We had a lovely all inclusive hotel stay in Golden Sands, near Varna and we share our experience from the beautiful hotel Sentido Marea.

The hotel exceeded our expectations with the excellent food and outstanding service we received and changed our perception about all inclusive hotels in Bulgaria. The sandy beach, comfortable room equipped with all you need and clean and well maintained hotel made our stay pleasant and enjoyable.

1. Why We Chose Hotel Sentido Marea

We considered a few accommodation options to stay in Varna but Paul had the great idea to check hotels in Golden Sands and Grifid Hotels caught our eye. After shortlisting a few Griffid Hotels, we chose this one that fit our budget and requirements.

Here is why we chose hotel Sentido Marea.

• Beachfront location
• Ultra all inclusive offering
• Excellent reviews on Trip Advisor
• Great value for money

You can read more about the hotel and our experience below.

2. How to Get to Hotel Sentido Marea

Hotel Sentido Marea is located in Golden Sands, about 25 km from Varna International Airport (VAR), making it easily accessible by a 30-40 minute taxi ride or airport transfer. For those driving, the hotel is about a 20-30 minute scenic drive from Varna via the E87 coastal road.

Alternatively, public transportation is another way to reach the hotel. Buses 409 and 9A run from Varna’s city center to Golden Sands, with a journey time of about 40-50 minutes. The bus stops are a short walk from the hotel, making it a convenient and budget-friendly option.

One additional nice perk if you book directly with the hotel, for stays over 6 nights, you will receive a complimentary airport transfer to and from the hotel. As we travelled by train, this was a very handy benefit with the transfer from Varna Central train station of about 30 minutes to the hotel.

Address: Hotel Sentido Marea, Zlatni pyasatsi, Primorski, 9007 Varna, Bulgaria

3. Reception and Lobby at Hotel Sentido Marea

Upon entering hotel Sentido Marea, we were immediately greeted by the spacious and beautifully designed reception area, which set a warm and inviting tone. The modern decor features sleek lines, soft lighting, and stylish furniture, combining elegance with comfort.

The reception desk is staffed with friendly, multilingual employees who provide efficient check-in service, ensuring a smooth start to your vacation. The check-in experience was smooth and straight forward.

Reception staff were friendly and happy to answer any questions.

Additionally, the guest relations service is located in the lobby area, offering assistance with reservations, special requests, and local recommendations. Katya was extremely helpful and polite and assisted us with the booking of the two a-la-carte restaurants we visited.

4. Room Overview at Hotel Sentido Marea

Completely renovated in 2017, Hotel Sentido Marea boasts 298 contemporary rooms featuring vibrant and stylish décor, designed to accommodate both couples and families.

We stood in a double sea view room with beautiful views towards the sea. The room was clean and spotless. Daily housekeeping ensured the room was cleaned regularly and towels were changed on a daily basis.

We found the room to be spacious and with lots of day light coming through. We had a large bed (two beds put together) a sofa and a table in the room. The bed was comfortable and we enjoyed the selection of pillows that were offered, which we haven’t seen in other hotels.

Essentially you can choose from six types of “special pillows” from the pillow menu to cater to your needs, subject to availability. I chose the herbal pillow with magnets and Paul chose a medium-hard pillow.

We had all the usual and necessary things in the room to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. The room was beautifully decorated and featured a smart TV. In addition, we had AC, hairdryer, mini bar, safe box and coffee making facilities. The mini bar was refilled on a daily basis with water, soft drinks and beer.

There was plenty of storage and a spacious wardrobe with shelves and hangers. I also loved the full length mirror in the room.

Our room was on the third floor with a view towards the sea. One of the hotel’s standout features is its prime location, offering guests breathtaking sea views that enhance the overall experience.

The room also had a balcony with sitting area and a drying rack. We particularly enjoyed watching the beautiful sunrises in the morning.

The bathroom was a good size with walk-in shower, large mirror and a smaller make up mirror.

Standard toiletries including shower caps and shampoo/shower gel were provided in the bathroom. We were really impressed of the level of cleanliness throughout the hotel, and the bathroom was no exception.

5. Food and Drinks at Hotel Sentido Marea

The food was a real highlight! All food was fresh, well cooked and presented beautifully. We will certainly consider this hotel in the future or other hotels from the Grifid Hotels chain.

In the past we had bad experiences from Bulgarian all-inclusive hotels and haven’t been to one since 2012, but Hotel Sentido Marea totally changed our perception about this. The food exceeded all out expectations.

