Boating

Reviews of Zanzibar Hotel

3 out of 5
Zanzibar Hotel
Off Bhangani Street, Zanzibar Town

Reviews

8.0

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 39 out of 113 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 48 out of 113 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 19 out of 113 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 113 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 113 reviews" "

8.2/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

6.0/10

Amenities

7.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Disliked: Staff & service
We booked the Zanzibar Hotel in February 2019 for a stay in August. The week before we travelled we contacted the hotel to request an airport transfer, which their website said they offered. They replied to our Expedia message by saying that the hotel was undergoing refurbishment but we would be staying in a 'sister' hotel called the Tausi Palace and a driver would pick us up from teh airport and take us there. When we arrived at the airport the driver believed we were going to the Hotel Africa House but took us to Tausi Palace when I showed him the email. When we got to the Tausi Palace there was no reservation for us and we were taken to Africa House. Given that this information was only provided to us because we booked an airport transfer it did not give us the opportunity to seek somewhere of our own choice. It does question what checks Expedia puts in place to ensure that the rooms they book are available (or hotel even open) for the dates requested. A very disappointing start to our special visit to Zanzibar!
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

Luke

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
The sea front view was excellent and the waiters, food was a bit expensive and not all that great.
Stayed 9 nights in Apr 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The hotel staff (front desk, concierge, restaurant staff) were all very friendly and helpful. Wonderful stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

8/10 Good

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
The condition of the hotel is not good. Staff was excellent. Hotel seemed overpriced.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2018

8/10 Good

James

Good
Good hotel in good location.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Susan, Fort Bragg, California USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Exceptional historic building retaining architectural and design elements from a century ago. A real gem. Great central location. Staff was most accommodating and professional. Our rooms were large, elegant - just perfect for comfort and sleep. Our only complaint was the high price of laundry service. Overall ten out of ten.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Nicole

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2018

10/10 Excellent

Leon

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely old hotel with old world charm.
Lovely old hotel with faded 19th century elegance close to many of Stonetowns’ attractions. A lick of paint here and there and a few minor repairs might have helped appearances but all in all very good value for the money. Bedrooms were highceilinged and spacious as were the ensuite. Our room had two king-sized beds and lovely antique furniture. Breakfast was good and staff were hardworking, courteous and super friendly. Our room was very well cleaned daily and beds turned down at night.
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2018

10/10 Excellent

Lisa, Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great central location
Spacious classical rooms and staff went out of their way to make us comfortable. Would love to be staying longer.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2018

8/10 Good

Hadi

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Zanzibar Hotel
Service was great. AC was poor in the room. Mattress and pillows were hard.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017
Response from Zanzibar Hotel & Team on Jan 8, 2018
Dear Hadi, Thank you very much for your review and your feedback, we appreciate it. We will investigate your room and ensure that maintenance attend to all your comments and points. Kindly do next time inform us while you are staying at the hotel of any dissatisfaction you may experience. We will most certainly upgrade you to a better room, or assist with this issue at hand straight away. We hope that you had a fantastic time in Zanzibar and that we will see you again soon. Kind regards

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2017

8/10 Good

Markus

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Old but in good shape
Decent place near the historic downtown area, hotel staff is friendly and flexible, and rooms have a nice atmosphere though this place is definitely old. Water heater needed a long time to heat up.

2/10 Terrible

Valerija

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Worst stay ever
Where do I start? On arrival I was served a welcome drink with a fly in it. We were taken to our room which was not ready, so we were given a smaller room with no seating area as indicated in our booking. The next morning, the only available food at breakfast was bread and butter, fruits, pancakes and jem. No refils were made while we were there. Then, it strated raining and there was no Wi-Fi and TV signal in our room. After 3 hours Wi-Fi was fixed but then we were left with no electricity due to a local problem. Once we asked we were told it will be solved by 8pm. We walked around because there was no light or AC in the room. At 9pm we complained again because it was becoming unbearable to be left without basic ammenities the whole day and we noticed that other rooms had light and AC. Apparently, it was a room problem so we had to wait for a mechanic to fix it. In the meantime, they said we can rest in a room for emergency cases that is not sold otherwise, because the hotel is full, so they can not offer anything else. They fixed everything but the AC, and we were becoming really frustrated with this so we said we will stay there but we will ask for a refund, because this is not what we booked. At 4am, my husband wakes up and notices that water is leaking from the ceiling to our bed. We were moved again to the emergency case room and spent few hours there. In the morning they offered room upgrade for the last night and free airport transfer, but it was already too late.

10/10 Excellent

Kathy, Canada

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice hotel with staff eager to please
Hotel accommodated our request for two twin beds. For the first night, they gave us two separate rooms and did not charge us the extra rate. The furniture is beautiful. They had a turn-down service every night where they put the mosquito netting and sprayed for mosquitoes. It was effective. I did not see a single mosquito. The air conditioning, fan and hot water worked very well. For our last night, our flight was very early, the staff packed us a breakfast - very thoughtful. The staff was honest - we checked in our passports and cash, and all was returned. Also, my friend misplaced her wallet. It was turned in to the main office and returned. The breakfast was standard, with fresh fruit, eggs and pastries/bread, juice, tea. We did not eat at the restaurant. It appeared to be pizza and burgers and we were looking to eat more Zanzabari food.

