Outdoor pool, sun loungers
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Reviews of Reef & Beach Resort

3.5 out of 5
Reef & Beach Resort
Jambiani Beach, Jambiani

Reviews

8.2

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 48 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 46 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 18 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 6 out of 122 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 122 reviews" "

8.4/10

Cleanliness

8.8/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

7.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.8/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Didier

Stayed 15 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dana

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a fun property with stunning views and a lot to do. I really enjoyed my time here and wished we had had more time. The buffet breakfast and dinners were great and had a lot of variety. The only downfall is that this resort caters to many nationalities that smoke so there are ash trays near almost every single chair. Being from North America, we are not used to being surrounded by cigarette smoke in public places. Other than that, it was great and were greeted at check in by the Red Columbus monkeys running around within inches of us.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Carola

Stayed 10 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mikael

Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Cheryl

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff was outstanding very helpful and pleasant. Beautiful warm pool. Nice big rooms. Good food. Beach was disappointing because at low tide water was way way out. Also there was a calander of scheduled activities that was not accurate. Overall we snjoyed ourselves and wojld definitly recommend this hotel
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2022

6/10 Okay

lorna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Minesh

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing stay with lovely service
The hotel service from staff was excellent. Great food choice for vegetarians, lot's of activities during the day and also night programmes arranged. Room's were great. Although hotel was busy there was ample space for all - the two swimming pools and the two bars allowed good space. Above all, the service from the staff was the best.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2022

10/10 Excellent

Evan Zolile

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A great romantic getaway for couples Plenty of great couple activities each day on and off the resort All staff are very friendly yet one thing we found is they are slow to take action
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2021

4/10 Poor

Simon

Traveled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amusing
Big resort with really friendly staff. But the place is too bag to cope as soon as more than a couple of people arrive. Check in was a nightmare, no sign of booking despite having received an email asking my time of arrival 3 hours earlier. Room not ready. A/C didn’t work and no Basic amenities in the bathroom. Lighting is also very dingy. The curtains don’t fit the windows. Imagine trying to cover a car windscreen with a hand towel. food options were limited and service was chaotic but got better through the week. Despite all inclusive, charged for safe, towels and late check out. Feels like it’s growing and it has potential to be very good. Not quite there yet though. Location is a bit isolated aswell
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2021

6/10 Okay

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mixed Feelings on this one.......
Lets start by saying we enjoyed our stay. The location is fantastic. We booked a Seafront Bungalow that we strongly recommend and not a lot extra. The room was lovely, the location great but it was destinctly rustic and the bathroom was well overdue for a refurb. We loved the Jetty Bar too BUT BUT BUT the hotel was not as described on Hotels.com. They have just opened two new blocks of rooms and are building two blocks more. They have also just finished a huge new swimming pool all done in sandstone (rather odd) and a huge two storey restuarant. It is now firmly a package tour hotel with large numbers of Polish, South African and Dutch customers. Individual bookings are overwhelmed. There is also an entertainment programme which is great if that is what you want but the deafening music on a few evenings and for the pool exercise was very trying. There is an all inclusive offer for US$30 per person per day. Not expensive but not great either. The buffet meals became tedious and rather bland and annoyingly the deserts kept running out. The drinks were all the very cheapest brands - a single cheap beer, cheap Vodka/Rum and an Indian Brandy that you could dissolve bodies in. The Cocktails were clearly made with watered down Vodka/Rum (officially or unofficially??) and tasted of well.... not a lot. The staff are lovely as in so many places in East Africa. We spent most of our time outside our room and enjoyed our stay but we wouldn't go back!!
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2019
Response from Reef & Beach Resort Hotel Manager on Nov 22, 2019
Dear Robert, We are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay, however slightly disappointed to hear that there were things during your stay that you were not pleased with. We have started with the bathroom renovations as we indeed agree that they do need a new look, unfortunately, you got one that wasn’t complete yet. In the website, it does state that we are a 3-star hotel and this could be where your expectations of the food and all-inclusive formula was a letdown. We try our very best to keep the standards of the buffet and drinks to our highest. Thanks for your words, they help us improve.