The hotel offers two restaurants, take away snack bar and four bars. There’s a food truck by the beach serving ice-cream too.

As part of the GRIFID Dine Around Program, guests can enjoy complimentary dinners at a variety of a-la-carte restaurants in the nearby sister hotels, Encanto Beach and Moko Beach, offering diverse cuisine options. Reservations and a minimum stay of 4 nights are required.

5.1. Main Restaurant

The main restaurant is buffet style where breakfast, lunch, dinner and midnight snack are served. You are welcomed by one of the friedly staff members who show you to your seat.

The restaurant is split into sections and you can choose to sit outside (smoking or non-smoking area) or inside. Inside the restaurant, there is an adults only zone, which we found very thoughtful.

You’ll find a range of hot and cold dishes on offer here for you to choose from. You can also enjoy live cooking sections during the service. There is also a kids section with baby food, catering to the youngest visitors.

For breakfast, you can enjoy fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs and Paul’s favourite: cheese omelette. Bacon and local sausages are also available. Pancakes and waffles are cooked daily as well as French toast.

Traditional Bulgarian dishes such as banitsa are also on offer, however, we didn’t find it to our taste. We enjoyed the selection of breads and absolutely loved the Turkish simits.

The bread section offers freshly made bread with selection of flavoured butters. The pastries were delicious and freshly made every morning.

In the Bulgarian section you can find local delights as well as sparkling wine.

The salad bar offers a lot of choices and you can find a variety of fresh fruits and desserts. There is a good selection of celeals, muesli, porridge and variety of seeds, nuts and jams as well. Different types of honey and honeycomb are also available and beautifully presented at the buffet.

The coffee was from a bean to coffee machine but in my opinion wasn’t great. The highlight was the smoothies/ fresh juices available each morning – watermelon, melon, orange, grapefruit etc.

For lunch and dinner the food selection was very good and varied. You can enjoy delicious vegetables and salads from the salad bar or you can go to the pizza and pasta sections for some Italian cuisine.

Meats such as chicken, beef, turkey, duck, rabbit, fish and seafood were available. I enjoyed the fish and seafood dishes and both of us absolutely loved the roasted duck and variety of rabbit dishes. Paul loves rabbit and for the first time he said he had enough rabbit dishes 🙂

Lots of options were available for vegetarians and vegans and there was a variety of side dishes such as potatoes, rice, steamed or grilled vegetables etc.

During the lunch and dinner service, there was a great selection of desserts and lots of fresh fruit.

For lunch and dinner you can also get beer and wine in addition to soft drinks. Unlike other all inclusive hotels we have been to, there was no table service at this hotel.

All in all, the food was delicious and well cooked. All staff members were welcoming and smiley which made for an even better dining experience. We enjoyed the variety of the food and the high quality ingredients.

The only downside we found is that plates weren’t cleared promtly. A few times we had to ask staff members to clear the empty plates which we had already put aside for more than 10 minutes.

5.2. A la Carte Restaurant Enoteca (Bulgarian Restaurant)

You can also choose to dine at the a la carte Bulgarian restaurant Enoteca, subject to the above mentioned minimum nights stay. This is perfect for special occasions and to sample traditional Bulgarian food in a nice ambience.

Overall the food was good but not amazing. The service could have been better, as we found our waitress wasn’t very attentive and empty dishes weren’t cleared from the table.

We had a selection of traditional appetisers and of couse – salads. Paul had a green salad with a shot of rakia and I had the shopska salad. We then had some starters.

For my main course I chose the fish and Paul chose the “sirene po shopski”, a Bulgarian dish made from tomatoes and sirene cheese cooked in small earthenware pots with a lid (gyuveche). My fish was well cooked and tasty but Paul wasn’t particularly satisfied with his main course.

I finished the meal with the biscuit cake whilst Paul chose not to have a dessert. In all honesty, we left the restaurant and went to the buffet for a top up as the food at the buffet was tastier than at the a la carte restaurant.

Overall, we enjoyed the traditional decor but the food and the service weren’t great.

5.3. A la Carte Restaurant Foodisiac (Mediterranean Cuisine)

You can also choose to dine at another a la carte restaurant by the beach called Foodisiac, subject to minimum nights stay.

This restaurant offers Mediterranean cuisine and a nice ambience. During our visit the weather wasn’t particularly warm in the evening, so we had dinner indoors in the restaurant.

