Zanzibar Bay Resort & Spa

We booked Zanzibar Bay Resort as part of a package holiday through TUI. In all honestly, the photos on the TUI website don’t do the hotel justice, it is so much better than we had anticipated it being. The hotel is immaculate and staff work tirelessly to ensure it’s kept clean and well maintained. There are also additional touches, with staff setting up your mosquito nets each night etc. It has to be said that staff are amongst some of the loveliest I have ever encountered. Andrew, one of the waiters, was a particular favourite- he always took time to speak with us during dinner service and was just such so friendly. The staff group as a whole are fantastic and I honestly can’t speak highly enough of their hard work to make the hotel an enjoyable place for the guests. As vegetarians, we were apprehensive about the food, but we needn’t have been, as the food choices were plentiful and varied. We were there for 13 nights, and the food wasn’t repeated either, so plenty of choice. The pools are clean, well maintained and at all bars etc, the service is quick. My only slight niggle would be the street sellers on the beach, who do make a beeline for you when crossing onto the jetty. However they are all friendly enough and do leave you alone if you show little interest in what they are selling. Obviously the hotel has no control over this, and the street sellers do not enter the perimeters of the hotel at any time. Also I would say that because of the low tides, the beach at the back of the resort is not really ideal for swimming. However there are so many beautiful beaches in Zanzibar which are easily accessible. Don't let it be a reason to put you off, but if you are someone who likes a morning dip in the sea, then you may be disappointed if you book the hotel for the beachfront. All in all, I can’t fault the hotel- it was an incredible stay and we wouldn’t hesitate to book here again in future!

I am currently here with my Wife. The staff are polite and helpful. The 2pm check in is frankly ridiculous for those arriving early in the day. The decision to operate this policy is clearly not for the comfort and convenience of the guests. I refuse to accept that all vacant rooms were being clean simultaneously for five hours. The food is plentiful varied and mostly well cooked and delicious, however my wife is vegetarian and has struggled for choice on a couple of occasions. I would dfinitetly recommend the Namaste restaraunt. There are three restaraunts to use but two need to be booked before 6pm. The rooms are basic but spotlessly clean and the beds are big and firm, I sleep well but there is nowhere to comfortably sit. Just one wooden chair. The shower in our room has weak pressure but works and is warm. The entertainment is not good. and this is why I only gave four stars. I think that this needs attention. (One night was a 'silent cinema' showing of sleeping beauty) There is no central hub for artists. The acrobat show (very good) was by a pool and the audience had to perch on sunbeds as there are very few seats. The jetty and jetty bar are cool and breezy places to sunbathe peacefully and enjoy a cocktail. The A.I. drinks are good. I have paid extra for a taste of something different. The spa and gym is clean, bright and professionally run. The beach boys (Hi Thomas!) are persistent and offer trips. Although I booked mine through the hotel, I have heard that they can be trusted. In summary, I have enjoyed this holiday and the hotel is great but I would have liked more of a fun evening vibe. Unless taking many excursions, I would say that one week is enough.

We had a fantastic stay at Zanzibar Bay Resort and Spa, we used this hotel as our base to travel around the Island and to visit all the all the well known tourist attractions and many not so well known. The hotel staff were amazing super friendly and couldn't do enough to help and make our stay as good as possible. A special mention to the Animation Team who were smiles all day and never stopped providing fun, humour and an opportunity to see and try different things. We loved the Jetty Bar area, great way to enjoy a Sundowner. As per other reviews the beach is blighted by sea grass and the famous Zanzibar tides mean the sea goes out a long way, this did not impact us in any way, loads of amazing famous white sand beaches only a few minutes away either by taxi or the hotel shuttle bus. Ensure you bring sea shoes and you can enjoy the low tides and do some exploring in the bay. We found an amazing local guide (Eddie) who helped us get around and made our visit to Zanzibar all the more special, make sure you look out for him on the beach. Thanks to all at Zanzibar Bay Resort and Spa, looking forward to seeing you all again before too long.