10/10 Excellent

Elliot, Bristol

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The beach was beautiful. And the resort was great. The food was good but not incredible.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Sally

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Absolutely amazing
I loved my stay here. We were booked bed and breakfast but upgraded to all inclusive for $30 a day each. The hotel was spotlessly clean. The staff were excellent in every way. The jetty bar was stunning and you could get down to the sea for a swim. Is two lots of steps from the bar. Meals are buffet style with live cooking available every meal and the well stocked bars do a range of cocktails in addition to other drinks. The swimming pool was very clean and in the afternoon the kirks red colobus monkeys came down to play. The beach is right next to the pool although the waves can be strong and I would recommend wearing coral shoes. The room was spacious with a/c and a lovely balcony to enjoy a drink in the evening. If you are there on a Monday or Friday the hotel run a complimentary village trip where you are taken by Abdul one of the animation team to a nearby village where you can visit a school, a local house and have the opportunity to buy exercise books and sweets for the local children. Abdul is an excellent guide and this trip was one of the highlights of our holiday. The manager Silvana was also great and very helpful in returning paintings t us that we left in the hotel. I would highly recommend this hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018

10/10 Excellent

Connie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
everything was good, except there was no fresh brewed coffee anywhere
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

varsha

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Best value for money
Best value for money

10/10 Excellent

Iva, Coalville, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel, fantastic location and friendly staff
We were really happy at this hotel. Everything was just perfect. Food, location, staff. We stayed in a sea view bungalow and the view was beautiful. The ocean is so colourful and warm. Food is delicious. There was a choice for everyone. European and African food. I loved live cooking there. Every day they cooked one of the meals before your eyes, such as crabs, fish, calamari, meat. Fantastic. Staff was really helpful and very friendly. We enjoyed it a lot and definitely would go back there again. I recommend it to everyone.
Stayed 11 nights in Feb 2018
Response from Savannah on Apr 8, 2018
Thank you for your kind review ! We are glad to hear you enjoyed your stay with us and hope to be seeing you again in the near future :)

6/10 Okay

victor, wincanton, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Average hotel and close to the beach
I had an enjoyable stay and the rooms were comfortable. The food in the restaurant was very poor - desperately need a experience chef. I booked bed breakfast but as the resort was rather Isolated I had no option but convert to half board - this must be pointed out on the web site. Would I go again - debatable.
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2017

6/10 Okay

afrikaril, Arusha, Tanzania

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Don't go for the food.
I went to this resort for a get-away and to relax and look at the ocean and hear the sound of the waves for a few days. I am not really a beach person. This resort has a 'cruise ship' type atmosphere with a recreation director and evening shows (none of which I took advantage of as per my choosing.) But the resort environs are organized well. I always made sure to sit up-wind from all the smokers sitting around the pool. I got tired of breathing in second hand smoke and eventually gave up and just sat on the balcony of my room. Although I did like their desserts and some of their pastries, in general I found their food to be bland and unimaginative. I recognize the logistical issues in providing good quality food in such an isolated location for guests coming from Europe, South Africa and South America. Therefore, there were no green vegetables available during my stay, A table with an offering of spices from Zanzibar was part of the buffet line, but I never got the idea that the chef knew how or ever used any of them in his food. A case in point were the soups offered with the meals. To me they seems like hot water with some coloring. If the management is reading this, please go online and look for carrot and ginger soup or other recipes which could improve your buffet offerings.
Low tide coral beach
Jetty Bar at sunset
Reef and Beach Hotel
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2017

8/10 Good

Laury, Massachusetts

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Comfortable, clean, & friendly
Staff were especially helpful. Although I had booked just three nights but wanted to come early, they managed to get me two more nights and helped me find a hotel nearby for the other night. They even had a driver take me there and then pick me up the next day. Very helpful staff. This is a quiet, relaxing, non intrusive resort. And the price is right!

10/10 Excellent

Daniela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Michelle, Dar es Salaam, TZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pool, Staff Were Exceptional....Especially for the
Reef & Beach Resort was a real bargain! Not luxurious, but perfectly suited to our plans for a relaxed, laid-back, all-inclusive long weekend. The beach is not ideal, pretty rocky. But access to the beautiful Indian Ocean from the stairs of the Jetty Bar was the perfect solution. My main suggestion would be to offer snacks (even at cost, maybe?) in between scheduled meal times.

8/10 Good

Rumara, Dar es salaam

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hotel well managed
At the hotel, you have people ready to hear your few complaints and they help immediately. I was disappointed when I hade an email to send. The connection was too weak. Other wise my stay of 2 nights was awesome.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Till the moment we arrive they treat us with kindness and attention. It was great for our relaxing weekend.

