On arrival at the Family Hotel Compliment in the Bulgarian town of Tryavna, we were fortunate that our room (201) was ready at 12.30pm. The bad news was that it was up a flight of steps, with no lift and no offer of help, but there was good news – we were on the first rather than the second floor. The receptionist spoke good English and maps of the town, famous for its wood carving craftsmen, were available.
Our relatively spacious room was modern and bright with white walls and furniture enhanced by splashes of vibrant colour. The double bed had individual duvets and two pillows each with bedside tables, lights and charging points. There was a desk with chair, empty fridge underneath it, a wall mounted TV, with open plan hanging space serving as a wardrobe. An easy chair appeared to be convertible in to a single bed.
As our room was the last in the row, our tiny balcony could only accommodate a table and one chair, however, it was a little chilly in September, so it’s highly unlikely we would have sat out.
The reasonable-sized bathroom had a walk in shower, with hot powerful water and a suitable sized screen which didn’t flood the floor. The lighting was good and despite it being a ‘box hairdryer’, it was effective.
There was a small lobby bar, for alcohol and day time coffees, with a modern seating area and a bookcase with lots of games and books. There were also outdoor chairs in the narrow passageway at the side of the hotel.
Breakfast, served from 8.30am, was a quirky affair in that it was served in a restaurant, The Old Vine Tavern, just down the main street and fortunately it wasn’t raining. It required two cards that were included with the key card, which I’d thought were complimentary bookmarks. Although we were offered a table on the terrace, we plumped to sit inside as the morning air was cool, and we were slightly underdressed as we’d not bargained for having to walk outside. There were five set menus all served with tea or coffee, and we opted for number three: a hot ham and yellow cheese sandwich, with tomato and cucumber. It was very good and the having been asked if we wanted long or short coffee, we were offered small jugs of frothed milk. The restaurant was very traditional, and in complete contrast to the modern interior of the hotel. Whether or not there is any relationship between the two, or it is just a marriage of convenience is anyone’s guess, but it suited our one night stay as it was centrally located in the town.
