"We were a party of 13 including 8 adults and 5 children ranging from 14 years to 9 months.
Upon arriving we were impressed with the size and the cleanliness of the hotel. Reception staff very helpful and cheerful. Rooms adequate and clean however the air con was pointless, would have been cooler to keep the unstocked fridge open.
We were impressed with the numerous bars, however it was pot luck as to what drink you received, and you knew there was not going to be a smile or any kind of interaction! Children were also ignored at bars if they wanted something, especially in the evening as there was no soft drink machine for them to use like there was at the pool bar and restaurant. Even then we had to try and convey to miserable staff that gas had gone or there were no cups available.
Entertainment staff were first class. Bobby and his team were excellent, so interactive with adults and kids. We must mention Simeon who was so friendly and made such an impression on a shy 9 year old who has made a friend and memories for life. The evening entertainment was ok. When the entertainment team was on, the shows were great, but on other nights it was lame at best. A hotel of this size we would have thought it would have been of much higher quality. Even down to the pool table and other amusements, these were either broken or needed tokens that nobody knew how to get.
Swimming pools were excellent. Always very clean and plenty of beds. As with other hotels, early mornings were needed in order to secure 13 beds but this was to be expected at the start of the peak season.
Now, the real reason for compiling our review.
Luckily we were coming to end of our 10 day holiday. We were enjoying time by the pool with the kids, when we heard a lot of commotion and people running and screaming for help. We soon realised that there was an emergency happening at another pool not far from us. One of our party being a nurse and others being first aid trained went to see if they could help. Upon arriving, they found a melee of people not knowing what to do.
Now the tragic and life changing part. A small young girl aged 7 had got into trouble in the pool. People were trying to help but nobody knew what to do. Our friend then took over CPR and mouth to mouth thankfully with another British guest, also a nurse. It was mayhem with no medically trained staff. A young lady and young man wearing red cross tshirts completely froze. The young lady did hold the little girls hand whilst the guests were doing CPR. The young man literally froze but kept shouting "she will be ok, she will be fine".
After what seemed a lifetime, the onsite doctor strolled up so casually like she was walking her dog. No urgency at all. It took guests to shouting and pushing to get any emergency reaction. By this time one of our party was trying to console the mother and stop her getting closer, obviously wanting to hold her daughter. More of our party and other guests were trying to get children and other guests out of the way. "Has anyone called an ambulance?" somebody shouted, but it appeared nobody had. We all carry phones, what numbers do we call? No signs anywhere to be seen with emergency numbers or where any medical equipment could be. Eventually a medical vehicle arrived and a wheelchair was produced. Again, we sent them away to get a stretcher. The man, again, pushed the stretcher as though he was delivering coffee in a restuarant. Our party member ripped the stretcher away and ran with it to the scene. The man then casually wondered to the scene. A medical bag was then introduced but had nothing worthwhile in there apart from dressings for a cut knee. NO DEFIBRILLATOR !!!! A cleaner then appeared holding a mop and bucket and tried to articulate holding the girl upside down and getting the water out. Not very helpful.
The little girl was then placed onto the trolley and wheeled away, with nobody resuming the CPR on her whilst leaving with the crew.
This is just a short synopsis of events as its hurts too much mentally to remember everything. The mums screams will haunt us forever.
Once it had all calmed a little, the whole place was left in stunned silence. The young lady and man in the red cross t shirts had returned to their spot in the shade obviously shell shocked. Our friend who had been doing the CPR then went over to console them both, together with the young ladys mum who she had called for support. The young man was so truamatised that he said he was quitting. We never saw him again. We hope they receive the help that they will need.
Yellow shirted so called life guards, well what can i say? We had previously nicknamed a bronze lump 'the henchman' as we thought he was a guest posing and showing off his tan, but no, the next day we realised he was a lifeguard who had obviously been told to put his yellow top on so we could tell who he was. Putting his top on still didnt turn him into a lifeguard as when my partner was on the slides helping our 4 year old boy go down, he had to rescue a little girl who was dangling off the slide by her armbands. Obviously 'the henchman' didnt notice as he was again working on his tan, drinking coffee and checking his socials on his phone. Upon confronting 'the henchman', my partner was just snarled at.
The next day whilst feeling shocked and devastated, all entertainment staff were also in shock but had to carry on with a smile (the show must go on ??). Have they received the support that they will need? We were then startled to hear a whistle. What is that? It was a lifeguard with his shirt on who had obviously been given a whistle and was pointing at young lads who were jumping of a water feature in the pool. We had watched this happen all week with nothing being said. We then noticed more lifeguards observing all the pools. Obviously not 'the henchman' as he was busy working on his tan.
We as a party are badly affected by this whole experience. The young children are very upset, despite us trying to shield them from this. My 32 year old partner went bursting though to his fathers room at 2am utterly inconsolable and just needed him, his dad, to support him and try and answer questions. Questions no one can answer easily, such as "why was there no defib? Where were the lifeguards? Where was the medical equipment? Why had nobody phoned an ambulance? How can I learn CPR?"
We were all on holiday having fun. We do not want a nanny state, but we do need to be safe. The hotel advertises itself as the biggest and best in Sunny Beach. But it seems even the best has no medical provisions or procedures in place to deal with any eventuality. We all always think it will never happen, but it does and it happens catastrophically.
We never write emails or complain, but felt we have no choice but to do this due to the horrendous nature of the accident and the lack of training, equipment and safety."