10/10 Excellent

leonard, Ruthin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A gem
Excellent inexpensive hotel impressive

8/10 Good

Mohammed Ashraf, Thailand

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
very good value
Very satisfied with the service and location and cleanliness yet the external view was not that great and the rooms all have a sharing balcony which limited a little our privacy.

8/10 Good

Colleen

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

8/10 Good

Narelle, Clarence Town

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
ZamIbar Hotel
Great service - not a 5 star resort but has all you need - in the middle if StoneTown so within walking distance to many points of interest and the water - also has a beer garden

8/10 Good

Fons, Rotterdam and Cape Town

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Had a nice stay in this older hotel
This hotel is housed in a an old, original building and is beautiful decorated. My room had lots of space and had everything I needed, including airco, good bed. fridge and little old fashion but good bathroom. The hotel is middle sized and has a real friendly atmosphere. Pity there is no swimmingpool in the big garden. Internet was available, but only good in the lounge area

6/10 Okay

Lene, Denmark

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
All right for a short stay
We used this hotel as a base for our last two days on Zanzibar to see Stone Town and have easy access to the airport (compared to staying in Matemwe in the north of the island). The hotel is a classic example of African non-maintenance mentality. The hotel must have looked great when it was built but now time has taken its toll, e.g. the mosaic tiles in the bathroom are falling off and covered in loads of calcium. However, the room was clean and good location if you're just looking for a bed because you're gonna be outside exploring the whole day. P.S. The mosquito net over the bed was a joke

6/10 Okay

Mugere, Harare

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Zanzibar Hotel
This is one of the best hotels if you want to see Stone City or are interested in the history of the Island. If your interest in the beach, then you must look elsewhere. We managed to explore Zanzibar from as we had to hire transport everyday to visit other areas.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great stay!
Great stay at the Zanzibar hotel. We were greeted with delicious fresh passion juice and cold facecloths on arrival (considering the 35+ degree weather this was delightful). Had a great sleep, AC was very much appreciated, and the breakfast was delicious with great selection. Also beautiful architecture.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Great Location
This place is in a great spot tucked away just on the Main Street to the beach. The room itself was clean however the bathroom was a bit dated and in need of a good clean. The air con and fan above the bed was useless and was all blocked by the mosquito net over the bed which had a solid cotton top. Other than that the hotel was good, check in was easy and pleasant, the breakfast was good and the staff are friendly. Stone Town is so hot though and this place could definitely benefit massively from a pool to cool off in.

8/10 Good

Raewyn, Perth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
very friendly staff
I had a wonderful stay. The room was very clean and the staff were so friendly and helpful. The hotel was right in the middle of StoneTown so it made it easy to see all the sights. I would recommend this hotel.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Great location to visit stone town
Very well located just got annoyed from the English of the concierge and the airport transfer was not as stated 15$ roundtrip (it was only one way 15$)

6/10 Okay

Ryan, Bournemouth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Zanzibar Hotel
Nice hotel in a good location. Staff were friendly and helpful. The double room was very spacious. Would stay there again!

8/10 Good

Sharon, Alexandria

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice Stone Town home base
Very convenient location for walking most places in Stone Town. Room was nice, air conditioned, and free WiFi. Decent breakfast provided as well.

10/10 Excellent

steve, lesotho

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent all around
Made us feel comfottable, willimg to help w forward reservations.

6/10 Okay

Helody, New York, Long Island

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness
Strongly recommend!
Wonderful hotel in Zanzibar and highly recommend, but not all the rooms are well taken care of. We were traveling as a group of 10 and some of us had better rooms than others, although there were no price differences. They have great room service and the manager is a really nice person. They care about their customers and do their best to help.

10/10 Excellent

Chris, Bungoma, Kenya

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location, and large spacious room!
The location of the hotel is very nice, just a couple minutes walk from the waterfront, and right in the middle of stone town, easily walkable to the sights around town. The room was very spacious with windows on 3 sides, and a nice walk-out patio. The bed was extremely comfortable!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Very nice hotel. The Staff was helpful and positive

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities

10/10 Excellent

Bungle, Christchurch NZ

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Jambo Zanzibar Hotel
Initially booked for two days but extended to five as the weather meant it was impractical to try a beach elsewhere. Excellent base to relax and explore Stone Town. Arrived late so the cold towel and juice was a nice touch, the room was spacious and in excellent condition - hot water on demand, a luxury after Rwanda and the DR Congo. The staff were attentive and the breakfast a useful start to the day.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

8/10 Good

Olav, Norway

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice place and kind staff.
Nice Zanzibari-style hotel with professional staff right in the heart of old part of Stown Town. We had a great stay as they even upgraded our room because of availability and occation. Very kind. Some days after we left we called to ask about a camera charger that we might have forgotten there and they had keept it for us. Recomendable place.

