Rila Hotel Borovets

Staff mostly rude food abserlutly rubbish

Everything was great, as usual. SPA, personnel, rooms, room temperature, ski wardrobe. Nice lobby bar with a fireplace

Excellent hotel with everything and more that you need. Staff and management very helpful and always have a sile on their face. Definitely recommend

Rila hotel

We travelled here as a family and stayed in two rooms. We arrived slightly ahead of check-in time and was kindly advised by the reception that our rooms were ready, they had conveniently given us two rooms next to each other which was great.

We had paid for a slope facing view. These definitely have better views than the ones on the other side overlooking the car park. However, we were lucky as we came out at the back end of ski season and several reviews mention how noisy these rooms are due to their proximity to the outside hotel bar just below the balcony - and we were indeed just one floor above where the DJ set is placed on this outside terrace bar.

I have summarised the mostly good and some areas of improvement below:

- the hotel has great facilities - gym, spa, pool, hairdressers, arcade, nightclub, bar, restaurants, kids club.

- The hotel is clean and relatively modern throughout.

- The hotel room had acoustics, we never heard our family next door.

- The hotel lobby has a lovely open fireplace and bar with live music occasionally which creates a lively atmosphere. The drinks we had here including the smoothies were great, as were the pastries/cakes/icecreams available.

- The kid’s club was great value. (Operates from 8.30-16.30 for €50 a day).

- The spa was vast - Turkish baths, saunas, steam rooms, heated lounging beds. Dressing gowns and slippers in the hotel room were greatly received.

- The location of the hotel is perfect for the slopes and surrounding bars and restaurants.
- On the day of our son’s birthday the placed a little cake and Teddy in the room for him which was really lovely.

- The kid’s ski club (boro kids) was great for our son, he really loved it. Although only one supervising member of staff spoke English. I often saw the children coming in and out of the hotel to the Boro Kids park and was quite anxious seeing the small children walking several metres behind staff on a vehicular road each day. Thankfully I wasn’t skiing so was able to cast an eye over my child during these periods.

Areas for improvement:

- the food in the buffet restaurant was awful. The worst hotel buffet I have ever experienced and that includes very budget hotels. Considering the vibe of the rest of the hotel it was shocking how bad the food was. The lasagne was made with a Spam type beef meat not mince. The breakfast crepes were stiff, the chips tasted like they had been reheated, the salad tasted stale. None of the food tasted or felt freshly cooked but as though it had been reheated from the morning. I struggled to find anything nice to eat every evening but as I had paid for the half board I forced myself to eat something.

- As many other reviewers have mentioned the hotel room was warm every night and we had to resort to leaving our balcony door ajar at night as there were no windows.

- The Health and safety of the kid’s entertainment room was worrying - there was no proper account of which kids entered the play area other than a scribbled register on the desk near the entrance which parents would note the child’s name. The 3 “entertainers” that were in the room were extremely poor. One employee had his feet up on a chair whilst he scrolled on his phone. Another just nonchalantly sat in the corner of the room next to the main entertainer who sat on his laptop like a wannabe DJ playing Ibiza House music to a room full of toddlers and young children and then would occasionally get up and do some weird dancing right in the faces of the children much to their bemusement. No activities were set-up for the children to partake in and the entertainers didn’t interact with the children at all. I heard from other parents that their young children were not supervised by the staff and they found them wandering around the hotel by themselves. Parents leave their children in this room at their own risk as the supervising staff don’t prioritise child safety!

- The pool lifeguard was often sat with his feet up on a chair not paying attention to the pool, sometimes there wasn’t even a lifeguard. The hotel did not enforce the pool rule of under 12’s not allowed to use the jacuzzi so in peak times there would be about 10 children jumping and splashing around in the jacuzzi like it was bath time.

- the hotel room shower flooded our bathroom everyday as the shower screen is not long enough to avert the shower spray so we had to use most of our allocated bathroom towels each day just to mopping up the drenched floor.

Always wanted to stay here and booked a slope view room. The hotel is in a great location but it was very noisy on a night, up until 11pm with noise from bars, loud music and I think noise from the hotel. This was probably accentuated for us as the room was so hot we had to open the balcony door to try and cool down as there is no air conditioning.