I am writing this review whilst still in the resort and I have to say for what we paid for a family of 4, we have had/having a great time. The hotel albeit not very old has rustic charm given the materials they use and their determination to recycle, however even though the hotel is only 5-years old they are now renovating the balconies around the main pool, which can be sometimes annoying due to drilling. The staff here, in my opinion are extremely friendly and Jambo "Hello" is the word you will always hear. Reception: We arrived in the resort at about 9am but couldn't get into our rooms until 2pm, which after 20-hours of travel is a pain and it appears that many guests arrive early so perhaps the hotel should think about revising their check in times? Rooms: The rooms are lovely, rustic and minimalist but comfy. They are cleaned very day and you can have your bed/towels changed as often as you like, you just need to make it known. There is a mosquito net over the bed, which the maids let down every night, whilst also spraying the room. We have been bit several times by mosquitoes so make sure you take plenty of sprays. Pools: We only sat round the Zanzibar Bay main pool, which was very nice. It has a bar that opens from 10am through until 7pm serving soft drinks and alcohol. The beer is nice and poured out of bottles so l imagine not watered down and the spirit measures are plentiful. The sun beds are a little uncomfortable but you get used to them. Look out for the resident monkey who is great entertainment and a great photo opportunity. Bars: As well as the pool bar around the Zanzibar Bay pool, there is also one around the Paradise Beach hotel side (guests can use either). There is the Coconut Bar, which closes at 11pm and a lot of guests drink in this bar in the evening. A special mention to Masoud who is a brilliant bar tender and so friendly. Restaurants: There are 3 restaurants, main buffet, which is ok but like all main buffets can get a bit repetitive. Breakfasts in my opinion are limited but you can always find something to eat. The Indian and Asian restaurants were great and have to be booked in the morning but are very tasty and well worth several visits. Trips: We spent days out on trips, Nmemba Island, which was snorkelling, dolphin spotting and sand bank, we also did a 3-stop trip, which was Spice Farm, Prison Island and Stone Town, which was a full day and dragged on a bit but was still interesting and finally we did another boat trip, which consisted of seeing the Rock restaurant, snorkelling in the blue lagoon, star fish and relaxing on Mangrove Island, which was excellent value for money. Weather: We stayed from 5th July for 2-weeks and the weather has been mixed, sun, cloud, rain but I think it's the norm for this island and definitely unpredictable but it was around 30 degrees each day and warm enough at night for t-shirt and shorts. Summary: I think because of the distance and the fact there are only so many things to do

My time at Zanzibar Bay Resort was in one word: Unforgettable! Everything from the food, the lovely staff, views/the pools, activities - it couldn't have been better! I will remember the staff the most bc they are soo sweeet & me and my family got along w them very well. The Safari we booked to Mikumi National Park via the resort was incredible and everything was planned correctly. Would love to visit again soon, already miss it!

I went there for two nights and regret booking at this place. The reception staff was cold and made me feel completely unwelcome. I arrived at about 1:30 PM or so and we were very hungry - but they didn't make any effort on making anything for us even though I offered to pay separately until the snack opening time of 3:00 PM. And within that time I got hit by 3 sales people on the property to book tours. We told the reception guy about how business is paramount over our hunger for the resort! We are vegetarians so how difficult would it have been to give us basic food. The AC didn't work in our room and it took me SIX hours of persistence to get a pedestal fan! as they don't have ceiling fans. Lot of other customers have mentioned about the AC issues in their reviews but I should have paid more attention. It was the ordeal of getting the fan and AC sorted that made me feel completely discriminated and ignored by the reception staff. I had to pull in the operations manager (Mr. Karim) who put got us in touch with a super caring person Mohammed to get it sorted which they did on the second day but frankly by then I had this feeling of regret of booking into the facility. The only thing that still bothers me the discrimination that I faced at the reception and that is not acceptable anymore. Btw, the water in flush, which I see lot of other travelers also complain about is real. They don't have enough pressure to get the water into the cistern or bidet so you will be lucky to flush after the job is done! It works randomly. I probably would have rated them 3 STARS, but for the discrimination and cold staff at the reception. They truly deserve to be fired!