We had a selection of appetisers and salads to start with. I had the Cesar salad and Paul got the Greek salad. Both were delicious and prepared with fresh ingredients.

For starters, we both selected the mussels. They were absolutely delicious and the sauce was packed with flavour. I even asked for bread so I can soak the beautiful broth from the mussels.

For mains, we both chose the seafood main course which was with prawns, squid and a selection of vegetables. We both enjoyed it very much and paired with wine, it was a delicious meal.

Desserts were good too. I went for the ice-cream selection and Paul chose the chocolate mousse with blueberries.

Overall, we had a great experience in this restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed the food. The waitress delivered great service, was attentive, polite and professional.

5.4. Take Away Snack Bar

We tried the snack bar a few times during our stay. If you are feeling peckish, you can get sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, cookies, brownies, muffins, fresh fruit, water, coffee and soft drinks.

It is more of a take away place than a bar but you can still grab some drinks from here. The outside seating area of the snack bar is very nice and you can enjoy the sea views whilst watching people passing by.

5.5. Food Truck on the Beach

Opposite the Snack Bar and right by the beach you will find the food truck.

Here you can enjoy a selection of delicious ice-cream and toppings. Needless to say, I was a regular here 🙂

5.6. Blue Bar (24 hours)

This bar is located by the main reception and offers 24 hours ultra all-inclusive including international and local alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages and refreshing cocktails, soft drinks, coffee, tea, draught beer and local wine.

You can choose to sit inside on the comfortable soft armchairs and sofa or you can choose to sit on the terrace outside enjoying the amazing sea views. Our favourite part of Blue Bar was the outside area and the balcony, offering great views towards the sea.

5.7. Senso Bar

Senso Bar is where we spent most evenings. It is located next to the main restaurant and is the perfect place to go to after dinner.

The bar shares the same outside seating area as the Snack Bar and is a great way to enjoy some drinks on a hot summer day. Similar to the Blue Bar, you can order international and local alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages and refreshing cocktails, soft drinks, coffee, tea, draught beer and local wine.

My favourite drink was the pink gin and tonic and Paul kept to his usual vodka and coke.

5.8. Pool Bar

The pool bar is another place you can enjoy. We didn’t spend much time here as we didn’t hang around the pool area.

This bar is also opened in the evening, so if you are attending the evening entertainment programme, you can grab a drink from here.

5.9. Beach Bar

The beach bar was great and this was the bar we visited the most during the day. Would definitely recommend the frappe (ice coffee) which we had every day. It was delicious.

If you fancy cocktails or alcoholic drinks, from here you can only get local brands.

You can get your drinks to the beach or you can chill at the seating area and enjoy the beach views.

6. Beach at Hotel Sentido Marea

One of the highlights of hotel Sentido Marea is its direct access to a wide, sandy beach that stretches along the beautiful Black Sea coast. The beach is well-maintained, offering plenty of space for guests to relax and soak up the sun.

The soft golden sand and gentle waves make it perfect for a peaceful day by the water, whether you prefer lounging or taking a swim. It really reminded us of our time in Mamaia, Romania.

As part of the all inclusive offer, you get one parasol and two sun beds per room. We didn’t have issues with the sunbeds as we went towards the end of the summer season but during peak times you may want to go to the beach early.

One of the reasons we chose this hotel is the prime beachfront location. You are literally steps away from the beach allowing you to fully embrace the relaxing atmosphere of the sea.

Paul also seized the opportunity to complete the annual beach burrial.

7. Swimming Pools at Hotel Sentido Marea

There are two outside swimming pools – one for adults and another one for children. There is also an indoor swimming pool at the spa, which we visited once and we had the chance to visit the infiinity pool at the nearby sister hotel

7.1. Outdoor Pool

By the main outdoor pool, loungers and parasols are available. A lifeguard is also on duty. We didn’t spend time at the pool as we preferred staying at the beach.

7.2. Indoor Heated Pool

We visited the indoor pool once as we were attracted by the beautiful design. The pool is heated, so if the weather disappoints you, you can always go for a swim or splash in the indoor heated pool.

We found the water rather warm and in general it was too humid for us but if it was rainy, we would have happily spent more time here.

7.3. Kid’s Mini Aqua Park

There is also an outdoor pool for kids with a mini aqua park. The hotel is suitable for families with children and this mini aqua park caters to the youngest visitors.

The kid’s pool is by the beach and across the road from the main outdoor pool.