2 bottles of water in arrival, not replenished daily.

Shower a bit grubby and mini bat fridge was like an oven, in fairness they replaced this immediately.

Staff at reception were not very welcoming upon arrival but after that future encounters with staff were pleasant.

We were bed and breakfast, choices at the buffet were vast and good quality.

It’s a nice hotel, spa and sauna etc was nice at the end of the day, but not sure I’d go back, purely for the noise and hot rooms.

The "Rila" Hotel offers impeccable service and wonderful facilities for children to play and have fun. The rooms are elegantly furnished. They have everything you could need. The food is varied, delicious, and beautifully presented. The live music at the "Champions" bar is an experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this hotel for a ski vacation, with or without children.

Had a wonderful stay at Rila Borovets and were genuinely impressed with the overall experience.
From the start, the pre-stay communication was extremely helpful, and the front desk team were excellent throughout the visit. A special mention must go to Ekaterina Dimitrova, who was a big reason we connected with the hotel in the first place. She is a fantastic ambassador for the property — welcoming, professional and clearly passionate about the hotel.
The spa was a real highlight. The pool area is beautiful and relaxing, and the spa treatments were exceptional — a perfect way to unwind after a day on the slopes.
Our room had a great view looking out over the ski slopes, which made mornings and evenings particularly special. The food was also very good, especially considering the price point — a solid standard with plenty of choice.
Above all, what stood out was the value for money. Compared with many other ski destinations, the cost of the trip was almost incomparable, while still delivering a really enjoyable and comfortable ski holiday.
We would happily return and would definitely recommend the hotel to anyone looking for a great ski experience with excellent value and a lovely spa.

Location: perfect
Rooms: well equipped
Value: good value
Cleanliness: clean and well kept
Noise: if your room is facing the bars could be a bit noisy at night but nothing irritating
Service: friendly & helpful

We stayed here as a family of 3 (child age 6) for our first ski holiday.
I think the hotel is the best in Borovets, we got everything we needed from it. Good breakfast - lots of choice! Nice clean hotel; lots for kids- especially kids club and the kindergarten ski school.
We had a Mountain View room- which was beautiful but it is very noisy at night (not the hotel’s fault but FYI for kids who struggle to sleep!)
We used Boro sport for ski school and kindergarten, all was great. It’s a little confusing what tickets tickets you need for what so allow extra time on the first morning.

Didn’t eat at the hotel aside from breakfast but was good, lots of choice. Attentive staff.

Pool was a little cold. Kids pool was good.

I would recommend for trying a ski trip!

Superb location for skiing although village is a bit shabby… ignore that and stay in the hotel… there's enough to keep you entertained.
Hotel has a relaxed vibe and is kid friendly. The whole place was clean and well maintained. I found the food really good - buffet style breakfast and dinner. Choice was great for the price and quality was good - some will no doubt be critical but I reckon some people has unreal expectations of what is an affordable family hotel.
Our room was on the 8th floor facing the slopes - epic view and well appointed. Beds were comfy and corridors quiet at night. Being central to the village means that there was some outside noise from the bars but it was nice to see a bit of life going on.
I will be coming back.
Highly recommend as a short 4 night ski break - easy transfer from Sofia.

The hotel has a great location and nice rooms in terms of size and comfort, but that’s its main and only advantage…. The most disappointing thing is the FOOD! Very, very low quality, very scarce variety and very bad presented buffet. Not only it is worse than 3 star hotel, but it is completely unacceptable for the price and even worse- it has been improved and been paid attention to in the last 6-7 years since our last visit. The extra charge restaurant has a very limited and particular menu as well. The spa is also awful - cold pool that stinks of chemicals and children pool too crowded and risky to enter. The hotel itself feel like a busy terminal on a huge airport and there i nowhere to sit at the bar. Everyone can enter and exit and has been in this regard. It is a shame and you should really work on those two aspects!

We recently stayed at Hotel Rila for a few days on a couples ski trip and had a really great experience overall.

The location is ideal – right in the heart of Borovets, just steps from the lifts – which made getting out on the mountain each morning incredibly easy. One of the best features for us was how well everything is joined up. The ski equipment rental process was easy and efficient, all connected within the hotel, so there was no need to trek around in ski boots carrying gear.

