Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the FAQ pages, click on any of the questions below to be taken to the answer.
If you do not find the answers you are looking for, please view our contact us page, for information on how you can contact us by email or telephone.
- About www.sofia-hotels.info
- Quality of service
- Payment for bookings
- Do I pay any money to www.sofia-hotels.info?
- How do I pay for the booking?
- What credit card details must I supply?
- What exactly does the hotel do with my credit card details?
- Under what circumstances would the hotel actually charge my credit card?
- Can I make a hotel booking without a credit card?
- Can I pay for the room with cash instead of with a credit card?
- Which Credit Cards are accepted?
- Rates
- Choosing a hotel
- Special Requirements
- Cancellations
What is www.sofia-hotels.info?
www.sofia-hotels.info is a Sofia Hotels booking agency. We offer discounted hotel rooms in a number of carefully selected
well managed hotels in Central Sofia. The reservation service is open to anybody and is FREE to use - we charge NO
FEES to our customers. Each time you make a booking with www.sofia-hotels.info, you make a saving - Because every hotel room
we sell is DISCOUNTED.
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How can you offer such great discounts?
We sell a high volume of hotel rooms through our website, and this means we have strong 'buying power' with the
hotels we work with. We negotiate the best rates we possibly can and we pass those savings on to you.
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What standard of service can I expect from booking online with www.sofia-hotels.info?
www.sofia-hotels.info strives to provide excellent customer service combined with a seamlessly efficient online booking engine.
When booking through www.sofia-hotels.info, the booking process is fast, straightforward and accurate. Furthermore, the customer
relationship doesn't end the moment you make a booking; we provide various means for you to interact with our customer
services team, who are available to support all of your after-sales needs.
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How can I be sure that my hotel will be of good quality?
All the hotels that are featured on our website have been inspected to make sure they offer high standards of
accommodation and service which is commensurate with the rate charged. Sofia is home to a vast number of hotels,
so with such a range to choose from www.sofia-hotels.info has selected only those hotels providing the best value for money.
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Do I pay any money to www.sofia-hotels.info?
NO, www.sofia-hotels.info is a NO FEE service. Your payment is made directly to the hotel at the www.sofia-hotels.info rates. www.sofia-hotels.info w
ill make the reservation for you with the hotel and in so doing will pass on your credit card details (only to the hotel
you have selected).
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How do I pay for the booking?
After selecting a hotel on the website, you will be taken through a simple booking process in which you will be
asked to input information, including your credit card details. The hotel requires your credit card details to guarantee
your reservation ONLY. Your card will NOT be charged until you have arranged payment when you arrive at the hotel - at
this point you may pay by cash or with an alternative credit card accepted by the hotel, this is your choice. Most
hotels will require you to produce a method of payment upon arrival - whether it is cash, bankers cheque or credit card.
If you fail to cancel your reservation and do not arrive at the hotel, the hotel may charge your credit card with a
cancellation fee - normally equal to the cost of the first nights accommodation.
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What credit card details must I supply?
We require you to enter the following credit card details on the booking form; full credit card number,
start date (optional), expiry date, security code, issue number (for switch cards only), and the full name
and address of the credit card holder.
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What exactly does the hotel do with my credit card details?
Our reservation system sends your credit card details to the reservation department of the hotel you book.
The hotel does not charge your credit card; they will carry out an electronic pre-authorisation to ensure that
the credit card is valid and that sufficient funds are available to cover the cost of the first nights accommodation
charge. This is standard room reservation procedure used throughout most of the world.
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Under what circumstances would the hotel actually charge my credit card?
When you arrive at the hotel, you will be asked to arrange payment for your accommodation at the agreed rate.
At this point your credit card will be charged - unless you decide to pay in cash or another payment method acceptable
to the hotel. The only other circumstance in which your credit card will be charged is if you fail to arrive at the
hotel without prior cancellation - in which case the hotel will charge a cancellation fee which amounts to the cost of
the first nights accommodation. (Note: if you cancel within the terms of the cancellation policy, you will not be
charged a cancellation fee).
