Sozopol, Bulgaria has two hotels at the top official category: a boutique hotel on the Old Town waterfront and a car-free complex with apartments on a cape next to Arkutino beach. Choose between town life on the harbour and space by the sand.
Sozopol and its two top-category hotels
Sozopol sits on a rocky peninsula 34 km from Burgas. It is the oldest town on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, founded in 610 BC as Apollonia Pontica, and more than 180 National Revival houses from the 18th and 19th centuries still stand. The Old Town was declared an architectural and historical reserve in 1965.
Two hotels in Sozopol hold the top official category, and they offer very different holidays. One puts you on the waterfront of the Old Town; the other is a self-contained complex in the Arkutino area. The hotels give no distance between them, so ask if you plan to split a stay.
Blu Bay: the Old Town waterfront
Blu Bay Hotel
Blu Bay says it sits in the Old Town, right on the waterfront by the marina and a few steps from the beach, at 15 Kraibrezhna Street. It calls itself a boutique hotel, with 45 rooms, a rooftop infinity pool facing the sea and the Boca Grande restaurant.
Wellness is the other draw. The hotel lists a hammam, a sauna and massages, Technogym fitness open to guests around the clock, and yoga and meditation. It offers parking for all guests and can arrange airport transfers.
It suits couples and friends who want to walk out into the old streets, and anyone planning a spa or yoga break. Families who need play areas will find more at Saint Thomas. Check availability
Saint Thomas: a car-free complex by Arkutino beach
Saint Thomas (Sveti Toma) Holiday Village Hotel
Saint Thomas stands on the Nos Humata cape in the Arkutino area: a hotel plus apartment buildings in the old Sozopol style. Cars are kept out of the complex to keep it quiet, and the hotel says it is next to Arkutino beach.
For families, the hotel lists a children's playroom, playgrounds, animators and a kindergarten, plus a grocery store and a beach shop. Eight apartment buildings hold one and two-bedroom apartments of 45 to 85 square metres with a kitchen corner, and apartment guests can use all hotel services. Note that these buildings have no lift.
There is also a spa centre with massages and treatments, a relax zone with an indoor pool, a gym and two restaurants, including the Italian La Cantina. The hotel says Saint Thomas beach, also called Dunes South, is right next door, and Arkutino beach is reached by shuttle, with free sunbeds and parasols for guests. Check availability
Side by side
| Hotel | Setting | Rooms register | Pools and spa | For children | Parking | Official category | Board | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blu Bay Hotel | Old Town waterfront, on the marina | 45 | Rooftop infinity pool; hammam, sauna, massages | ask the hotel | Parking for all guests | 5-star | BB | View hotel |
| Saint Thomas (Sveti Toma) Holiday Village Hotel | Car-free complex on Nos Humata, next to Arkutino beach, with eight apartment buildings | 59 | Indoor pool, relax zone, spa centre | Playroom, playgrounds, animators, kindergarten | ask the hotel | 5-star | BB, HB | View hotel |
Which one to book
- Choose Blu Bay if you want to step straight out into the Old Town, value a rooftop pool and a hammam, and travel as a couple or with friends.
- Choose Saint Thomas if you are travelling with children, want an apartment with a kitchen corner, or prefer a car-free complex with a beach next door.
- Think twice about Saint Thomas if stairs are a problem and you had an apartment in mind, as those buildings have no lift; ask the hotel which rooms suit you.
See both hotels on Sozopol hotels, or compare other resorts across Bulgaria.
Questions
How many hotels in Sozopol hold the top official category?
Two. Blu Bay Hotel, on the Old Town waterfront, and Saint Thomas (Sveti Toma) Holiday Village Hotel, on the Nos Humata cape by Arkutino beach, are the only Sozopol hotels at the top category in the national tourist register. They suit very different trips, so compare both before you book.
Which Sozopol hotel is in the Old Town?
Blu Bay. The hotel says it sits in the Old Town, right on the waterfront by the marina and a few steps from the beach, at 15 Kraibrezhna Street. Saint Thomas is on the Arkutino coast instead, although its buildings follow the old Sozopol style, so choose Blu Bay if you want the old streets outside your door.
Which Sozopol hotel suits families?
Saint Thomas, on the facilities it lists. It has a children's playroom, playgrounds, animators and a kindergarten, apartments with a kitchen corner, and a beach right next to the complex with free sunbeds and parasols. Blu Bay is not adults-only, but it lists no children's facilities, so ask before booking with young children.
Is there parking at the Sozopol hotels?
At Blu Bay, yes: the hotel offers parking for all guests and can arrange airport transfers. Saint Thomas keeps vehicles out of the complex to keep it quiet, so ask the hotel where you can leave a car and how your luggage reaches your room before you drive down.
Which board plans do the two hotels publish?
They differ from one hotel to the other. One hotel publishes a single plan and the other publishes two. What each plan covers is set by the hotel, so read the hotel's own offer page for your dates before you book, and ask about anything unclear.