7.4. Infinity Rooftop Pool at Hotel Encanto Beach*

*During our stay, we had the chance to visit the stunning infinity rooftop pool at the nearby sister hotel, Grifid Encanto Beach.

The panoramic views from above were breathtaking, with sweeping vistas of the coastline and the sparkling Black Sea. We spent some time both in the pool and relaxing at the adjacent bar, soaking in the serene atmosphere while admiring the view.

Since we visited in late September, the pool water was quite cold, which limited our time swimming. However, we can only imagine how perfect this spot would be on a hot summer day—ideal for cooling off while enjoying the spectacular scenery.

8. Entertainment and Activities at Hotel Sentido Marea

The hotel offers evening entertainment and some activities during the day for kids and adults as well as mini club for the youngest guests. You get animation with daily program with different activities – gymnastics, aerobics, pilates, zumba, yoga, beach volleyball, darts etc.

During the day, Paul joined the beach volleyball games but the animation team didn’t seem to play according to the rules of the game instead promoted an in house blend of made up rules which ended up being confusing. Additionally, we both played darts which was enjoyable and fun.

In the evenings there were performers as well as live music on the different evenings but not as high calibre when compared to other all inclusive hotels we have been to such as Hotel Magic World Sharm in Egypt.

Entertainment wasn’t very important to us, so it didn’t bother us too much. We did join three of the evening entertainment programmes and found them disappointing to say the least and there we say it, amateur.

9. Hotel Facilities and Services at Sentido Marea

The hotel offers a variety of additional services and facilities to enhance your stay.

For those looking to stay active or unwind, the hotel features gym and spa facilities. While we didn’t use them during our visit, they are available for guests seeking fitness or relaxation.

A convenient beach towel service is offered for guests. Although we brought our own towels, the hotel provides fresh towels daily, which you can easily pick up from reception by exchanging your used ones.

The Guest Relations desk, located in the lobby near the main reception, is your go-to for booking a-la-carte restaurants, arranging excursions, or getting more information about the hotel’s offerings.

For those who enjoy reading or board games, the hotel has a well-stocked library by the reception. We were pleasantly surprised to find a game of Yahtzee, which we had forgotten at home. Additionally, “book stations” around the hotel and by the beach allow guests to borrow a book, which we thought was a thoughtful touch.

There’s also a currency exchange service conveniently located near the reception for guests needing to exchange money.

For those driving, secured parking is available near the hotel for an additional daily fee.

10. Our Experience at Hotel Sentido Marea

Our stay at Hotel Sentido Marea was truly exceptional, exceeding our expectations in every way. This experience has completely changed our view of Bulgarian all-inclusive resorts, and we will definitely consider returning to Sentido Marea and exploring other hotels within the Grifid group in the future.

The food was a highlight of our stay—delicious, varied, and expertly prepared. We enjoyed a wide selection of dishes, including fresh seafood, rabbit, duck, turkey, chicken, beef, and lamb, making every meal a delightful experience.

Customer service at the hotel was outstanding. The staff were always smiling, friendly, and welcoming, greeting us warmly each time we passed by. They were eager to assist with any questions we had, and their genuine hospitality added greatly to the positive atmosphere of the hotel.

We were particularly impressed by the immaculate hotel grounds and the high standard of cleanliness. The staff and management deserve praise for maintaining such an excellent level of hygiene throughout the hotel.

The hotel itself is beautifully maintained and tastefully decorated. Our room was spacious, filled with natural light, and offered plenty of storage space. It was also ideal for both relaxation and work, with a comfortable desk area inside and on the balcony.

The pillow menu was a thoughtful touch, adding to the overall comfort.

Wi-Fi coverage was strong throughout the hotel, with the exception of the beach, where we used mobile data. We had no issues with connectivity in our room or other hotel areas, which was important since we were working during our stay.

11. Final Thoughts

Hotel Sentido Marea proved to be an outstanding destination for both couples and families, offering a perfect blend of comfort, relaxation, and excellent service.

The hotel’s beachfront location, coupled with its well-maintained facilities, ensured that we had everything we needed for a memorable stay.

Whether you’re looking to unwind by the beach, enjoy gourmet meals, or take advantage of the various activities available, Hotel Sentido Marea has something for everyone.

Our experience here surpassed our expectations, and we would highly recommend Hotel Sentido Marea for anyone seeking a high-quality, all-inclusive holiday in Golden Sands, Bulgaria.

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