8/10 Good

AK, Leeds UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A neat clean small hotel. We went for the ocean view bungalows which were really nice. We went for an all inclusive deal which was good as this place is a few kilometres from Jambiani, Makundachi. The sandy area is small 100-200mts at most at high tide. With low tide there is a vast area to walk about but you do need beach shoes as there are a lot of rocks all over. There is a reasonable variety of options at meal time which is OK taste wise though nothing to write home about Bring a lot of books, games etc as there isn't much to do through the day at the hotel for older children The staff are really superb!

4/10 Poor

Me, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Wanted to like this place but just couldn't
1st problem I paid extra for a room with a double bed AND a bunk bed. Arrived and there was only the double bed. Since I only needed the extra bed, they brought a single bed to the room. Problem solved no issues. Just beware that if you need all those beds, then make sure you contact ahead to ensure you are getting what you pay for. The main issue with the hotel were the rooms. They looked clean and neat. But the AC didn't work properly as in never got cold and instead blew out this musty lukewarm air. The beddings on the double and the beddings they brought to the room for the single bed had an odor and a tacky film on them. I'd wash my hands and touch something only to have this tacky feeling again. The musty odor at times smelled like an old drunk slept in the room. It was so bad that my last morning there, I couldn't sleep because it smelled so bad and I just felt dirty along with the awful AC air blowing in my nose. The electricity weakened/fluctuated in the evening so we couldn't charge two devices at once on the same outlet and there were only two outlets in the room. The lighting in the room was so dim I struggled to see. The lighting in the bathroom was awesome. So good in fact that I could easily put on my makeup but couldn't do everything in the bathroom so it didn't quite solve the problem. No trash bin in the bathroom though. No water on the last day and fortunately we checked out earlier than planned. Food was expensive and tasted only so-so.

10/10 Excellent

Kath, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely hotel .. Fantastic jetty bar..
We arrived really late due to flight delay .. The staff were waiting .. Filled us in on all the information we needed .. Our room was on the top floor and had fantastic views .. A really lovely place to stay
The view from my bed !..
The tide is out

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great for the price
Lovely staff, but need more training to be 3 star standard - think management are on the case though. Relaxed place. Beach a bit small and rocky. Dinner buffets surprisingly good. Jetty bar lovely for sunsets. Remote from other restaurants and villages so be prepared to eat all meals there. Do go snorkeling - we swam in the ocean with dolphins while doing so. If you had a week I'd recommend a couple of days in Stone Town and 5 nights here because it's quite far from Stone Town and many other island attractions.

2/10 Terrible

Jon , Europe

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
School Canteen food.
There is absolutely no excuse (such as guest numbers) for mass producing poor quality food. The dreadful a la carte menu demonstrates the owners poor understanding of offering enjoyable rather than 'school dinners'. Go to Paje or Bwejuu instead.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Resort
Beautiful setting for a relaxing holiday, Friendly staff and good facilities. Area very secluded so not ideal if you want entertainment & actvities & beach very rocky so not ideal for sunbathing & swimming but pool great & resort perfect for a quiet vacation.Unfortunately issues with electricityand generators led to multple occassions without power (and water as pump required) which staff were very apologetic for.
Jetty Bar
Sunset from jetty Bar
Pool
Room

8/10 Good

Ahmed, Saudi Arabia

Liked: Room comfort
Great but far
It was great stay , the only issue that the resort was in an area far from the city centre

8/10 Good

julie, wales

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Welcoming resort
Few minor hiccups upon arrival but soon amended. Picturesque resort. Rooms are clean and comfortable albeit there could have been improvements to to working condition of the shower. Food selection is ample and good. Beach is beautiful but craggy doesn't make for good sunbathing but great Rock pooling at low tide- you have to walk out quite far to swim/ snorkel
Jetty bar
Jetty bar
Beach
Ocean view bungalow

10/10 Excellent

Jonathan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing hotel
Great hotel in great location. A little bit of paradise

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Happy stay
Resort is beautiful...very well maintained,pool and jetty area very relaxing,staff very friendly and always a smile on their faces,resort a bit far from stonetown though,but i would definitely recommend it

8/10 Good

Michal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice budget option
The hotel is a nice option for those on a budget. It even offers all inclusive food service

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The best thing was the staff
Ive been to many resorts in my life, both in africa and other places. This one was nothing to write home about... The room was one of the cheaper ones, and the room was very clean, but the bathroom was rusty and not very nice. Clean yes, nice - NO! The pool area was very good, not much beach though. I didn't eat much when i was here, but the food i had was good. Noting exceptional but good. The hotel is far away from everything (in Jambiani), but the staff was good.