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Can I make a hotel booking without a credit card?
Unfortunately this is not possible. All the Hotels require credit card details (as a form of guarantee) to
reserve a room. If you do not cancel the reservation within the cancellation notice period, and you do not arrive
at the hotel, the hotel is entitled to charge the credit card for the first night's accommodation only. They will
then release the room and sell it to other guests. If the hotels had no credit card details they would risk being
left with an empty room and no payment. This is why a credit card is needed - to guarantee the booking.
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Can I pay for the room with cash instead of with a credit card?
Yes you can pay with cash when you arrive at the hotel. However, in order to make the booking we do need your
credit card details to guarantee the booking.
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Which Credit Cards are accepted?
Most hotels accept all major credit cards, however, there are exceptions. You can see on each hotel page
a list of the credit cards that are accepted by the hotel - this can also be found on the booking form, where
your choice of payment methods will be limited by which credit cards the hotel accepts.
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What are Rack Rates?
A Rack Rate is the rate a hotel would offer you if you approached them directly. These are rates, which have
not been discounted.
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What are Discounted Rates?
All hotel rooms sold through our website are discounted, which means they are always cheaper than the rack rates.
We sell a high volume of hotel rooms through our website, and this means we have strong 'buying power' with the
hotels we work with. We negotiate the best rates we possibly can and we pass those savings on to you.
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What is VAT?
Value Added Tax (VAT) is a tax imposed by British tax law. VAT is added to most goods and services. All rates
displayed on the www.sofia-hotels.info website include VAT. This means that the room rate you see on the website is the
total price for the room - no other taxes or service charges will be added to your bill.
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Is the rate per person or per room?
All the rates shown on our website are per room, and never per person.
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Are there any other charges such as additional taxes?
All the rates that you see on www.sofia-hotels.info include taxes and any service charges. There are absolutely no hidden
charges. The rate you see on our website is the rate you pay.
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Is Breakfast included in the rate?
Many of the rates found on www.sofia-hotels.info do include breakfast, but some do not. To find out if breakfast is included in a rate you need to carry out a hotel search for your chosen dates - you will then see clearly if breakfast is included by looking at the rates - they will be marked with either an 'e' for English Breakfast, 'c' for Continental Breakfast, or 'b' for breakfast (unspecified). Breakfast is only available free of charge for the days where you see one of these breakfast codes. If some of the days are not marked, then breakfast is not included for those days.
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Our children will be with us... do they stay for free?
Usually children under 8 years of age stay for free in their parent's room using the existing bedding. The age
requirement differs depending on the specific hotel's policy. This may be listed on the hotel's main Information
page. If no information on the hotel's main information page is displayed about this topic, please contact us by
phone or email.
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How do I choose a hotel?
There are several ways to choose a hotel which suits your needs. You can either search for a list of available hotels for certain dates that you require, or you can choose a certain hotel, and then check for availability for that hotel for certain dates.
- To search for a list of hotels that have rooms available for your chosen dates, you can use our 'search' function. You just need to enter the date that you wish to arrive at the hotel, the number of nights you will be staying, and the type of room you wish to stay in - our search system will check all the hotels and present you with a list of all those that are available.
- You can also use our 'advanced search' function, which is very similar to the above but with added criteria - for example, you can search for a certain class of hotel or by area. To get the advanced search page, just click on 'search' at the top of any page.
- To list all the hotels that www.sofia-hotels.info work with, just click on 'hotels' near the top of any page. This will list all the hotels that we work with, and you can then sort in order by name, rating, location, lowest rate, and saving. Once you have found a hotel which is suitable, you can check for availability by using the 'availability and rate checker' in each hotel page.
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Are rollaway beds/cots available?
