Bulgaria - Eastern Europe - page 75

($13) for a Superior Room, iden-
tical to a standard but with parliament view—ask for the highest floor available.
4 Narodno Sabranie Sq., Sofia 1000. & 02/933 4334 or 02/933 4333. Fax [phone]. www.radissonsas.com. 136
units. Mon-Thurs 210

looked great—modern and sleek. Pay the extra 10

€

€
($216-$343). AE, M, V, DISC. Rates include breakfast. Amenities: Restaurant; bar; health and fitness center; travel
desk; business center; conference center; 24-hr. room service; laundry service; dry cleaning. In room:A/C, TV, minibar,
Internet connection, hair dryer, safe.

€ -230 € ($267-$292) double; Fri-Sun 150 € -170 € ($191-$216) double. Suites 230 € -290

Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan Housed in one of Sofia's landmarks—part of
the Presidency, dating from 1886—this is the only hotel in Sofia with a sense of real
history. It has hosted Bulgaria's most important guests for 2 decades, and is the first
hotel in Eastern Europe deigned good enough for Sheraton's Luxury Collection. Shad-
owing the 4th-century Rotunda, and sandwiched between the Presidential Palace and
the central square that feeds into Vitosha (the city's best-known shopping street), the
Sheraton is also pretty much right in the heart of things—perhaps too much so, given
that this means it also overlooks the traffic-choked and alienating intersection between
Tsar Osvoboditel and Maria Luiza. The entire hotel has undergone an extensive refur-
bishment, and the rooms and suites are looking undeniably classy, with decor very
much in keeping with the historic nature of the building. Only the rooms on the first
floor, with their wonderfully high ceilings, give any real indication of the grand pro-
portions of the building; rooms on the fifth floor have the best views, however. Pub-
lic spaces were undergoing renovation at press time, but massive chandeliers hanging
over vast expanses of marble-inlay flooring remain key features. It's pricey, though, and
Sheraton's position as the first choice among well-heeled visitors is slowly being eroded
by better-value competitors who know how much guests appreciate such perks as
including breakfast with the daily rate.
5 Sveta Nedelya Sq., Sofia, 1000. & 02/981 6541 or 02/981 8787. Fax [phone]. www.luxurycollection.com/
sofia. 188 units. 315 /$24. AE, DC, MC,

V. Amenities: 2 restaurants; cafe; bar; fitness center; concierge; business center; salon; 24-hr. room service; butler
service; executive lounge; laundry; dry cleaning; free airport pickup. In room:A/C, TV, minibar, Internet connection,
hair dryer, safe.

€ -365 € /$401-$464 double; 390 € -800 € /$495-$1,016 suite. Breakfast 19 €

MODERATE
Residence Oborishte This elegant establishment—a converted private
residence dating from the 1930s—is more guesthouse than hotel, with a tiny public
area and limited facilities, but the rooms are great. Named after old Bulgarian towns,
the seven suites are extremely spacious and tastefully appointed in rich royal colors
(pity about laminate floors), and two of them have fireplaces (useful even in June or
Sept, when Sofia can have cold bouts). If you're just passing through, Serdica and Sofia
(both categorized as rooms rather than suites, the latter with a feminine Juliette bal-
cony overlooking the street), offer excellent value, particularly over the weekend
80(

Value

/$102-$115). Not a huge staff quotient, but there are always at least two
persons on hand to offer your complimentary welcome drink, arrange for breakfast to
be served in your room (good idea as the breakfast room is poky), or arrange a can-
dlelit dinner (given prior notice); the free pickup service from the airport is also use-
ful. Located near Doctor's Gardens, the most prestigious residential area in Sofia, this
is about 10 minutes' walk from Alexander Nevski Cathedral and the city center.
63 Oborishte St., Sofia 1000. & 02/814 4888 or 02/814 4878. Fax [phone]. www.residence-oborishte.com. 9
units. Mon-Thurs 90

€ -90 €

($102-$165). No credit cards. Rates
include breakfast. Amenities: Breakfast room; bar; complimentary use of nearby fitness center; laundry; dry clean-
ing. In room:A/C, TV, minibar, Internet connection, safe.

€ -160 € ($115-$203) double; weekends 80 € -130 €