After years of studying and working in the US, a young family returned to do business in their home town of Shumen and in August of 2020 opened an innovative hotel in the Divdyadovo district. Miroslava Koleva and Petar Petrov completed their higher education in Florida, USA – she is an expert in hospitality management, and he specialized in marketing. Both worked in the US, but decided that they would do well in their homeland and returned to Shumen.

Miroslava and Petar had dreamed of running their own hotel since an early age and were happy to realize this dream not just anywhere, but in their hometown. With an excellent education and experience in the tourism sector gained in Florida, Miroslava initially started managing another hotel in the center of Shumen. However, she quickly realized the need for accommodation in the city that would be both comfortable, clean and at an affordable price.

After exploring various options, the she came up with the idea of a hotel in which the human factor would be as limited as possible, since it is the most expensive part of operation. In the meantime, the young family moved out of the “big city” and settled in the Divdyadovo district, which in recent years has become one of the most preferred places to live. It was their house on the central square in Divdyadovo, called “Horishteto” by the locals, that became today’s innovative hotel. And it is not by chance that it bears the name “La Piazza”, inspired by its location on “Horishteto”.

After a major renovation that lasted a year, today the La Piazza Hotel offers its guests comfort, coziness and affordable prices. Although it has only been open for nearly five years, the newest accommodation in Shumen can boast of good attendance against the backdrop of a shrinking tourist market. To the surprise of Miroslava and Petar, their guests are mainly tourists who appreciate the good product, the tranquility of the neighborhood, competitive prices and easy access to popular sites in the region – Madara and Veliki Preslav.

Hotel La Piazza operates without a reception and most of the activities are controlled remotely. The locks on the room doors, for example, are programmed via the Internet and work with special access codes. All air conditioners, water heaters and lighting in the hotel are connected to a WiFi network and can be controlled entirely remotely via a mobile device. When customers make a reservation, they receive an access code and can check in at any time of the day. The innovative work model was implemented by Miroslava, who is the hotel manager and has been successfully implementing her ideas since its opening.

“The innovative approach to work is extremely popular with our guests, who are really impressed upon their initial arrival at the hotel,” says Miroslava. La Piazza has six rooms, each with its own bathroom and the expected standard amenities such as digital TVs, small refrigerators and free internet. There is also a convenient kitchenette on the first floor, which is accessible to all visitors.

A big plus of Hotel La Piazza is its location, which Miroslava defines as the golden mean, as it offers the tranquility of the Divdyadovo district, beautiful views of the Shumen plateau, quick access to the center of Shumen, which is only 3 kilometers away, easy access to both the city’s Industrial Zone and the varied sightseeing sights, which the region of Shumen has to offer. “In this way, our accommodation proves to be suitable for all types of travelers,” Miroslava comments.