When you book a random hotel and end up in a killer property: review Junó Hotel Sofia

Needing to stay one night in Sofia I had identified the only Hilton property in the city as a solution: affordable price, qualifying night and brand guarantee. But then the too many * in the app made me suspicious, or rather convinced me to look elsewhere. The point was that the facility is a construction site, and correctly Hilton informs guests of the inconveniences they face if they book. Pool closed for work, lounge not operational. Lots of work means lots of noise and little quiet. So I opened the Marriott app and searched for an alternative solution, and this property belonging to the Design Hotel sign popped up.

Reservation

As I often write in my reviews, I never read reviews on tripadvisor or the like, I trust the brand and of course it is not always in the end money, or points, well spent, but for me first comes the need to maintain status and so I always try to book in these two chains.

In Sofia Marriott has only two properties, both of which participate in the Design Hotel family and I have to say that I have had mixed experiences with this brand, and the benefits you get with status are not comparable to other brands. I still decided to book the Juno because it was cheaper than the other hotel, anyway, it was a one-night stay and I didn't have high demands.

Location

The hotel is in a spectacular location, In the heart of Sofia's historic center. Right at the beginning of the pedestrian zone leading to iconic places such as the courthouse. The area is full of clubs, restaurants, pubs, and stores of all kinds.

E' perfect for the classic weekend exploring the capital of Bulgaria, a city I had never visited before and I really enjoyed it.

Off topic

Those who often read my reviews will have noticed that I never write anything about what to do, where to go, what to see in a location. The reason is that I am not a tour guide, I am interested in telling about the medium or container, not the destination. Today, however I want to make an exception and tell about the wonderful free sightseeing tour I took in the afternoon.

I worked in the room all day then at 5:55 p.m. I left the room and 4 minutes later I was in front of the courthouse, here free walking tours depart at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. daily, taking tourists for a two-hour walk around the city.

A 2-hour walk through the landmarks of Bulgaria's capital's history, discovering the Roman roots and the subsequent cultures and religions that have marked the city's history. Starting with the fact that unlike all other Eastern European (and other) capitals, it is a city without a river, but was founded by the Romans because of the presence of so many thermal springs.

The room

We are in a design hotel, and design starts at the door. I arrived in front of my room and for the first time. I found myself having to manage a hotel room without a handle on the door. Initially I thought of a system similar to modern cars with automatic opening, but it was not. Approaching the token/key to the sensor you have to push, vigorously, the door to open. Reverse problem when going out, since you have to wait to check the correct closing of the door. We say that this solution is too basic, or perhaps it would be better to say that the design is not functional.

Once inside, however, I was definitely left speechless. Of course the free upgrade to a corner room affected a lot, but it is the reward for being loyal, and possessing a high status also serves to get these little pamperings. The room was huge, with an immense glass wall overlooking the rooftops of Sofia, admittedly not those of Paris, but it's still better than having no view.

In the room lots of light, and a truly minimalist decor. In addition to the few elements present, all of which are designer, they all have the characteristic of being thin and light, leaving the guest with a feeling of enormous space.

I can't remember the last time I found a real plant inside a hotel room.

You can see that every object, every detail has been studied to the smallest detail and, above all, no skimping was made on the details and finishes. From the switches to the TV, a mirrored frame when turned off and a very modern screen when turned on, complete with the highest quality sound bar or the LED strips that illuminate the closet.

King mattress, fluffy topper and pillow set, virtually spotless.

Obviously a remote control to operate the curtains (really unintuitive and I eventually gave up figuring out how to close them) and An iPhone available to guests to use during your stay, in the hotel or around the city.

All the attention to detail and finishes are also found in the bathroom, where the queen is the beautiful tub in the center of the room.

Zero single-use plastic, Italian personal hygiene products, embroidered bathrobes and lots of towels. There is nothing wrong, superfluous or out of tune. Not even the glass/mirror that allows you to browse what's going on in the room.

Coffee maker, glass bottles for water, mini-bar and snacks available and free drinks, which is not taken for granted and obviously appreciated.

Food & Beverage

The hotel's restaurant and bar are also open to the public and are on the street level; in hot weather, the glass walls are slid down and it is almost like being in a dehor, air conditioned, directly on the walkway.

Breakfast is "different" from what is expected. The open kitchen prepares dishes from a small menu, with the option for guests to also choose a buffet option for a fee, but as you can see in the photos you should not expect a table set like in Singapore or Thailand. Breakfast in Design Hotels is not included for anyone, not even for Ambassadors, I tried a Turkish dish and I must say. I was not disappointed, on the other hand, however, the buffet was really sad.

The common areas are not very large, which is also a feature of these hotels, see the Design Hotels in Amsterdam where I stayed this spring, here, however, there is a small indoor patio and a bar counter with some seating that allows you to relax without going to the room.

In conclusion

Nice hotel, certainly not among the cheapest in Sofia, but spectacular location and great option for those with status in Marriott's Bonvoy program. If you want to use points ( or accumulate points) it is definitely one of the best options in the Bulgarian capital.

• Bonvoy

The verdict

Brand new and very nice. Of course the public spaces are cut to the bone, and in some choices the design and/or technology are not exactly functional. Having to sleep with the curtains up because you can't use the remote control is an example of poor choices, when all you needed to do was add a "close all" button next to the bed. Room bright and really tastefully decorated. Buffet to be reviewed, but being an optional extra it doesn't affect the final rating much.

8

Pro

• Location
• Design
• The room

Against

• No handle
• The breakfast buffet
• Little social space