BULGARIA'S BEST DESTINATIONS FOR 2019

Luxury vacation or bustiness trip to Bulgaria are a reality in which quality and variety combine in a memorable way. Some of the hottest destinations for quality tourism in the country have been here for years. Others appeared recently, offering innovative concepts. Some are located at established tourist destinations while others will pleasantly surprise you with their unexpected locations. In all of them you will find personal approach and services that make you feel special.

With its ski runs and the snows of the Pirin mountain, Bansko is one of Bulgaria's most popular destinations. Its options for luxury accommodation make it even more loved.

The elite chooses Premier Luxury Mountain Resort

Premier Luxury Mountain Resort in Bansko (11 Karamanitsa St, phone: +359 794 50 500, www.premiermountainresort.com) offers a cozy and elegant winter experience and intriguing holiday packages. If you greet the New 2019 in PREMIER, you will enjoy gourmet gala dinners, exquisite wines from all over the world, gifts, live music and, of course, champagne. Actively, leisurely or a combination of the two: how will your stay be is entirely up to you. Guests of PREMIER can use the special VIP Ski Pass that allows them to make the best of Bansko's pistes, avoiding the queues. The ones who opt to stay at the hotel enjoy the cosiness of the lit fireplaces and the elegant rooms, and all the pleasures of the modern spa centre with refreshing therapies and therapeutical massages. Whatever you choose, the quality of the experience is guaranteed: Premier Luxury Mountain Resort is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and a proud member of Ermia Hotels & Resorts.

The joy of the surprise to find a new luxury experience at unexpected places is hard to describe, but it is absolutely real.

MERiT GRAND MOSTA HOTEL & CASINO, Svilengrad: Fun and spa at the border

Bulgaria's southeast border offers a number of intriguing tourist sites and is a starting point for travelling to Turkey and Greece. No matter what brings you to the region, book a room at MERiT GRAND MOSTA HOTEL & CASINO in Svilengrad (www.meritcasinos.com, www.merithotels.com). The five-star complex is located by one of the major points of interests in the region: the Ottoman Mustafa Pasha bridge, built in the 16th century. There you will find everything you need for comfortable rest and relaxation – luxury rooms and apartments, a gym, a Turkish bath, a Himalayan salt lounge, a sauna, a steam room, massage rooms, an indoor swimming pool, a nightclub, a winter garden. The à la carte restaurant offers the best of Bulgarian and Turkish cuisine and the MERiT GRAND MOSTA casino has a variety of games and two VIP rooms. The complex is the latest addition to the family of the prestigious hotel chain MERiT INTERNATIONAL with branches in Northern Cyprus, Montenegro and Croatia.

Sofia is arguably Bulgaria's most logical destination. It is the capital, after all. Its importance grows even bigger when business trips are concerned. In the capital are concentrated the big companies and the startups, the state administration and institutions. To these should be added the entertainment: the lively night scene with an abundance of good restaurants, clubs and cultural events, as well as the shopping options.

InterContinental Sofia: Your ultimate business destination

InterContinental Sofia (Sofia, 4 Narodno Sabranie Sq, phone: +359 2 933 4334, www.intercontinental.com/Sofia) is the ultimate business destination in Sofia. Its iconic location at the heart of the Bulgarian capital provides convenient access to the country's government buildings and business district. Sofia International Airport is just at a 20 minutes' drive and the city’s shopping and entertainment sites are at a walking distance.

InterContinental Sofia has a dedicated floor for events and conferences designed to deliver the finest ambience through the combination of bright expansive spaces and modern technology. The 5-star catering service ensures the most appropriate coffee break or business lunch, which will impress every guest and will help the organisers to achieve the desired results. The hotel's 5 meeting rooms provide flexible space to meet the needs of every event. The Ballroom can accommodate up to 230-240 people for a theatre style conference or a reception, while the more compact Parliament, Gallery, Library and Opera rooms are ideal for small and mid-size gatherings. The special IHG Business Rewards programme is an opportunity to earn points in your IHG Rewards Club account and enjoy a range of exclusive benefits.

Bulgaria's southwest provides many reasons to be loved. Its climate is close to the Mediterranean. Here are the Rila, Pirin and the Western Rhodope, traditional towns and villages such as Melnik and Kovachevitsa, the Roman ruins by Gotse Delchev, the late-Antiquity basilicas at Sandanski and a lot more.

