Secrets Sunny Beach Resort & Spa (Ex. RIU Palace)

Summary: Although the hotel is clean, neat and has good amenities, both myself and my partner felt this was more of a 4* hotel objectively, and also in comparison with our other travel experiences. Pros: * We had a Junior Suite, and were located on the 8th floor. The room was exactly as advertised, and probably the biggest hotel room I have stayed in. The room was clean, tidy, and modern. * The cleaner on our floor (Rahy) was polite, greeted us in the corridor, and left the room spotless. * There is a good selection of all inclusive drinks, including spirits, beers, cocktails, soft drinks and hot drinks. * In the buffets used for meals, there is a good selection of food. * We had no trouble finding a table in the dining room, and there were no queues to enter at meal times. * The “preferred club” is locked, and accessible by key card only. There was also some random policing for the preferred club at times throughout our holiday, where staff will ask to see your key card to verify you are a preferred club guest. Cons: * Generally, we found service at the hotel inconsistent, in particular at meal times. Sometimes staff would ask for your drink order whilst you were sitting down, at other times we waited 5-10 minutes to be served. * Dining room issues- 1) Although there was a wide array of food in the dining room, we felt that this was often recycled. 2) Plates and cutlery in the dining room were not properly clean. This is not something I am usually fussy about, but I picked up several plates and bowels that had still condiments smeared on them and transferred to my hands, and a bowel which still had a slimey feel from soup. Cutlery was also often still marked with big lumps of food. We felt this was not acceptable for a 5* hotel, and this was a consistent issue throughout our ten day stay. 3) lack of clear signage in the dining room. For dishes: food without allergens in not labelled properly, and poor translations. * During check in, although the reception staff were polite and welcoming, there was a lack of clear information given. We found out information from other guests, or through trial and error. They do give a leaflet reflecting meal times, information about key cards and towels. We were left to figure this out ourselves. * The preferred club is not properly policed in any area. There is a small area on the beach, an area by the pool, a separate lounge, and tables in the dining room. No one checked in the dining room at all, the pool was the most policed. The actual lounge for the Preferred Club is dingy, with no windows, and with limited seating. * A big issue for us (and speaking to others- for everyone!) was the lifts. There are four lifts. During our ten days here, the far right lift has been out of order the entire time. All lifts service all floors (aside one lift which does not go to floor 13)- therefore there are long waits for lifts during busy periods (5-10 minutes), as lifts coming down or up are often full, and also often stop on every floor. This is very tedious for guests. * There is a “nightclub” which is night time entertainment- these acts/shows are quite short, and no other area aside reception (such as a piano bar). * We were unable to keep our room on checking out. The reception staff serving was very blunt about this. Previously in other hotels we have been offered another room- we were told this is “not policy”. Although I understand the hotel is likely busy and full during peak times, we subsequently had a 12 hour wait in reception due to this, when we felt it was pitched poorly via the booking agent. The “personalised check in and out” is a roped off corner with a few chairs and some Prosecco. The preferred club generally reads much better than its execution. What changes would help: * Lifts either dedicated to a smaller amount of floors, or alternating lifts (odd numbers and even numbers) to alleviate queues and guest frustration. * More clarity provided of the hotel and amenities on check in. * Better enforcement of the preferred club- maybe wristbands to make this easier. * Better system to clean plates and cutlery during meal times. * Another dedicated area for nighttime entertainment.

Firstly i would like to say that Secrets Resort and Spa is a lovely hotel, but it is not in my opinion a fully 5 Star Hotel, and these are the reasons why. The lifts are unreasonable slow and one was out of order for the whole of our stay, the room could do with more hangers and storage space, loose tap on sink and sink also would not hold water, shower flooded when used ( rain shower head, did report this to reception ), very noise fridge ( hard to get to sleep with this ), lots of black mound around shower screen, noise seagulls keeping you a wake ( day and night ). No working hand drying facilities in all three toilets around pool area, Breakfast hall could do with two toasters and would also be nice to have a microwave in dinning hall, so some of the food could be heated up ( food only lukewarm ). Desserts are okay if you like warm ice cream or Childrens party cakes. Now on to things that were good about Hotel, loved the position of the hotel to beach and how clean all areas of the hotel were kept, found the staff to be very polite and helpful ( 95% of them were ), entertainment was okay, shows could have been a bit longer, like all the drinks ( made fresh, not out of a plastic bottle ), also loved the sitting around reception areas and the coffee bar with fresh sliced cakes, we stay in two rooms 625/ 626 as two couples, would we return, yes probably if some of the small niggles are address.

