Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko

We spent three nights at the hotel. There is no doubt that the hotel meets all the standards expected of the Kempinski chain. The hotel manager (Mr. Roger) walks around among the guests all day, is interested in their well-being and gives good recommendations regarding spending time in the city. One of the evenings (on the recommendation of the hotel manager) we ate at the sushi restaurant in the hotel. Excellent food. The chef cooks in front of you and serves not only excellent food but gives a performance. Recommended!!!

I would like to thank the front desk manager Madam Veselina Yakubova, the restaurant manager Mr. Boyan Boyanov, the restaurant staff Madam Bianca Obetsavova, Mr. Athanasios Koutsouris, Mr. Mikhail Zvakin. I would also like to thank Madam Sara Topuzovska from the concierge service and Madam Olga Tonka from the lobby bar for their wonderful hospitality during my accommodation at Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko.

An imposing hotel in an excellent location opposite the main ski gondola. If you are skiing, this hotel is hard to beat with it's own serviced boot room in the basement and you can purchase a VIP lift pass which allows you to skip the infamous Bansko queues (it costs extra but will save you 20mins+ queuing in the mornings). It's also effectively ski-in/ski-out...you can ski all the way down the ski road to the boot room entrance. The other major plus points are a very good car valet service and the fabulous amenities at the hotel which includes: heated indoor and outdoor pools with jacuzzis, a spacious thermal spa area with multiple saunas, steam room, infrared room and novelty snow room (the thermal spa area opens from 9am to 9pm). There's also a good size gym. On the negative side was our bedroom. Whilst it was extremely spacious for a ski resort room, it was very dated, had uncomfortable beds, and a non-functioning air conditioning unit. At night, there's live music in the relaxing lobby bar with its open fire. Breakfast consisted of a large buffet with an egg/pancake station for cooked-to-order options. All things considered, this has to be one of the best places to base yourself if you are skiing in Bansko.