Murite Club Hotel: The luxury that you deserve

Razlog is blessed with a mild climate, the proximity of the Pirin, the Rila and the Rhodope mountains, and with the presence of one of Bulgaria's best mountain hotels: Murite Club Hotel (phone: +359 088 429 9996, www.murite.bg). The complex offers exclusive experience in each detail and is a true heaven for those in the search for a place for relaxation far from the noise of the daily routine. The luxury rooms and apartments are located in three separate buildings and several houses with all the modern amenities. In the spacious spa centre you will find high-end cosmetic products and selected procedures and therapies, while the classical restaurant and the enoteca offer you the best of the Bulgarian and international cuisine accompanied by excellent wines. Children enjoy special treatment with a variety of entertainment options. Since quality vacation includes not only care for the body, but also for the soul, don't miss the opportunity to enjoy with a special drink the stylish atmosphere and the gentle music in the piano bar.

The region's abundance of hot mineral springs is also impressive. The ancient Romans were the first to cherish their qualities and we, modern people, have dozens of opportunities to make the best of these.

Park Hotel Pirin: The wealth of Bulgaria's Southwest are yours

Sandanski is the pearl of Southwestern Bulgaria because of its unique combination of mild climate, impressive nature and mineral springs. For 11 years now the five-star Park Hotel Pirin (Sandanski, 27 Hidrostroy St, phone: +359 893 300 300, www.parkhotelpirin.com) turns the region's features into an exquisite experience. Luxury rooms and apartments, lush greenery, tranquility: this is only the beginning of the pleasures that so generously Park Hotel Pirin provides. The spa centre spreads over 2,600 sq.m and besides a variety of relaxing and beautifying procedures also offers physiotherapy and rehabilitation. You want something different? Then try the exotic massages, the gourmet therapies or the DIBI techno rituals for face and body. And why not the exclusive experience at the VIP zone for couples? Park Hotel Pirin is a member of the Sharlopov Group. In 2018, it was declared The Best Wellness Hotel on the Balkans during the Balkan Awards for Tourism Industry.

The Southwest's mineral waters also boost our health. The rehabilitation and therapies with them treat and heal many chronic diseases. Even healthy people can benefit from prophylaxis.

Therma Vitae Hotel, Ognyanovo: Spa pleasures and care for the health in the Western Rhodope

The Western Rhodope are a place where magnificent nature combines with healing hot mineral springs. Complex Therma Vitaе (Ognyanovo village, phones: +359 75 233 182, +359 879 233 182, www.thermavitae.bg) takes the best of these resources and provides you with an opportunity for a vacation in which relaxation and care for the spirit and the body are a priority. Therma Vitaе is located by 24 thermal mineral springs with water temperature of 39-40°C. Using this wealth, the complex offers balneological and spa procedures for treatment and prophylaxis, and for pure pleasure. In it you will find hydrotherapy, kinesiotherapy, physiotherapy, rehabilitation and a variety of massages and body procedures. Therma Vitaе also has a licensed medical centre, sports hall, outdoor and indoor thermal pools, a restaurant and three bars, children's playgrounds and a park. All of these make Therma Vitaе an excellent solution for everyone who wants to absorb the energy of the Western Rhodope.

The Southwest is also the home of some of the best wines in Bulgaria. The wineries here use the blessed combination of climate, soils and varieties, and create true masterpieces.

Uva Nestum Wine & Spa: The other name of complete relaxation

Sometimes even the most motivated professional needs to withdraw from their immediate tasks and to let themselves to complete relaxation. Uva Nestum Wine & Spa (Gotse Delchev, 125 Gotse Delchev Blvd, phone: + 359 887 021 020, www.uvanestum.com) provides you with everything you need for a wholesome relaxation, recharging and fine living among clean nature and elegant contemporary design. Inspired by the magic of wine and spa procedures' healing abilities, Uva Nestum Wine & Spa is a place of true bliss. In the complex's spa centre you will find innovative equipment, wine and spa therapies, swimming pools, Jacuzzi, Finnish sauna, adventure showers, salt room. The enoteca restaurant is for the moments when you prioritise the pleasures of the palate and of good company. There you will find the elegant wines made in Uva Nestum's boutique winery and gourmet food that perfectly matches them.