Kempinski Hotel Grand Arena Bansko

👍🏼The hotel is big and clearly well-maintained. The rooms are spacious and very clean. There was a huge selection at breakfast – I’ve never seen such a wide variety before. The girls at the reception were polite and friendly (the guys could definitely learn a thing or two from them). 👎However, we had an unpleasant situation during breakfast. We had taken a table, started bringing our food, and even had our tea there. When we came back, the table was taken. The people occupying it completely ignored our request to move. We called a waiter, but he seemed very confused and just walked away. We had to resolve the situation ourselves in front of all the other guests. This could have been easily avoided if someone had been assigned to monitor the terrace – to keep track of who is sitting where and who is leaving. At the entrance to the restaurant, there are two girls taking down room numbers, and there’s plenty of staff in general. But most of the time, staff members seem to be busy with unclear tasks (not only in the restaurant but also in the spa): sitting on their phones, chatting with each other, etc. This really shouldn’t happen, because some people are working hard and doing the job of three, while others ruin the overall impression.

We stayed for 3 nights in July and had a fantastic experience. The highlight for was the stunning mountain view from both our room and the patio—absolutely breathtaking. We also really enjoyed the outdoor pools and spa. The breakfast buffet and dinner were both exceptional, with plenty of variety and high-quality food. The hotel’s location is also a big plus—just a short walk to the gondola and close to many great restaurants and bars in Bansko. Highly recommended!

I chose this hotel because many of my friends visit it and I had high expectations. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the service — I had to ask twice before they finally changed something in the room. The coffee they offer is really poor, with no option to order a better quality one. The cappuccino was especially bad, which is unacceptable considering the price-quality ratio. The water in the kids’ pool was quite dirty. The cocktails are also very low quality, and for the price you pay, they do not match the hotel’s star rating at all. The barbecue was nice, but when I found out that all the leftover food is simply thrown away, I couldn’t understand why a hotel of this standard doesn’t have any kind of food waste policy. At the very least, they could reduce the cooking once people have already eaten, instead of wasting such large amounts. The staff is polite, but very few of them seem to know their responsibilities or how to help you right away — which is unacceptable for a hotel of this category.

The rooms are spacious, the facilities are good, breakfast is excellent, and the location is arguably the best in Bansko. Unfortunately, my arrival experience left a very negative impression. The security staff approached me in an unnecessarily aggressive manner and insisted that I leave my bikes outside, telling me it was entirely my problem that I didn’t have locks for them. Despite asking several times to be shown the storage room, he continued to argue and behave rudely. Eventually, he instructed two guest service assistants to escort me to the storage room — where, ironically, there were already numerous bikes of all types being stored safely. I also noticed in the review section that there had been previous complaints about the behavior of the security staff, to which the hotel responded that they were undergoing a re-evaluation process. That review was more than a month ago, yet nothing seems to have changed. Well, let me help with that re-evaluation — such behavior is completely unacceptable, especially in a hotel that claims to be luxurious. To add to the poor first impression, I then had to wait another 30 minutes (despite it being 4:30 PM) for my room to be ready. Overall, the hotel itself is very nice, but an arrival experience like this really sets the tone for the stay in the wrong way.

We were there in the summer. The location is beautiful and would be very convenient for skiing with the gondola right nearby. The hotel is very clean and feels very comfortable. The pools and spa are very, very nice with the spa area having many options: Finish sauna, bio-sauna, cold room, and others. All these areas seemed very well maintained and clean.||Pros:|The buffet breakfast is excellent. Lots of variety, a cooked to order ‘omelette’ station which is always great because the premade eggs in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries are usually a little challenging for Americans - not that they are good for people who like them, just that made to order eggs are always much nicer ;)|There was actual fresh squeezed orange and grapefruit juice which was excellent. I added the actual because so many places will claim theirs is fresh squeezed when it’s from a box. The service at breakfast was also excellent.||The front desk staff was very friendly.||Cons:|The food from the pool bar was very good and this made it extra disappointing when we ordered the same items from the lobby bar and they were much lower quality. They must be made by a different kitchen because they were so extremely different in quality.||The beds were squishy and lumpy. For a Kempinski hotel, having the cheap beds (or worn out beds) was disappointing. These might be typical in regular Bulgarian hotels but not usually the kind that the other Western European brand hotels in Bulgaria have. Alas, these beds were some of the worst of our trip.|The bathroom is dated and also doesn’t meet the usual standards of this level hotel. Housekeeping was minimal in what they serviced each day.|None of these items were bad but just mentioning them because for the cost of the rooms, they are unexpected, although I had read another review about the beds not being great.||Also the cost of food and drink at the hotel is high for Bulgaria but we have been finding that the restaurant costs this trip are so much higher than in the past - even at small local restaurants. They are on the higher side of what you’d find in other European countries and in the US. Alas, the Bulgarian lower cost of travel seems to be a thing of the past… maybe because they will be switching to the Euro or just rising inflation costs etc.||I would choose to stay at this hotel again because the pros definitely outweighed the cons and we had a great stay.

I hosted a wellness event at the resort, and the crew and I had a wonderful time! The staff was supportive and helpful and catered to our needs. There was constant check-in from management to ensure my guests and I are happy, and our needs are met. The food was fresh and delicious. Breakfast offered a great variety and was convenient, especially for groups. Lunch at La Veranda was in a fun atmosphere and portions and quality of offerings were super. La Prima offered an amazing 5-star menu. Delicious. The desserts were out of this world. Rooms are spacious. Views are breathtaking. Resort is spacious and very clean. Also very conveniently located - short walking distance to the center of town. Spa is fabulous. Clean and offers a good variety. Thank you for the fabulous experience! Look forward to going back!

Five star prices, however the quality is mostly subpar. The hotel has an old and wooden feel to it, however more like "washed up" old, rather than "luxurious" old. I visited the place in 2015 and now in 2025, and there is literally no change. The rooms are mid size, with no luxurious feel to then, the bathrooms are fine. If you are with a baby, it is a challenge. There are not enough ramps to reach the spa/garden, and the cobblestones infront do not help. Speaking about the garden, it it laughably small. During one of the days, our room was cleaned in the late afternoon, after several requests. The wifi was almost nonexistent. On a positive note, the location is excellent and the breakfast is good. In the Come Prima restaurant, the service is great, however the food is average at best, for that price. Overall would only recommend it if it is very discounted offer. For the full price, it is not worth it.

This hotel has always been and remains by far the best in Bansko - the first thing to mention is a very attentive and professional service throughout the hotel, followed by a great choice of different dining venues and a great spa with indoor and outdoor pools. All of that is complemented by amazing scenery with spectacular Pirin Mountains as a backdrop. |Highly recommended any time of the year!