In February this year, after all the hype of Christmas and New Year, we decided to spend a long weekend in the snow in Borovets. For me, a holiday doesn't have to be in a grand hotel (well, maybe sometimes), right on the doorstep of the slopes or right in the centre of town. I prefer a more homely, cosy place to stay, somewhere you can relax and take time out from reality but yet close enough to enjoy the slopes, restaurants, town, mountains or whatever brings you on holiday.

Over New Year, some friends and my partner and I, travelled to Samakov for a week of snowboarding. A few friends stayed at Rila Lodge Guest house in the nearby town of Dospei. We were also going to stay there, but decided on closer - not by much! - accommodation in Samokov. Our accommodation was all right, a bit overcrowded which meant there was always a rush to the showers, but breakfast was good and the service was pleasant. Our friends, however, could not speak highly enough of their accommodation.

So, for our weekend away, we looked up the Rila Lodge website and booked two nights.

There is nothing worse than arriving at your holiday destination to find that your accommodation isn't exactly what it appears to be on the website, especially in a little town that you've never been to. But the comments left on the website eased our minds completely: "My husband Casey and I were the first people to stay at this wonderful place and we absolutely loved it. The rooms were comfortable and the downstairs living room super warm and cosy. The owners Steff and Kenny did everything to make our stay there as comfortable as possible. (Steff made us sandwiches to go when we missed breakfast one morning). We will definitely go back!" Another comment: "Just wanted to say thanks again for the excellent breakfasts, the trips into Borovets, and your advice on the best places to visit. We really enjoyed our time with you guys, and your generous hospitality, see you again in the future." These were only two of the many warm comments left by satisfied visitors.

Dospei is located three km from Samokov and 10km from Borovets ski resorts. I've stayed in many bed and breakfasts, hotels and hostels on my travels, but Rila Lodge Guesthouse is the only place I can't recommend highly enough. It's close to the ski fields in winter and offers so many opportunities for the summer and autumn months, including trekking through Rila mountains, fishing, horse riding, cycling and rock climbing, to name a few.

On our arrival we were greeted by some of the tenants, Bailey and CoCo, two of their dogs (they now have three, and an adopted kitten). If you are afraid of dogs, do not be deterred! They, like their owners, have the most placid dispositions.

Steff and Kenny, a couple from England, bought the then very basic and unfinished house in 2004. Until August 2007, when they moved to Bulgaria permanently, they travelled from England three times a year, on their working holidays, for two weeks at a time to repair the house. And they have done a remarkable job.

They offer three, exceptionally big rooms all on the second floor, each with a private bathroom. One is a family room with a queensized bed and a bunk bed, and the other two are twin rooms.

The rooms are replete with a complimentary `Welcome to Rila Lodge' bottle of Bulgarian wine and coffee and tea facilities. Each room has a TV and DVD player, especially good for those early nights in after a hard day of skiing or trekking in the summer, and if there's nothing on TV. Kenny is sure to have all the latest movies for you to watch - more than 200 DVD's to choose from.

The lower floor contains the lounge room, with a traditional wood fire stove and comfy couches; a kitchen, which can be used for individual cooking; and an airy dining room.

Every morning Steff is up and ready with a delicious home cooked traditional English breakfast, usually consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon or sausages, fresh local bread, juice, muesli…the list goes on. Last time I was even presented with Steffy's first ever batch of home made cherry jam and a jar to take home! Delicious! It really is more like staying with an adopted mum than staying at a guesthouse. You feel completely at home, which makes it hard to leave!

On our last visit a few weeks ago, a weekend of mountain trekking, Steff took us up to the third level. She showed us what the house had looked like before any restorations had been done. The difference really is indescribable. They have worked so hard to make the house a home. The top floor, in the near future, will become an apartment; "We are hoping to make a `loft-style' apartment, all open plan and clean lines, using all the original pine. It would be rented out as a self-contained unit for 4-6 people."

And who wouldn't want to rent it out? "Dospei is a beautiful village in an absolutely brilliant location. You only have to come and look around to see why we fell in love with this particular village. It is very rural, very friendly and very, very peaceful. All in all, we couldn't have asked for a better location or better place to live. As for Bulgaria in general - we enjoy the lifestyle, the weather (summer and winter) and the friendly locals."

Life in Dospei seems to potter on at a slow pace. Waking up in the morning, looking outside our bedroom window, we see the next-door neighbours, grandmother and three-year-old granddaughter, leading the cattle and goats out of their gate to the nearby mountain pastures. It really is the perfect antidote to modern life.

The cost to stay is 45 leva per night per person, bed and breakfast, in winter (December to the end of March) and in summer (July to the end of September). It's 30 leva per night per person at all other times of the year.

Steff and Kenny offer a home cooked dinner for an extra 10 leva per person including a main course, dessert and glass of wine.

They also offer a drop-off and pick-up service to and from Sofia airport and Borovets ski resort.

For more information on Rila Lodge Guesthouse visit: http://www.rilalodge.com/