8/10 Good

Dorothy, US

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Older hotel but good value
This hotel was once a gem but it has aged and it has not been maintained very well. But having said that, our stay there was fine. Our initial room had a pigeon problem (they had nested in a hole in the roof overhang) so we were upgraded to a very nice room overlooking the garden. Breakfast was very good, and we had a very nice dinner there as well.

10/10 Excellent

David

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

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

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

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quaint and comfortable
This is a lovely hotel in the mid-range category. It isn't a fancy resort, but it has a good location central to historical Stone Town but still with a quiet, neighborhood feeling. The room was clean and spacious (the ceilings must have been 14 ft tall!), and they offered free bottled water and a free breakfast. The breakfast was simple, fruit and juice with available toast and kitchen dishes (eggs, waffles, etc). The rooms don't feature safes, but valuables can be kept in a safe in the manager's office, and they have an on-site person who can set up any of the tours and day trips that are offered in and around Zanzibar.
Response from manoj on Jan 3, 2015
Dear guest First of all would like to thank you for staying with us and sharing your experience during your stay.We are glad to know that our hotel have contributed positively towards your Zanzibar vacation. hope you had a safe trip back .And look forward to host you once again in future. Thanks Team zanzibar hotel

8/10 Good

Chris, Alaska

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good Value, Great Location
This place is a gem. I've never felt so genuinely welcome at a hotel as I've felt here. When we arrived they brought us steamed towels and fresh cold fruit juice while we were checking in. The staff was incredibly attentive to getting us settled in and offered to set up any tour we might consider. The room was so beautifully composed when we entered. We made sure to take some photos before letting our luggage loose. Ask for a room on the top floor with the deck. Deck chairs are a treat in the evening and morning. The breakfast in the morning is tasty and endless. They make your eggs to order right in front of you. Lots of yummy breakfast options in buffet style. Overall, the hotel is a beautifully restored historic gem. And it's right where you want to be in Stone Town. I've never gotten so much value for so little cost ($72/night). All that said, we did have a problem trying to book our return plane flight through the hotel. They first bought us tickets to the wrong city and then got us flights at the wrong time with our names incorrect. The names were still incorrect the third time around. As a result we pretty much lost a day of our vacation just trying to trouble shoot this. The manager did compensate us with a boat tour to make up for our time and frustration.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Finns inte.
Hotelet finns inte. Det är nedstängt.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Anki

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mitt i Stone Town o ändå lugnt
Vi bodde inte på Zanzibar hotell, det renoverades. Detta fick vi ingen info om. Blev körd till först ett hotell, blev välkomnade o drink, men där skulle vi inte bo, utan blev hänvisade till annat hotell Tausi Palace ( systerhotel) Det var ett bra hotell, med AC på rummet ( det blev nästan för kallt, gick inte att ändra temp). Frukosten ingen höjdare. Fick behålla vårt rum hela dagen ( avgift), vi åkte från Zanzibar på kvällen
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2019

8/10 Good

José Luis

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Troca de Hotel sem aviso prévio e consentido
A referir que o alojamento não foi neste hotel mas sim no Tausi Palace Hotel, pois, inesperadamente e inexplicavelmente o Hotel Zanzibar encontrava-se encerrado para obras, sem que antecipadamente me fosse transmitido essa informação que considero relevante. Deste modo, fui reencaminhado para o Tausi Palace Hotel, do mesmo grupo e é sobre este que faço avaliação acima descrita. De qualquer forma e embora o hotel de substituição fosse próximo e de qualidade bastante aceitável, considero inadmissível que não fosse antecipadamente transmitido que o hotel contratado não estivesse disponível.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
タンザニア・ザンジバルのホテル
Zanzibar Hotelを予約していたが、改修工事中のため宿泊できなかった。ホテル側は、別のホテル(Tausi Palace Hotel)を提供してくれたが、予約時点で宿泊できないことが分かっていたはずであり、この変更について事前に何の連絡もなかったので非常に不愉快な思いをした。また、変更後の泊まったホテルは設備も古くまた暗い客室であった。
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

BUCQUET

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bon hôtel, bien situé
Bien dans l'ensemble, très près du coeur de ville. Un personnel aimable et à l'écoute. Seul souci : pas de connexion wifi dans la chambre.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

8/10 Good

YOOHYUN

Liked: Staff & service
이 가격이 이 정도는 훌륭
스톤타운 거리에서도 조금 안쪽이라 조용했음. 고풍스러운 컨셉은 사진빨 잘 받게 함. 그래서 실제로 봤을 땐 조금 실망 가능성 있음. 하지만 조식도 맛있고 서비스도 노력하는 편이라고 생각하게 함.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Kåre

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Prisgunstig alternativ i Stone town
Et utrolig flott hotell med store rom som ligger sentralt til i Stonetown. Her er det gangavstand til alle kjente landemerker i området, og det ligger i et trygt område av byen. Det var veldig stille og rolig, gode senger og en helt grei frokost. Personellet var serviceinnstilt og gav oss en god opplevelse.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2018

6/10 Okay

Sonja, Frauenfeld

Liked: Staff & service
Personal ist sehr nett, recht zentral gelegen,wer kein Frühstücksfan ist wirddas Büfett lieben,wir würden das nächstemal woanders buchen
Stayed 10 nights in Oct 2018