Hotel International Casino & Tower Suites Guide and Review
Located in the vibrant city of Golden Sands, Bulgaria, the Hotel International Casino & Tower Suites positions itself as a premier destination, with its casino being a central draw. Reviews from recent guests paint a picture of a property with both significant strengths and notable areas for improvement, resulting in a rather mixed overall experience.
The Good: Comfort, Cuisine & Courteous Staff 🏨🍽️😊
Many guests commend the hotel for its overall comfort and welcoming atmosphere. The rooms are frequently described as big, modern, and nicely furnished, featuring comfortable beds and excellent water pressure in the showers. The presence of a well-stocked minibar also adds to the in-room convenience.
A consistent highlight for many is the dining experience, particularly the breakfast buffet. Reviewers consistently praise the "excellent buffet breakfast" for its variety and quality. Beyond breakfast, the main buffet restaurant's food is often noted as "excellent" and "prepared suitable for our taste."
While some service aspects fall short (as detailed below), many guests experienced positive interactions with the hotel staff. The restaurant and room service teams are frequently described as "kind, professional, and attentive." Specific mentions highlight kitchen and reception staff for being "very polite and helpful," and one guest specifically praised a staff member named Evie for "excellent" service and being "great with different questions." The hotel's general cleanliness and pleasant ambiance also contribute to a positive impression.
Additional amenities like the spa and massage centre are appreciated, contributing to the hotel's appeal as a leisure destination.
Areas for Improvement: Service Lapses & Inconsistent Experiences 📉🔇🍸
Despite the positives, several recurring issues significantly impacted guests' stays, particularly during peak times or for special occasions.
Check-in and Information Woes:
One primary point of dissatisfaction stems from the check-in process. Guests reported receptionists being "unable to give us an explanation about the hotel and all the services we were entitled to," with one even claiming a printer was out of ink. This lack of initial information can set a negative tone for the stay.
In-Room Amenities & Disturbances:
While rooms are comfortable, some guests found the in-room coffee machines frustrating, as each capsule required payment – a feature typically offered complimentary in many hotels globally. Additionally, a common complaint was noise disturbance, particularly "all night noise in the hallways" and "slamming doors," which severely impacted sleep quality. One guest celebrating a special birthday noted that an event with "many young people" at the hotel created too much noise, forcing them to seek a quieter venue outside the hotel.
Dining Disappointments:
Beyond the lauded breakfast, dinner experiences proved inconsistent. One reviewer recounted a specific date (May 24th) where dinner in the main dining hall was marred by "terrible noise," "lack of food," and what little was available being "cold and inedible." A subsequent dinner offered at the casino was also described as "scarce and not as varied."
Casino Bar & Drink Service Concerns:
As a casino-focused establishment, the casino bar service is a crucial element, and unfortunately, it received considerable criticism. One guest reported a "disappointing" experience at the Casino Bar, facing a "40 minutes wait for food" despite the bar being "practically empty," and being told all tables were "reserved" despite the lack of patrons. More alarmingly, this guest described a staff member (Denica) as "unprofessional and slightly erratic," even suspecting she "may have had a drink," noting an alcohol smell and red eyes.
Another casino visitor highlighted issues with drink service within the gaming area, stating they were "almost begging for a drink," and that the service was not comparable to casinos in other regions.
Other Minor Issues:
Minor grievances included elevators not being sufficient for crowds and the quality of toilet paper. A more serious incident involved a guest discovering expensive alcohol at a bar was diluted with water, though this was rectified by the bar manager.
Conclusion: A Visit with Caveats ⚖️
The Hotel International Casino & Tower Suites offers a dichotomy of experiences. On one hand, it provides comfortable rooms, good cleanliness, and a highly-regarded buffet breakfast, supported by generally professional hotel and restaurant staff. On the other hand, the inconsistency in service, particularly at check-in and within the casino bar, coupled with issues like noise, varied dinner quality, and charges for basic in-room amenities, can significantly detract from a guest's stay. Prospective visitors should be aware of these potential pitfalls, especially if planning a quiet or special celebration, or if relying heavily on casino amenities beyond the games themselves. While some guests expressed satisfaction, others left highly disappointed and indicated they would not return without significant improvements.
At check-in, the receptionist was unable to give us an explanation about the hotel and all the services we were entitled to. She claimed that the printer was out of ink. There is a coffee machine in the room, but you require us to pay for each capsule, which is provided free of charge in every hotel in the world that has a coffee machine in the room. I arrived at the hotel to celebrate my wife's special birthday. My children came from London and Israel to celebrate, but due to an event with many young people at the hotel, we were unable to celebrate at the hotel and were forced to go out to a quiet place to celebrate, which increased the cost of our stay. All night there was noise in the hallways on our floor and slamming doors, which disturbed our sleep. It was not possible to have dinner at the hotel on May 24th because of the terrible noise in the main dining hall, and the lack of food, and the little food that was available was cold and inedible. Even the next day when they told us to eat dinner at the casino, the offer was scarce and not as varied as the regular dinner in the main dining room. The stay at the hotel was very disappointing, and no compensation was offered to us even though I contacted the hotel manager and expressed our dissatisfaction. We will not be staying at this hotel again.The only thing I can comment was the excellent buffet breakfastwe enjoyed it .
I visited the Casino, I enjoyed the game (it was good) but I wanted to eat something on the Casino Bar , but unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. I was told I would have to wait at least 40 minutes for food, even though the bar was practically empty. When I asked if I could take a seat, I was informed that all tables were reserved, which seemed strange considering the lack of people around. What made the situation worse was the behavior of one of the staff members, Denica. In my opinion, she was acting in an unprofessional and slightly erratic manner — I honestly suspect she may have had a drink, she smelled of alcohol and her eyes were red. Her attitude felt dismissive and unwelcoming, which left me feeling uncomfortable.To be fair, I want to highlight that my experience with the restaurant and room service at the hotel was completely different — the staff there were kind, professional, and attentive. No negativity or rudeness whatsoever. I hesitated to write this review at first, but after some time, I feel it’s only right to share this experience so other guests know what to expect. I genuinely hope the management takes this feedback into account.
Your service is excellent, I really enjoyed my stay at your hotel, you have a very cozy and great staff. Special thanks to Evie, he knows his job and is great with different questions, thank you for this experience at your hotel
Food at the hotel was excellent, we came here with bus tour travelling from Çanakkale/Turkey. Stayed 2 nights, rooms were comfortable, minibar was rich enough, water pressure at shower was perfect. Only one thing i can say, toilet paper quality was very bad, it was melting as soon as touching with water. Also elevators were not enough for the crowd. Most remakable part of the stay was the food at the buffet restaurant. It was all prepared suitable for our taste, kitchen and receptin staff was very polite and helpfull. I did not liked the casino, we were almost begging for a drink, not used to that. We also go to Northern Cyprus for Casino, service cant even comperable. Overall we were happy to stay at İnternational. Thank you..
The hotel is nice. It has a spa and massage centre. The room was big and modern and nicely furnished. The bed was very comfortable. The Tv is small and obsolete with no casting options, so you can't stream from your phone. Overall, cleanliness is everywhere. Smells nice and pleasant. Just be careful with the expensive alcohol! Mine was diluted with water, hence the blurry colour of the Rakia. When you are paying about 10 euros for 100mil, you expect to get a proper drink, not something diluted with water. It was quite disappointing. At least the bar manager took it out of the bill. Brought and opened a new bottle, which was as it should be. With nice amber colour and christal clear. That was the only downside of the experience in the hotel.