from Dublin,Ireland, 10 November 2009, 10:57

Comment: I am a well seasoned business traveller and far prefer boutique hotels to the major chains. I am a frequent visitor to Bulgaria and have stayed at the Famous House on several occasions.
The Famous House meets all the tests for a good boutique hotel. It is an attractive building overlooking a park. It is within walking distance of the Old Town and the main shopping area. There are about 25 bedrooms all well-designed with plenty of space and good bathrooms. There bar and public areas are attractive. I rarely dine in a hotel restaurant (to prevent cabin-fever you have to get out in the evening) but the one evening I dined in the food was excellent. The room rates represent good value.
But there are low points to the Famous House. Breakfast is pretty awful. it seems a shame that in Bulgaria, a land that produces the most wonderful fruit, they cannot manage a more varied fruit bowl and decent orange juice at breakfast. The coffee served at breakfast is best avoided.
But my biggest gripe is the incessant blast of MTV (or its Bulgarian equivalent). The hotel's staff are polite, efficient and friendly. But nobody seems to be in charge. That is why, in every public area, the TV screens blast Maria Carey and an incessant stream of Euro-pop at the poor guest. In my experience this only happens in places where the staff are unsupervised - the choice of music is set to suit the staff rather than the guests.

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