Most hotels offer rollaway beds and cots, normally at a charge. Some may have restrictions on what room types
will allow rollaway beds - this may be listed on the hotel's main Information page. To find out more information
on the availability and cost of having an extra rollaway bed or cot for a certain hotel, please contact us by phone
or email.
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Do hotels have minimum age requirements?
Please be aware that some hotels may have minimum age restrictions or requirements when reserving a room. For
example, some hotels with casinos may require you to be 21 years of age to check into a room. Please inquire with
a customer care advisor or with the hotel directly.
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Can I specify room location or any other requests?
At www.sofia-hotels.info, we try our best to make your stay as perfect as possible. We realise the importance of special
requests, and we do pass on any requests made through us on to the hotel. When at the 'enter guest information'
section of your booking process, you can enter any special requests there. We will then pass on your request to
the hotel, at which point they will try their best to accommodate your requirements, however, neither ourselves of
the hotel can guarentee that your request can be met.
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Can I check-in earlier than the check-in time?
This depends on the availability of your hotel. When we send your booking through to your chosen hotel, they enter
your name into the system, and allocate you a room for your stay. If the room that you are booked into is preoccupied
the night before your stay, then it is not possible for you to check in early. This is because check-out time for the
guests before you is normally 11:00 am, and then the housekeepers need ample time to clean your room. If the room you
have been booked into is not occupied the night before your stay, then it is possible to check-in early. It is
advisable to request an early check-in when booking, and then contact your hotel the night before your stay to see if
your request can be accomadated.
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Can I check out later than the check-out time?
This is not normally possible. A check-out time is in place so that the housekeepers can work to a schedule to
keep all the rooms that are scheduled to be checked-out clean and tidy. It also depends on the availability of your
room. If your room is booked for guests arriving after you, then you will need to check-out on time to give the
housekeepers time to prepare your room for the next guests. You can request a late check-out when booking your room,
and your chosen hotel will try their best to accommodate your request.
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Can I leave my bags at the hotel?
For the majority of hotel, the answer is yes. Most hotels have a concierge desk where you can leave your bags
before checking-in. In other hotels where there is not a concierge desk, it is possible to leave your bags behind
the reception desk before your checking-in time.
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Cancelling An Existing Booking
Before cancelling your booking please read carefully the cancellation policy as follows:
Cancellation policy:
Unless otherwise stated in the cancellation terms, you may cancel your booking without charge up to 48 hours prior to arrival. Any cancellations received later than 48 hours prior to arrival at the hotel will be subject to a cancellation fee equivalent to the cost of the first night's stay. Failure to show for your reservation will result in a no-show fee equivalent to the cost of the first night's stay.
Cancellation procedure:
After reading the cancellation policy, if you wish to proceed with a cancellation please follow the easy steps below:
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Open the booking confirmation email that we sent you. Take note of the Booking Reference which appears in the top section of this email. You can then either scroll down the email to the section entitled CANCELLATIONS to find a link to the cancellation form or use the link below:
CANCELLATION FORM - This link will take you to the 'Find Your Booking' page. This page asks you to input your Reference Number and Surname into a form. Once you have done this press the find your booking button.
- You will then be presented with a page displaying your booking details. On this form you can choose from the following options:
- Request the confirmation e-mail be sent to you again.
- Cancel the booking. If you wish to continue to cancel the booking check the box and press the Cancel My Booking button.
- You will then be presented with the 'Confirm Cancellation' page where you will be asked "Are you sure you wish to cancel your booking?." If you are sure check the box and then click the button to confirm.
- This will take you to a further page advising you that "Your booking has been cancelled" and that "you will receive a cancellation e-mail shortly".
- When you receive the cancellation email it will look like the original confirmation email but will clearly state "CANCELLATION OF BOOKING" at the top.
What will happen if I do not cancel and do not arrive at the hotel?
If you do not cancel and do not arrive at the hotel a non-arrival fee will be charged against your credit card, normally equal to the cost of the first nights accommodation.