Kristel Park – центр Кранево Kristel Park - the center of Kranevo

Kristel Park - the center of Kranevo

“It is only thanks to the wind that a sailboat is free on the high seas. ”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery "Military pilot".

In this 2018 year, I came to Bulgaria for the eighth time, and for the eighth time to the village of Kranevo. Through the tour operator "Balkan Express" he issued a visa and insurance, and bought air tickets (charter) there. Provided a booking from Crystal Park to the travel agency (I booked it myself by e-mail). From Burgas to Kranevo I took a taxi, which was recommended to me in Crystal Park (80 euros), the driver is George, polite and cultured. The usual price (taxi) is 110 euros. Back from Kranevo to Burgas, I ordered a transfer from Balkan Express (9 euros). For the third time while visiting Kranevo, I stayed at the Crystal Park Hotel (from June 11 to July 2). The first time I lived in this hotel in 2008, the second - in 2016.


I'll start with the numbers. One side of the hotel overlooks the field, in the distance you can barely see the sea, which is about a 12-minute walk away.
The other side of the hotel is noisier, overlooking the village. This year I was settled in the central part of the hotel (on the third floor), with access to the main street. The plus was that it was not a double room (and most of them are in Crystal Park), when there are two interior doors between the two rooms, no one will enter, but the acoustics are decent there. Twin rooms have two beds and one more bed can be placed for an additional fee. My room had one large bed. There are apartments (who want luxury for a reasonable price), as well as three rooms - the so-called low-cost (low-cost), the most budgetary accommodation option, on the ground floor. In Bulgaria, you can smoke almost everywhere, but not in the room, but only on the balcony. This is certainly not good for non-smokers. Cleaning - every day. TV - ordinary (not plasma), small (they said they were going to change it in the future), there is a refrigerator and air conditioning.
For re-occupancy - 10% discount. When booking and paying for the 100th summer holiday from December, discounts from 15% and more. In the low season (May, June, September) - accommodation prices are much lower!


Nutrition. Breakfast, lunch and dinner - a buffet, without restrictions, everything is really very tasty, the freshest products, vegetables and fruits. The cook previously worked in a 5* hotel. Soup - every day is different, for three weeks (that I lived in Kristel Park), it never happened again. Those who come at the beginning see that the food is not just laid out on dishes, but exquisitely served. But, if you come at the end of dinner, then chicken cutlets in batter (two hours later they will be hard). For lunch you can take beer, for dinner - wine and any strong drinks. Once I came when dinner was over, there was no soup and many other dishes. But, even at the end of the “meal”, there is always food, you definitely won’t stay hungry. Water and boiling water can be collected in thermal cups and taken out of the restaurant, but food, of course, is not allowed.
Any issue is resolved on the spot, you just need to ask the waiters if, for example, you run out of forks. For children - just expanse, there is ice cream and a machine with all popular drinks. The restaurant hall is spacious, there is also an open veranda, but you can smoke there.

Kristel Park is an international hotel, Bulgarians, Russians, Czechs, Ukrainians, Slovaks, Romanians, Belarusians, Poles and others rest here. The contingent of residents is different, in general, educated people. Many families with children, but the hotel is not for children, but rather designed for families. There is a small beautiful and well-maintained swimming pool, and a bar (free with inclusive). Near the bar - table tennis and billiards (for an additional fee). There is also a children's "paddling pool", an animator and a lifeguard are working. Internet (free) is available in Crystal Park - everywhere, high speed ("freezes" rarely). The staff is friendly and polite, really no problems.
There is a paid bar in the hotel lobby, coffee beans of excellent quality - 1 lev 50 stotinki. A large selection of massage procedures, by Moscow standards - very affordable prices. There is an ATM and currency exchange (at the standard rate in Kranevo), but they do not change rubles (only euros and dollars).

Sea. The beach is excellent, wide sandy strip. Entry into the sea on a shallow bottom. The best sea is early in the morning. Who wants entertainment, nearby are Albena, Balchik, Golden Sands, the city - St. Constantine and Helena (20-30 minutes by taxi). In Crystal Park you can order various excursions. Every year we (sports camp) go hiking from Kranevo to Balchik on foot, if not in a hurry - two and a half hours, but for about twenty minutes you need to climb a dangerous slope, small children should not be taken on such a hike. But the sea view is amazing!

Disadvantages. Those who crave luxury for budget money, Crystal Park (3 *) is not your choice, there are 4 * and 5 * hotels in Kranevo.

The room does not have a washbasin, additional clothesline and clothespins. But if you ask the cleaning lady, she will bring them to you. Quite noisy air conditioners. There is no kettle in the room, but as I wrote above - the pool bar is free all day, where there is tea and other drinks. There are no coolers, but if you wish, you can buy water inexpensively, or stock up on it in a restaurant. The animator has one day a week - a day off. In the high season (July and August) - a lot of people in the restaurant and pool.

Pros. The pool has a hydromassage, you need to ask the lifeguard to turn it on. Recently there was a renovation, new wallpaper, skirting boards do not move away from the walls, everything is clean. Quietly and safely, nothing was stolen, although even the money was just lying in a bag on the sofa. There are umbrellas for the beach (free of charge), you need to ask the reception, but there are no beach towels. You need to take your own, not a hotel room.
Upon arrival, if the rooms are not occupied, they can check in before 14:00 for a moderate cost, and upon departure, if the charter was postponed to a later time, no one will be driven out into the street, you can extend your stay at the hotel for a small surcharge. Food is of high quality. All questions by e-mail or phone (listed on the hotel website) are answered promptly.