay: March 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Garden view
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
During the check-in I was asked what I wanted for breakfast the next morning (different options) and the preferred time. Breakfast being served iat the front door of the room and not in a breakfast/dinner room, due to COVID. There were almost no guests in the hotel and in the village itself (same reason). The room was good, typically a standard room for a hotel: 2 (good) beds next to each other, decent toilet/shower unit and TV. Service was friendly, location perfect, what do you want more? Recommended, for sure.
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Date of stay: December 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Definitely basement rooms are bigger and have large walk in shower. Though then not so good a view but still looking out into greenery. We were on 1st floor and shower was very small but room was ok size but smaller than basement room that we saw
There are more places to choose from in the Borovets area.
PRICE RANGE
$119 - $138 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
BulgariaSofia RegionBorovets
NUMBER OF ROOMS
76
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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