Me and my husband stayed for 2 weeks at Secrets starting June 8th to celebrate our 41st wedding anniversary. The hotel was lovely and the staff were great. Very friendly and honest people. It was extremely clean too. I would give the hotel a 4 star rating but our experience was only 3 star. The room had a wonderful view and the Pool was amazing, although the first level was extremely slippery on entering and should have had a rougher surface to be safe. Sunny beach itself is a bit tacky but this hotel is on the outskirts which give you a choice to visit or not. The hotel lacked atmosphere with only a nightclub as entertainment so it was very quiet with a lot of people just playing cards every night and without any background music playing. The drinks were ok but, apart from Smirnoff, no other premium drinks were available unless you paid quite a bit extra. We were disappointed that the description of the amount of bars and restaurants was misleading. The Market Cafe was not open for lunch so the only option was The Barefoot grill, which was good but changed after 3pm for snacks. There were only 2 a la carte restaurants not 3 and a quarter of The Barefoot Grill was sectioned off in the evening to become Portofino. So no separate Italian actually existed. On sitting for our meal at Portofino we found the menu lacking in expected Italian cuisine so we did not stay. The food was varied and plentiful but all tasted the same. After a week my husband came down with a stomach bug and I followed 2 days later after we both ate a pork dish and we did not feel well until our return home. Not sure if some of the meat was reused in casseroles. So the holiday was spoiled for us. I can see the appeal to some people but we wont be returning.

First time staying in a 5 star hotel and visiting Bulgaria,,it was amazing the hotel was kept get clean and tidy, the food was excellent and the staff were so polite and courteous.we even had a pair of swans made out of towels in the shape of a heart with a red rose and rose petals scattered over it on our bed. And because it was my birthday there was a bottle of champagne with a birthday message left in the room.we had a young waitress called viktoria every evening and she was so polite and courteous always with a smile.would definitely recommend this hotel for anyone who's thinking of booking a holiday to Bulgaria, it's a adults only holiday. I would definitely give it more than the 5 stars.

Our stay at the Secrets Hotel in Bulgaria was absolutely fantastic. The hotel is very very deserving of its 5 star rating and we feel it necessary to write this honest review due to the very negative reviews that this hotel seems to have on this page. Positives We arrived at the hotel very late (00:30) on Thursday night and missed the dinner sitting however we were informed at reception that the bar staff we happy to provide us with sandwiches, cakes and rolls! A lovely start to the stay. We were very impressed by the food the hotel has to offer. Again of 5 star quality (if not higher!!). We were particularly impressed by the fresh honey, pizza and fruit selection. The themed nights were also great! The waiting staff (especially Aziz) and front bar staff (especially Mark) deserve their own shout out. Throughout our stay they were very accommodating, polite and helpful! The entertainment was also very enjoyable. They have a very good programme for an adults only hotel and a particular favourite of ours were the Latin dancers. We would like to shout out Caiti from this team for being particularly amazing. Always with a smile on her face! The rooms and view. Again worthy of the 5 stars. The hotel is very clean with the cleaners clearly working very hard. Negatives One accurate criticism in these reviews are the lifts. At peak times (e.g. just before dinner) we often had to wait about 5 mins for a free lift. When one did come it would call at every floor even though it was full. However this is a minor inconvenience for the quality of the hotel. We would honestly have no hesitation on recommending this beautiful hotel and are looking to return next year. Thank you Secrets.

Hotel is beautiful. Being adult only makes it very relaxing. Pools lovely. Staff very friendly. There are just several niggles which take the edge off the resort, and puts one off from revisiting. (1) There are 4 lifts ( well usually although often 1 was not working, on occasion 2 ) all lifts are independent which means you tend to stop at all floors, although mostly no one waiting. On upper floors especially it is not unusual to wait 5-8 mins for a lift, then journey is frustratingly tedious. (2) Scrapping of chairs in restaurant is constant and annoying, often by staff cleaning. (3) Food at evening is at best average, and if you eat within the last hour popular dishes can be gone. (4) Swim up bar does not have premier sprits, and can run out of local ones, which are not replaced. (5) Entertainment pretty good, but generally only for 45mins.

