By Zornitza Rizova

It's time for our weekend edition again and I have another great place to suggest. This time it is not in the Rhodope Mountains, I have chosen something different. This week I am taking you on a trip to the city of Plovdiv and a small but very elegant place called the Odeon Hotel.

The hotel is situated in downtown Plovdiv, very close to the ruins of the ancient odeon (odeon or odeum is a building used for musical performance in Sparta, built in the 7th or 6th century BC. Hence, any such building in ancient Greece or ancient Rome was called an odeon). Yes, that sounds very interesting. The hotel itself is in a restored building, which still preserves the spirit of the Bulgarian revival period, and has been declared a monument of culture. Thus you can enjoy the unique combination of modern life (being in downtown Plovdiv) and tradition.

I still haven’t started the description of the hotel and the rooms, which is, of course, very important. After a long week of work we all need a beautiful place to relax and enjoy our free time. Well, I’m sure that in this hotel you will find what you are looking for.

Each room is unique and charming in its own way. The furniture is different in each room, of course, all of them have a separate bathroom, telephone, mini bar, and AC. The hotel offers a 24-hours free internet connection for those of you who can’t live without it. I personally don’t think you need it, especially if your work requires you sitting in front of a computer screen all day, I think it will be a crime to go to a beautiful place like that, and sit in front of a PC.

If you are with a group of friends here is what you can expect. The hotel is small and it can accommodate 16 people in 5 double rooms, 2 suites and one luxury studio. You know I usually talk about money in the end, but I’m going to break the tradition here. A double room costs 158 leva, and the studio and the suites cost 220 leva per night. If you are alone, a room can be yours at 113 leva. Prices include breakfast, tourist tax (10%) and VAT.

Seems like the only thing I haven’t mentioned so far is food. The hotel has a fantastic restaurant, which can seat up to 50 people. It is divided into one spacious floor and a smaller room, so you can either party there with a lot of friends, or spend a quiet night with a loved one.

The restaurant offers traditional Bulgarian meals, as well as international cuisine, and a wonderful collection of wine. The music they play is evergreen, jazz, and popular Bulgarian music.

Well, that’s all from me this weekend. Now, if you excuse me, I have to pack my bags, because as you know, the business week is over…