The first steps of GRIFID Hotels are closely linked to the construction of the Arabella Hotel in Golden Sands, which welcomed its first German guests on 7 June 2001. It was the first hotel in the chain and the only hotel in the resort at the time to offer an all-inclusive concept. Together with my team, our task was to establish this new product, along with its standards and know-how. My most vivid memories are of the team of Bulgarian professionals and young talents, and of our strong desire to learn and improve in order to prove ourselves and develop this new concept. We worked exclusively with Western European markets, including Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium.
I also remember the beginning of the season as early as 15 April, with the launch of a charter programme from the Belgian market. Unfortunately, we can't boast of such a long season today, even though the hotels are fully prepared to welcome guests.
This period has been marked by continuous investment and development, whhich began in 2001 with a single hotel, and in 2026 we celebrated our 25th anniversary and turned a new page in the history of the chain. A page built on a solid foundation of eight hotels, five distinct concepts and thousands of stories created along the seacoast.
Our development has been marked by several landmark years and important steps in expanding and enriching our portfolio:
2001: The beginning - the opening of our first hotel, Arabella, and the introduction of the all-inclusive concept in Bulgaria.
2005: The opening of Bolero, the first Club Hotel in the chain, followed in 2015 by the addition of our own water park.
2012: We renovated Vistamar Hotel and introduced the Dine Around and Ultra All-inclusive concepts.
2013: With Metropol Hotel, we introduced the "Adults Only 16+" concept and the All-inclusive à la carte concept to Bulgaria for the first time.
2016: We opened Forestа Hotel and established our own certified training centre for tourism professionals.
2017: We completely renovated Marea Hotel and launched the 24-hour Ultra All-inclusive concept.
2018: We carried out a complete renovation of Encanto Beach and introduced the Medi Spa wellness concept, which was further developed in 2021 with the GRIFID Detox programme and specialised rehabilitation packages.
2019: We continued with a second complete renovation of Vistamar Hotel and introduced the exclusive GRIFID Concept rooms, offering guests a range of additional benefits.
2024: We opened NOA - the first five-star hotel in our collection, marking another important milestone in the company’s development. This project is the result of our shared vision of excellence and effective teamwork.
Over the years, we have introduced a wide range of concepts, from adults only, family hotels, clubs offering lively entertainment and dynamic atmosphere, conceptual products, wellness and health trends, MICE (congress and conference tourism). We have always followed global trends, we have been guided by the change in the behavior of the guests, we have listened to each other - both in their opinion and in the advice of partners and the management team.
A VISIONARY. Short and precise - this completely describes the owner of the chain.
From the very beginning, the long-term goal was to build a strong Bulgarian brand that would establish itself on the global stage through quality and a strong product, and compete with the major and well-established names in the tourism industry.
The GRIFID philosophy is building on trust, sustainability and consistency, commitment and empathy. Our hotel complexes are not only beautiful infrastructure, but also a living organism and a complete experience - a pleasant atmosphere, teamwork, and the criticism and self-criticism that are an inevitable part of the chemistry of success.
In addition to everything mentioned above, what has remained unchanged is the constant dynamism and desire for investment and modernization, which are ahead of time and perfect the product.
To provide our guests with an experience, many elements need to come together, and they do not depend solely on the hotel complex, but on the organisation as a whole - from the journey, arrival at the airport and transfer, to the welcome at the hotel, where it is our responsibility to deliver the holiday, emotions and memories our guests expect.
The greatest challenge is not connectivity and flights, prices and costs, supplies and deadlines, which are all part of the bigger picture, but the people in the team who, through their work, deliver and create the guest’s holiday experience and share the philosophy of the chain.
At the moment, we work with diverse international teams, with employees from several nationalities, and the challenge at the beginning of each summer season is for the management team to "tune the GRIFID orchestra" to perform an impressive and breathtaking masterpiece called "SUMMER".
I believe that with the experience we have gained over the years and the commitment of all our senior and middle management, we manage to meet this challenge and deliver quality, build trust among our guests and partners, and provide service with a smile.