Just back from a week in the Secrets Sunny beach , Overall the hotel is in a lovely location clean modern can’t fault it But couple of niggles that took the shine off it Firstly we had a delayed flight so by the time we arrived via a taxi transfer it was about midnight We had paid for a preferred service and room , but on a arrival no preferred club reception.. no luggage taken to our room just 3 on reception trying to explain in broken English what floor our room was and where the lifts were , no explaining the places we eat etc .. so after finally getting to our rooms felt a bit bewildered.. no special treatment… We had been to a Secrets hotel in Mexico a few years ago but that preferred service was first class .. butler service concierge spot on But I know it’s a different kind of holiday Second point the lack of a late check out room we had evening departure so had all day there with no rooms available to have for the day just a shower room in the toilets and a luggage storage area so not great That’s the bad out the way .. The rest of the holiday and experience was spot on .. great food great staff and overall great place and would definitely go again I’m Just the little bits that’s matter let it down on first impressions Jeff &Mel

I was disappointed with the services at this hotel. The food and drinks were not of the premium quality I expected. The minibar contained only a few beverages (three soft drinks, two bottles of water, and two beers), which was quite limited. At check-in, the reception staff did not provide us with the meal schedule, so we did not know the exact times for lunch, dinner, and the other meals. We also were not informed that there was an à la carte restaurant. We discovered it later during our stay and were only able to visit it once, as we were told guests are allowed to dine there only once per week. The plates were sometimes not properly clean, which was disappointing. Overall, the food and drinks did not meet the standards expected from a premium hotel, and the service fell short of our expectations.

Staff: The staff were incredibly friendly, professional and always happy to help. The only exception was the pool towel attendants, who were rude—one even shouted at us when we asked to exchange our towels. Food: We couldn't fault the food. The quality, variety and quantity were excellent, with something for everyone at every meal. The themed restaurants (Bulgarian, Asian, Italian and Seafood) were all great. Just be aware they close at 9pm, so don't book a late reservation. The Bulgarian and Asian restaurants are in the Dreams hotel and offer buffets, while the Italian and Seafood restaurants are set menus. Location: Perfect if you want to be away from the nightlife but still close enough to enjoy it. It's around a 10-minute walk to the shops and restaurants, with plenty more along the promenade. The bus to Nessebar stops right outside the hotel, costs just €1.50 each way and is very easy to use. The marina is about a 30-minute walk or a short bus ride away. Hotel amenities: The gym was clean and well-equipped. The spa was lovely but expensive, as was the on-site shop. We didn't use the nightclub or indoor pool, but the indoor pool looked clean and spacious. Room (Junior Suite): Spacious, spotless and well-equipped with a kettle, free stocked minibar, fridge with space for your own items and a safe (although there were no instructions on how to use it). Pools: Multiple clean pools with plenty of well-spaced sunbeds. We also loved that food wasn't allowed around the pools, which kept the area clean and free from insects. Negatives: We were told room cards would be checked for drinks, restaurants and re-entering from the beach, but this rarely happened, making it seem easy for non-guests to access the facilities. Also, some guests vaped in the non-smoking areas without staff taking action.

People who intend to book this hotel for their holiday need to know a few things about the hotel, We spent two weeks there from 9/6/26 and were ready to come home after two days, we found it not very friendly And not a happy hotel, it has a “PREFERRED CLUB” for guests them & us. So being All Inclusive dose not allowed you to use all parts of the hotel. The sun beds are very low made out of metal with a plastic cover “AND NO MATTRESS” the sun parasol are very cheap and do not shade you from the sun, many are unusable as the pins are missing to keep them up, the outside eating area have tables & chairs made out of iron and are very very noisy “sounds more like a metal factory”when people push them about, you are bombarded with loads of seagulls at eating time we seen a few people loose their breakfast and dinner were they flyaway with Sausages, bacon, rolls, and other food. On the plus side rooms are nice and large, clean though all the hotel, some staff not very friendly or helpful when we arrived we basically had to beg for help with our suitcases at 12:30am as we are both partly disabled. I wet shave and the plug in the sink didn’t keep the water in the sink even with the tap running, the public toilet were always covered in water as there was no way of drying your hands just water everywhere. We just found it to be a very noisy hotel outside the rooms. Again on the plus side we do believe all rooms face the sea and have a good outlook, it’s an adult hotel only but for us to many down sides for the price we paid of over £5,000, came home with Lots of ailments in our backs and arms after them sun beds. We weren’t asked at any time during our visit by any staff if everything was okay bear in mind the hotel is rated 4* The entertainment didn’t start till 9:30pm and as a lot of people are 65+ found it to late as it’s there time for bed, we are in our late 80s

