Sunny Beach vs Golden Sands: which suits your trip?

Golden Sands has the edge if spa and pool facilities matter: all four top-category hotels compared from that resort list a spa, and three have mineral pools. Sunny Beach has the shortest published walk to the sea, at 50 metres, and more very large resorts, so choose it for scale or a short stroll to the sand.

The short verdict

• Pick Golden Sands for wellness and family facilities. All four hotels compared here list a spa, three list mineral pools, two list a private beach and two list a kids club.
• Pick Sunny Beach for scale or the shortest walk to the sea. Three of its four hotels have more than 400 rooms, and one gives a beach distance of 50 m, the shortest of the eight.
• Board plans will not decide it. Each resort has hotels publishing all-inclusive, ultra all-inclusive and half board plans.

One caveat: the Golden Sands hotels publish much more detail than three of the Sunny Beach four, so part of the gap may simply be missing information. Ask before you rule anything out.

Sunny Beach and Golden Sands at the top official category

Four hotels from each resort make up the group of eight, all at the top official category in Bulgaria's national tourist register. Treat it as a like-for-like selection rather than a head count. The Sunny Beach four list Burgas in their location, and the Golden Sands four list Varna.

Barceló Royal Beach gives 304 rooms, Helena Resort gives 435 rooms, apartments, maisonettes and villas, and Alua Sunny Beach Resort & Spa gives 597 rooms. Planeta Hotel does not publish a room total. In Golden Sands, International Hotel Casino & Tower Suites gives 325 guest rooms, and the other three do not publish a room total.

Several carry a brand name: Barceló and Alua Hotels & Resorts in Sunny Beach, Meliá and HVD Hotels in Golden Sands. How much each publishes varies widely. Barceló Royal Beach and all four Golden Sands hotels list their facilities, while Helena Resort, Alua Sunny Beach Resort & Spa and Planeta Hotel give little beyond their category and size.

Side by side

For board plans, AI means all-inclusive, UAI ultra all-inclusive and HB half board. Room counts come from the national register.

Where Sunny Beach hotels stand out

The clearest win is the beach. Barceló Royal Beach puts the sand 50 m away, going by its own site, which is the shortest distance published by any of the eight hotels. It also lists a 1,200 m² spa, four pools including a heated indoor one, a children's pool and a kids club for ages 4 to 12. Check availability

Alua Sunny Beach Resort & Spa gives 597 rooms, the most among the Sunny Beach hotels here that publish a room total. Helena Resort gives 435 rooms, apartments, maisonettes and villas, and it publishes two board plans, which helps if your group wants different levels of inclusion. Check availability

Planeta Hotel has one published plan. Check availability For Planeta Hotel, Helena Resort and Alua Sunny Beach Resort & Spa, ask about pools, spa access and the beach before booking, as the three list few facilities.

Where Golden Sands hotels stand out

Spa and pool facilities run deeper here, and every hotel in the group lists something for wellness.

Meliá Grand Hermitage does not publish a room total. Its own site lists a private beach 100 m away, an indoor mineral hot-water pool, three outdoor pools including one for children, water slides, a rope park, a spa, a gym and a kids club. Check availability

HVD Riviera Beach leans towards wellness, with a medical spa offering balneology, outdoor mineral-water pools, an indoor thermal mineral pool and a private beach. It also has a conference centre. Check availability

Hotel Admiral lists its AquaBliss spa, an indoor mineral pool and an outdoor pool with a children's section. Check availability

International Hotel Casino & Tower Suites has the widest mix: a spa and wellness centre, indoor and outdoor pools, the Skyfall rooftop terrace, a kids club, a casino and eight meeting rooms. Check availability

Choose Sunny Beach if / choose Golden Sands if

Choose Sunny Beach if:

• you want the shortest published walk to the sea, at 50 m;
• you prefer a very large resort, with three options of more than 400 rooms;
• your group wants a choice between half board and ultra all-inclusive at the same hotel.

Choose Golden Sands if:

• a spa is essential, since all four hotels compared list one;
• you want mineral or thermal pools;
• you would like a private beach, a casino or meeting rooms on site;
• you are travelling with children and want a kids club plus water slides.

Compare more hotels in Sunny Beach and Golden Sands, or look at hotels in Varna if you would rather stay in the city.