WATER KINGDOM
LOCATION
St. Constantine and Helena is a resort town around ten kilometres from Varna. Its name comes from an Orthodox monastery originating from the 16th century. The allure of the landscape in this area has always intrigued the residents of Varna, who came here seeking a refreshing retreat from the summer heat. Among its most illustrious visitors was Bulgaria’s first prince, Alexander of Battenberg, who first visited in 1880. Soon after, the Sandrovo palace was built and later renamed to Euxinograd. The imposing building marked the start of tourism, which started intensively developing around 1907. Today, the resort is the oldest in Bulgaria, renowned for luxury hotels and stunningly beautiful surroundings dominated by black pine trees. Many of these specimens were brought from France when the resort opened its doors. What propelled the development of the resort was the discovery of seven mineral water springs at a depth of 1,800 to 2,050 metres below earth. The healing water has a constant temperature of 40 to 60 degrees Celsius. Following the privatisation in the nineties, the St. Constantine and Helena Holding JSC became the owners of the resort. In 2022, the private company opened its latest addition, Aquahouse Hotel & Spa, and entrusted the distinguished hotel chain Ensana to manage it. The hotel chain has gained acclaim for managing spa hotels in Central Europe. This hotel marks the first Bulgarian hotel in their expanding portfolio.
ACCESSIBILITY
The hotel is located in the immediate vicinity of Varna (ten kilometres), while the airport is approximately 16 kilometres away. Although traffic jams are impossible to avoid, public transport is reliable. With half a million residents, Bulgaria’s third-largest city depends on all types of public transportation. If you are in a rush, the fastest way to reach the resort is by trusting resourceful taxi drivers who know the side roads well. The airport in Varna is popular in the summer and offers several regular and charter connections. Arriving in Varna in the winter takes more planning. Arriving by car from Sofia is not the easiest path, as no motorway connects the two cities, unlike the silky smooth motorway connecting Sofia with Burgas. Still, the city makes up for the ride. The beautiful Sea Garden Park is a wonderful place for strolling and recreation. The greenery of St. Constantine and Helena is incredible, too, with numerous jogging paths strewn across the coastal town. Cycling routes are less impressive and few in number. Varna has some work to do to become a cyclist-friendly destination.
COLD STARTER - Architecture and aesthetics
An elegant hotel façade encircled by a century-old forest with imposing pine trees makes a great first impression. Most of the pine trees have stood here since the resort first opened. Architects from the Starh architectural bureau envisaged a brilliantly organic and elegant solution for the hotel’s exterior. A monolithic façade in sandy colours oozes elegance. Its arcades are reminiscent of sea waves. Even the hotel’s size does not clash with the surroundings. The four-storey hotel does not protrude from the canopies of the pine trees. The interior is refined, boasting furniture in sandy hues. The ceramics are quality-made, and the lounge-style layout invites guests to stop and revel in the light the architects intentionally let inside. An alluring installation next to the hotel entrance has become a hotspot for Instagram-savvy guests. Our only remark concerns the vast, not exactly intimate restaurant The Terrace, which feels a bit crammed together. Otherwise, the hotel’s architecture is fantastic and incredibly functional. The same can be said for the hotel signage system.
WARM ENTRÉE - The staff and the culinary experience
A part of the hotel experience is interacting with the staff, who wear casual clothes. Do not be fooled by their youthful and laid-back approach. They are still incredibly professional. The entire check-in process was smooth, uncomplicated, and with an accompanying smile, even though the hotel was jam-packed. Regarding gastronomy, we must note that the hotel has adopted an all-inclusive approach. That means breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included in the price. The restaurant is self-service with a broad offer and meets the five-star expectations. The menus change daily and serve different global cuisines (Mexican, Asian, Oriental, etc.). Included in the all-inclusive concept is also a selection of complimentary wine, beer and soft drinks served in bars and restaurants of the resort. As everything runs flawlessly, guests favour this type of service here. However, this type of cuisine is not the most sustainable. Demanding guests who prefer à la carte cuisine can resort to the Monty Restaurant, where one of Bulgaria’s best chefs, Stanislav Petkov, curates the menu. Indeed, the gastronomy at Aquahouse Hotel & Spa is rich, diverse and tailored to all guests. Cuisine is one of the hotel’s many trump cards.
MAIN COURSE – The meetings offering at the hotel
Hotel rooms
We stayed in the Superior room overlooking the park. Spread over 47 square metres, the spacious room included a lovely balcony overlooking the hotel park. The bathroom with a spacious countertop was incredible, and everything was where we needed it. The Rituals cosmetics contribute to a pampering experience. The room follows the current architectural trends and includes a coarse beige-coloured concrete ceiling. Likewise, sandy hues dominate the flooring, mirroring the sandy Bay Beach nearby. The furniture boasts a popular industrial style, pairing oak wood with graphite-metal elements. Lights feature a similar design, albeit we found them clumsy to turn on and off. The quality bed was above standard. Altogether, the room appears airy, modern and comfortable. Still, fans of classic hotel rooms who are not fond of hotel minimalism may choose a different hotel. As always, a matter of taste.
Meetings centre
The hotel boasts a spacious conference hall. It can host up to 251 attendees or 174 participants in a banquet setting and can be divided in two. Of course, there are numerous other halls in other hotels within the resort, all within walking distance. Alternatively, events take place on the terraces or in tidy public areas. Aquahouse Hotel & Spa is thus ideal for classic conferences, demanding incentive programmes or corporate team buildings. Fantastic!
DESSERT – The extras
Aquahouse Thermal & Beach is a brand-new thermal complex that continues the spa tourism tradition nurtured by the resort. As Ensana took over the management, guests can expect numerous new balneological and preventative health treatments. The complex, comprising 14 pools and stretching over 6000 m2, boasts a truly impressive and broad offer.
FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES
You may feel overcrowded at breakfast and dinner when the hotel is packed. That makes the experience less impressive, although the cuisine is remarkable. Perhaps a different layout would improve the culinary experience. We occasionally felt as if we were in a gigantic cafeteria.
TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES
Resorts boasting such a splendidly diverse offer are rare in Europe. They are more typical of exotic outposts and resort towns across Antalya in Turkey. We were most impressed by the story of thermal water that makes the hotel stand out in Bulgaria and further.
SUSTAINABLE ACTIVITIES
Should we evaluate the hotel’s sustainability by its eye-catching cosmetics, then it is evident they have not addressed sustainability yet. They have a long way to go and should improve communication with guests, too.
FINAL IMPRESSION AND CREDIBILITY
Aquahouse Hotel & Spa is an appealing and elegant hotel whose creators and architects ensured the architecture will remain timeless. The minimalist interior is equally impressive and typical of modern design hotels. Put together, the hotel feels impressively inviting and, more importantly, guest-friendly and well-thought-out. The hotel can stand toe-to-toe with the best meeting hotels in our comparison. Its thermal spa offer makes it a likely contender for the top spot. In addition, the hotel’s conference offer makes it perfect for all types of events. We believe incentive events suit it best. The value for money is particularly impressive. Given the Ultra All Inclusive concept, the price is surprisingly affordable, although still high for Bulgarian standards. Guests seeking world-class quality for a reasonable price should put this hotel on their list. Aquahouse Hotel & Spa has filled the gap in the Bulgarian coastal meetings offer.
FINAL GRADE: 4.91 GOLD Spa Meeting Hotel
GOLD final score from 4.81 to 5.00
SILVER final score from 4.61 to 4.80
BRONZE final score from 4.41 to 4.60
