An interview with Petar Zahov, General Manager of Katarino SPA Hotel. Nestled in the heart of the two highest mountains in Bulgaria – Rila and Pirin, the complex is just 5 minutes by car from the town of Razlog and 10 minutes from Bansko.
Katarino SPA Hotel is ranked among the leading five-star mountain hotels for 2025 according to guest reviews and is also included in the TOP 100 Best Hotels in Bulgaria. What do these recognitions mean to you and your team?
It is a great honor for us to receive this recognition for the second consecutive year. Awards that are based entirely on our guests’ opinions and ratings are the most valuable to us, as they are the most objective measure of our work. Along with joy and satisfaction, each such award also brings greater responsibility—for me personally and for the entire team—to continuously improve and enhance the experience that Katarino SPA Hotel offers its guests.
How does guest feedback become a tool for improving services and maintaining high standards?
Guest feedback is extremely important to us. We carefully monitor every review and rating the hotel receives across various digital platforms.
We do not rely solely on online platforms—within the hotel, we have installed digital devices that allow guests to complete surveys during their stay. We analyze comments and feedback, draw conclusions, and improve based on our guests’ recommendations. For us, this is a living process that helps us remain relevant and meet high expectations.
How do you motivate your team and manage the emotions that come with operating in a competitive destination like Bansko?
I am fortunate to manage a very cohesive, stable, and well-trained team. A large portion of our colleagues have been with us since the hotel first opened, which is a significant achievement and proof of a stable working environment. Mutual respect, clear rules, and a strong sense of belonging help us successfully navigate the challenges and emotions that inevitably accompany our dynamic daily operations.
What training and motivation methods do you apply to guarantee five-star service?
Both I and every manager at the hotel continuously follow industry trends and monitor the individual performance of each team member. We conduct regular training sessions for the entire team, and for us it is essential that the knowledge employees acquire does not remain theoretical. We insist that it be applied in daily practice to achieve a real impact on service quality.
Could you share how a property of Katarino’s scale is managed?
Challenges are part of our daily routine. Managing a complex of this size requires consistency, personal involvement, and full dedication. I spend all holidays at work to ensure that everything functions properly and that our guests receive the expected level of service.
How would you describe your guest profile, and how do you adapt to year-round tourism?
Katarino SPA Hotel is preferred both by families with children and by middle-aged and mature guests who value high service quality, tranquility, and nature. From the very beginning, the hotel was designed as a year-round resort, so the adaptation period is long behind us, and our operating model is fully built around this philosophy.
You maintain year-round occupancy. How do you make each stay unique throughout all seasons, and what programs encourage guests to return?
In addition to high service standards, tranquility, and clean food from our own farms, the hotel is surrounded by exceptional nature, fresh air, and breathtaking views that truly calm and rejuvenate guests. We offer a rich animation program for both children and adults.
From May to November, we organize complimentary mountain hikes with a professional guide. Free horseback riding for children is one of the most memorable experiences for our youngest guests, while adults can enjoy horseback riding, yoga classes, and many other activities that contribute to a truly fulfilling stay.
How do nature, the location at the foothills of the Rila and Pirin mountains, and local traditions inspire the guest experience?
Along with nature, we place great emphasis on local traditions. A significant portion of the dishes we serve for breakfast and dinner are based on local recipes or presented with our modern interpretation. In the hotel’s own meat-processing facility, using meat from our farms, we produce Pirin-style sudzhuk, Banski starets, and other delicacies that guests can enjoy exclusively with us or purchase from our culinary shop.
During holidays, we invite local folklore groups to present authentic Bulgarian folklore. Our goal is for guests to leave not only well-rested, but also inspired and enriched.
Natural, self-produced food is an essential part of your philosophy. How does this care turn into a guest experience, and what is the feedback like?
Feedback is extremely positive, which motivates us to continue developing and maintaining our farms, despite the challenges involved. Most of the products we use are self-produced, and the food served to our guests is prepared in the most natural way possible—without preservatives or pre-prepared ingredients.
The effort in the kitchen is substantial, but the result is truly worth it.
We have also created our own brand—Katarino Food—under which we produce natural food products and beverages. On our farms, we raise special breeds of cows, sheep, and goats under free and humane conditions. We also maintain our own apiary, located in an ecologically clean area of the Rila Mountains.
All dairy products are produced in our own dairy facility, using only fresh milk and no additives. Our bakery provides more than six types of bread and baked goods. In our boutique brewery, we produce the live beer “Kalugeritsa”—light, dark, red, weiss, and cider during the summer months.
We also produce wines under the “Katarino” label, distinguished by exceptional taste and aroma, crafted with care from selected grape varieties following established technology.
What is your long-term vision for the development of Katarino SPA Hotel?
We continuously invest in maintaining and upgrading the standards we have set for ourselves. There is hardly a year without a major investment. Last year, for example, we closed the hotel for a month to install a modern water-to-air climate system with individual temperature control in each room, a new elevator system, a new children’s area, and carried out renovation works.
This year, we are planning a new indoor children’s pool, a panoramic fitness center, and further improvements. Our vision is clear—continuous development and setting industry standards, rather than following the competition.
Which principles are most important for creating a memorable and sustainable hotel experience in Bulgaria, and what advice would you give to colleagues in the industry?
The most important principles are consistency, continuous improvement, and genuinely listening to guest feedback. Sustainable development is achieved through long-term thinking, care for people—both guests and employees—and a clear vision of the quality you want to deliver.
See the Katarino SPA Hotel profile at BestHotels.bg here.