8/10 Good

30 Canadian Fem, toronto

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome staff, amazing pool and comfortable!
We were so happy with the pool, the daily sports, the jetty bar, the Maasai tribal dances, massages, henna, big bed and clean quarters and the friendly staff!

6/10 Okay

Rasmus, Denmark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Good hotel for a quick getaway
Nice hotel to stay at for a couple of days with friends.

8/10 Good

Stephen, South Africa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great out of the way hotel

8/10 Good

Deb, Youngsville, PA USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A little piece of paradise
The room was clean, comfortable and air conditioned and we liked the fact that all rooms were ocean view. The buffet offered a varied menu for all meals, with a very pleasant and attentive staff. The grounds and pool area were all well kept. The address was a little misleading to say it was in Jambiani Beach, because the location was actually on the other side nearly to the next town. We arrived very late and our taxi driver had to slow down to read each resort sign along the way. We finally stopped at another resort to ask directions. We would stay here again!

6/10 Okay

Family of 4, US/Africa

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Beautiful beach front property in need of some TLC

10/10 Excellent

Jurgen

Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

CELINE

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Très belle surprise. Un personnel extrêmement efficace et souriant. Un service de grande qualité. Un emplacement parfait. Une eau transparence et turquoise. A recommander sans hésitation
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

6/10 Okay

Arthur

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Room comfort
Retour sur expérience
Les moins : Lit peu confortable et douche tiède à froide. Chaude uniquement le matin. Fortes odeurs dans la salle de douche / canalisations ? Cuisine aux plats revenant régulièrement, peu de saveur surtout pour les desserts ( Base crème ). Portes non insonorisées Beaucoup trop de sollicitations sur la plage et pour des prestations annexes. Le plus non négligeable : la famille de singes en libertés et un ponton permettant de profiter d’une vue incroyable sur l’océan indien et ses marées. Personnel très disponible Autre retour : nous avons adoré prendre des excursions avec un guide local. En parallèle nous avons loué une voiture à l’hôtel ( attention véhicule obtenu en réserve +++++) mais avons systématiquement été arrêté par la police locale et malgré un permis provisoire tanzanien, il nous a été demandé de l’argent sous prétexte que nous ne respections pas les règles (inventées systématiquement….) Conclusion mitigée mais un paysage de rêve !
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Fabienne

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Die Unterkunft war sehr schön und die Mitarbeiter so freundlich und zuvorkommend, dass der Abschied umso schwerer fiel.
Stayed 9 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

SANDRINE OLINDA

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2023

10/10 Excellent

CCM

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Super verblijf.
Fijne locatie waar de hotelgasten op hun wenken bedient worden. Nederlandse gastenmanager wat ook prettig was. Het hotel was rustig gelegen. Het eten was uitgebreid en goed. Ook werd er goed rekening gehouden met covid-maatregels.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2022
Response from General Manager on Feb 2, 2022
Dear Value Guest Thank you for your comment. We are happy to know that you enjoy your stay.

2/10 Terrible

Gerda

Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2021

10/10 Excellent

Trynke

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff is very friendly and happy! The vibes are amazing. We loved to learn about the culture from the masai men next to the resort!!! Food was good and vegetarians are in their minds which was a relieve for me! Pools are Nice and snacks very good! Shoutout to Mudy and the bar staff!!! We had a blast. Greetings Trynke and Angela
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2021
Response from Maurice on Nov 16, 2021
Thank you for your review!

8/10 Good

Jean-Charles

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Endroit magnifique, repas top !!!
Magnifique endroit, rapport qualité prix restauration emplacement animation…IMBATTABLE pour un 3 étoiles avec ses bungalow front de mer top !!! Aucune hésitation, à refaire avec grand plaisir !!!
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wat een super geweldige vakantie hebben we gehad!! Top hotel heerlijk eten en super vriendelijk personeel. We zeggen het niet snel maar komen zeker een keer terug. In Zanzibar is genoeg te beleven van hippe strand trend tot een dorp waar mensen in hutjes leven. Een aanrader!!
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Bert S. (eigenaar) on Feb 25, 2020
Hartelijk dank dat u ons zo'n prachtige recensie van Reef and Beach Resort heeft nagelaten. We werken heel hard om de beste service te bieden in de best mogelijke omgeving, dus we zijn er zeker van dat ons personeel blij zal zijn om uw recensie te zien. Bedankt voor uw vriendelijke woorden en als su vermelding hopen we u in de nabije toekomst weer te zien.