For me, the most important are discipline, quality, trust, teamwork, consistency, and last but not least - self-criticism.
We analyse the performance of each season, observe the day-to-day work processes, monitor guest demand, the cases we have dealt with, and the feedback shared by tourists both on social media and on site. We conduct surveys and have specialised teams that monitor new developments and trends.
Every year, an incentive trip is organised for the management team to high-end hotel complexes abroad or on cruises, which gives us the opportunity to experience the latest developments in the industry first-hand and to challenge ourselves with ideas for our future work.
We are very happy for this award, which is a recognition, a responsibility and the result of several years of work in the field of health tourism. During the renovation of Encanto Beach Hotel, the idea was to create a dedicated space covering 2,300 sq. m, with four themed floors, 32 treatment rooms, a healthy restaurant with an emphasis on local cuisine, a variety of sports programmes, and a wide range of wellness and therapeutic services.
Medical Spa Encanto was created with the clear idea of bringing together healthcare, recovery and quality relaxation. Our concept combines the opportunities offered by health and spa tourism with a luxurious atmosphere, professional expertise and personalised attention, in order to offer every guest a complete experience focused on their physical and emotional well-being, while making the most of our proximity to the sea and the power of nature.
We continuously develop and adapt our services, creating a wide range of programmes focused on prevention, recovery and improving quality of life.
With a team of young, ambitious and academically trained specialists, we develop individual programmes and packages both for people who have made caring for their health a way of life and for those who are experiencing, for the first time, the need to put themselves and their health first.
Among our specially developed offerings is the exclusive Detox Programme, which includes a personalised consultation with a dietitian, nutritious and balanced meals served in a dedicated healthy dining area, as well as daily detoxification and recovery treatments.
The Medical Spa Centre at Encanto Hotel is a place where health, recovery and the enjoyment of life come together. A place created so that every guest receives not simply a holiday, but time for themselves, renewed energy and a sense of balance.
They should want to work in the profession they have chosen. Without the desire and motivation for self-development and to prove themselves, simply following the guidance of their managers will not produce the desired result.
GRIFID Hotels is a stage where every talent is noticed. The company is large, and it is our practice to promote young men and women to higher positions after they have learned the way of work through several seasons of dedicated teamwork.
We are not afraid to give young professionals in their twenties the opportunity to manage hotel complexes and restaurants. It is interesting to observe teamwork but in an environment of different generations, each with its own energy, perceptions, way of thinking and approach to organising the work process. Each complements the others, creating a strong foundation - and this is also where our successful formula lies.
For the guests of the chain and our colleagues, we prepared a dynamic and energising week from 17 to 23 August this year. We opened the week with a Samba parade along the promenade in Golden Sands, where dancers in spectacular themed costumes and musicians playing the traditional surdo drums brought joy to the guests of the resort. We dedicated the second day to Bulgarian traditions, with a folklore procession that captivated our guests with its costumes, dances and music.
The GRIFID Marathon also brought a strong sporting spirit to the celebrations, with guests from all eight hotels taking part. Of course, there were prizes for the winners, with first place going to a guest from Luxembourg.
We also filled the festive programme with special highlights for our youngest guests - a beauty salon and spa day for young ladies, mixology and mocktail-making classes, as well as a football marathon for the young gentlemen, a foam party at the children’s pools, kids’ yoga, Mini MasterChef, dance lessons and more.
The highlight of the celebratory week was the special participation of Svet Radoslavov - electric violin and acrobatics performer and a participant in America’s Got Talent, DJ EDMEA from Italy, who brought hits from the Italian club scene, and the Palyachi fire show, which left a lasting impression with its professional performance.
And what would a birthday be without presents… A GRIFID balloon was also launched from the beach, from which we released 25 gifts.
Varna is a city with great potential that needs to be fully developed, but there is still a broad range of work and commitment required at different levels. I would like to see Varna on the world stage as a preferred destination both for living and for tourism. It is up to us.