Our room was warm, and very comfortable, with plenty of space to properly relax after a full day on the slopes. All nice and clean.

The food in the restaurant was another highlight. There was a great variety at breakfast with plenty of hearty options after skiing all day. Everything felt fresh and well-prepared, and the atmosphere was relaxed but lively.

We’d also recommend making time for the spa facilities – we used the pool and hitting, perfect for soothing tired legs.

Overall, it was a fantastic base for a ski getaway and we wouldn’t hesitate to return. Would highly recommend for couples looking for a convenient and comfortable stay in Borovets!

Our second year at this hotel, have been skiing for 40 years & can honestly says the Rila ticks every box. The location is unbeatable as can ski to the front door. Rooms are more than comfortable & every facility you could think of is available. Special thanks to Shishman for being an absolute gentleman & organising a later checkout for us, he went the extra mile. We will definitely be back with a much bigger group next year. Ps we did half board & the food was great 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Amazing hotel, we loved every minute

We went twice and the food was quality was mixed. The service was poor both times. First time we had to ask for our order to be taken and the waitress came and food arrived quickly. Second time we went we had to ask twice and waited 30 minutes before our order was taken and nearly an hour after we sat down until fod was served.
The quality food was average overall. Hot chocolate was nice. Burger was OK. Fries and cheesy chips were weird. They tatsed sweet, almost as if they had sugar on them.
Chicken soup was very nice and hearty. A clear broth with veg, noodles and chicken.
Bean soup was really hearty. It was a traditional recipient with spearmint (I think) which took some getting used to but wasn't overpowering.
The local bread (purlenka) was a bit like a flat bread, pretty tasty.
Pepporoni pizza was really good.
Pancakes were approved of by my daughter.
Prices were reasonable for a mountain restaurant.

An exceptional view of the ski slopes from the room, helpful and professional staff, rich breakfast and dinner selection including hight quality healthy options!
The terrace bar provides a wonderful atmosphere with very pleasant music and a truly breathtaking panoramic view!
The location is ideal for skiing, close to the ski lifts and tows. I’d highly recommend it for a birthday celebration and a memorable family vacation!

It's really great hotel. The rooms are spacious, comfortable, cleaned on daily basis, and modern furnished. It's generally quite in the rooms, but if you are having a room with a slope view, it might be a little noisy, but nothing to worry about. It's because of all the people on the slopes and ski lifts.
The service in the lobby bar, the terrace bar and the restaurant is excellent. The staff was friendly and always ready to help, especially Grigori. Also, there was great choice of food for breakfast and dinner. It was fresh, delicious and very tasty. Diary and non-diary products, vegan, fish and also every kind of meat.
The hotel has one of the best spa spots. Big and clean pool, two jacuzzi, kids pool, saunas (Turkish, steam, aroma...), relax zone, massage, etc.
And what is really important is that there's amusement for kids and they are having great fun.
The hotel is on a premium location in Borovets. It's right in front of the ski slopes and ski lifts, which is of great importance for skiers :) What it really matters for them also, is the ski depot in the hotel, where you can rent ski equipment and ski lift passes. The staff in the depot is always helpful, polite and positive :) except one young lady, with brownish hair at the sell desk who is rude, impolite and acts like she doesn't understand what you need.
The view from the hotel is spectacular.

My husband, son and I just spent a week skiing at the Rila Hotel in Borovets and we had a wonderful time. We visited with 4 other families so it was the perfect spot for a big group with plenty of activities on the doorstep (skiing, sledding, pool and spa) for the whole family. Given it was half term it was incredibly busy however we were able to get ski equipment and lessons through the hotel and everything was within the hotel which made it super convenient. There was plenty of space in the restaurants for the big group to meet for dinner and drinks however space by the pool and bar downstairs was often limited (unless you got in early). There are plenty of nearby restaurants and bars to offer an quieter and less busy alternative to the hotel if you wanted a change. Overall a lovely experience for our second time skiing as a family and I would definitely recommend.

Great hotel, friendly staff, amazing food and facilities

Rooms was clean, breakfast was amazing, hotel view was excellent! We will come back soon!!!