A lovely clean hotel with comfortable rooms stayed in prefer club. All rooms have sea views which is nice. staff very friendly no issues some comments I’ve seen said they are rude but didn’t see any of that was always waited on either coffee at breakfast and drinks in the evening. Preferred club lounge plenty of cakes, fruit, cheeses and cereals as well as beers, wines , sprits and fizz. Pool lovely and plenty of sunbeds to go around, preferred club area to. Plenty of sunbeds for the beach to. Entertainment not as good as some resorts but then adults only I’ve found don’t always have much but that was fine. Khans tent one of the excursions was really good highly recommend and only 10 minutes on the coach from hotel. Food very nice plenty of choice breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We've just left Secrets and we've had a fabulous time, the bar staff, restaurant staff, pool staff, well all staff, were all lovely and couldn't do enough to help you. The food was generally good, especially for a buffet service, the two a la carte restaurants in Secrets were excellent and definitely worth a visit, however the Asian restaurant at the hotel next door wasn't very good. It wasn't perfect, but only small niggles, the pool opened at 8 but we couldn't get towels until 9, if there were enough you could swap them the night before, but there often weren't enough to do that, the sunbeds weren't very comfortable and the pools could be a little bit warmer and the entertainment whilst good only lasted for about an hour (at most) each night. One night we also couldn't even go into the night club because there was a conference on. I would also recommend going just before the start of the season, we noticed a lot more noise from the hotel next door towards the end of our stay and there were more and more people from Dreams Hotel next door having to be asked to move from the sunbeds reserved on the beach for Secrets guests. I would definitely go back though and would definitely recommend the hotel to friends.

The hotel is in a great location very quiet but within walking distance of sunny beach, but not alot open yet as it is late May. Hotel is very clean but the reception staff need to learn how to smile very miserable. The bar in the reception area are brilliant and after a few days knew our order. Rooms fairly clean but no blackout curtains or if they were there still didn't black out the sun. The restaurant had a varied selection. But why cold plates and Luke warm food. Now the really bad experience, the hotel held a Pharmaceuticals conference for 4/5 days, the reception took half our seating area and replaced it with the Pharmaceutical stalls, advertising billboards, the people attending used the bar and cafe taking large amounts of food and causing ques and were aggressive to guest and took all the seating area which we thought were for guests. Jet2 and TUI knew this event was taking place but did not bother to tell their clients. Totally unacceptable and it ruined 4 days of our holiday.

Returned recently from our 3rd visit to this amazing hotel everything is 5-star plus: staff, rooms, food it's so good we have already booked to return later this year having holidays abroad for over 50 years and this is the best that suited our needs, not sure about the rest of Sunny Beach because at our time of life it's all about relaxation in the perfect place and this is it

location is nice at the quiet end of the bay, about 15 mins walk from sunny beach itself,3rd week in May and many of shops bars and hotels were just starting to prep for opening ( we didn't go to visit sunny beach so not an issue for us). We went with the preferred club and the room was large, top floor with balcony at front of hotel, mini bar with soft drinks and beer, bottle of wine on table and as further nice touch a bottle of prosecco and a happy birthday note for my partner. Large bed, sofa and table and chairs. Bathroom is by the main door and has no door other than for the toilet so if you're in the shower and someone opens the door to the room anyone passing could see you in shower! Club lounge was ok drinks and snacks- charcuterie, donuts, cereals and muesli and fruit. Branded alcohol. Not all the restaurants were open, food was ok very similar every day but plenty of choice, waiting staff pleasant enough and quick to ask for your drinks order as you took your table. We arrived around midnight check in was swift and there was some food left out but not much. We got a late check out with the preferred club and they told us to keep the keycard so we had access to the club lounge until transfer time which was a nice touch as we had a late transfer time. Plenty of sun loungers and some day beds, pools are not heated so beware! Jacuzzi wasn't working properly in the indoor pool. Frustrations were - Air con not working so had to leave balcony doors open which was not a major issue apart from night when there was a brief thunderstorm. Some of the staff were a little abrupt or aloof but not rude, I think it's a cultural thing. On the last day they we setting up for a conference so trade stands and delegates all over the lobby and seemed to be getting busier. The lifts were a constant source of amusement, all seemed to be linked so delays as they all lurched up and down and on one occasion leaving the 13th floor to ground floor my lift changed its mind and headed back up to the 8th floor from the 2nd before going to ground floor. Odd ! If you decide to eat on the veranda don't leave your table with food on it, the seagulls will dive bomb and chaos will ensue as we found out ! Overall it was a nice enough hotel and location, for what we paid I was happy enough.