Pongwe Vacations from $1,258

Overall, my experience was great. The hotel is within walking distance of the Forodhani Market, several lounges, plenty of restaurants, and even the port for Prison Island—very convenient! It’s a cozy and charming place to stay. However, on my last day, there were issues with their payment system. The card machine kept saying "Offline," but management made it seem like I didn’t have the money to pay 🙃. This was frustrating, especially since the machine hadn’t worked a few nights earlier either. I was forced to go to an ATM, pay a withdrawal fee, and return to settle my balance—even though it was clearly a technical issue on their end. When I asked for a receipt, their printer wasn’t working either, and there was no apology for the inconvenience or the way the situation was handled. I really think management should train staff on how to deal with these situations better, as it did leave a sour note at the end of an otherwise lovely stay.

Clean rooms, delicious breakfast, kind staff.

Excellent hotel in a beautiful location. Food staff service and amenities were perfect . Only complaint total lack of a business center, not even a laptop to use in case of emergency. For 5 stars hotel ( Riu chain ) this needs to be improved.

Property is nice, but the area is not the best in Zanzibar. Beach is right where a working fishing village is located. Not very private at all! Property is nice, grounds are ok. Overall upkeep of the property is below expectations. We switched villas and the second one was better, but not in pristine condition. Villa layout is awkward. Bathroom is separate from the room structure and with a very peculiar design, offering very little privacy. Pricing is outrageous, at more then $1,000 a night, for a so-so experience. The bright spot is service and food, but overall this property is way way way overpriced!!

My room was breathtaking, staff was attentive, I had one of the best view overlooking the ocean