Independent Unguja hotels

"The staff 100% make this place, so friendly, so helpful and generally infectious. We cant thank everyone enough for making our honeymoon so special and taking care of us throughout our stay "

"This resort is the closest I've been to a natural paradise. My stay was incredible in every possible way. The Isaraya overwater bungalows are beautifully decorated and you feel like you're living in your own personal paradise looking out onto the ocean, your private pool, and the fishermen who pass by. The food was amazing with lots of different choices of local dishes including fresh fish and fruits daily. The best part of all was the staff. They were so helpful, especially when you try to speak a few words in swahili, and will do all they can to serve you, even dinner on the beach, on request. Beatrice, the hospitality manager, was absolutely incredible and the kindness of the whole team will make your trip exceptional. It is very quiet there, day and night, which is what I was seeking, but no night life except a couple of evenings where there was music, so if you're wanting fun, I'd go elsewhere or you'll need to book a taxi every day. It is about 90 minutes from Stone Town or the spice farm, so most visits will be a full day trip due to the roads. Some people complain about the Maasai, but they guard the property. They made me feel safe, and they are lovely to chat to. Of course they'll try to sell you something, but just be polite, laugh with them, and negotiate, you'll be so glad you did because it'll add to your memories. I personally had an unforgettable stay and I can't wait to go back."

"Bloody amazing place to chill and relax. Beautiful stretch of beach. Amazing and professional MANAGER & ALL OF HIS STAFF. Excellent food and entertainment. "

"Fantastic location, great staff, very friendly and efficient. Led by a brilliant General Manager. Good food and very pleasant thematic evenings with shows."

"What I liked the most is that the entire hotel was built around 10 living palmtrees. Trees are still growing (there are holes for them in the floor between ground floor and the first floor) and providing shade for guests and living room for birds."

"This is my second time staying at Meliá, and it won’t be my last. It’s not only because the hotel and grounds are beautiful. It’s the staff, they are exceptional, they’re the most friendly, smiley, professional and provide amazing service. Every room is cleaned twice a day and I’ve left valuables lying around and everything has always been safe. My only complaint this time was that there was no working light in the shower but other than that everything was 10/10."

"Great service "

"The place is so amazing .. everything is perfect and quit.. staff are friendly and kind"

"This is an amazing property to stay in Zanzibar. We were upgraded to the frangipani villa which was spacious and well appointed. The private pool was great. The main swimming pool is huge and doesn’t get too crowded. The food options at the main dining room were good with a lot of vegetarian options for breakfast and dinner. Beverage options are nice and reasonably priced. The complimentary fruits at mid morning and ice cream at mid afternoon around the pool area are a great touch. The staff is polite and extremely helpful. We had to see the onsite doctor as one of us wasn’t feeling too well one day. The staff promptly arranged for the doctor to arrive who was extremely helpful and thoughtful in his advice which we highly appreciated. The doctor didn’t charge us for his visit and medication even when we asked if he was sure. As has been discussed previously in other reviews, most beaches in Zanzibar have big tidal ranges and at low tide, the sea retreats by a lot. We didn’t swim on the beach for that reason and there’s also a lot of sea weed that the staff tries to clean every day. Nevertheless, the main and private swimming pools more than made up for it. There are a lot of monkeys around the resort and the staff warn you at the outset to keep the doors closed. It is advice that must be heeded to. The resort is family friendly. That’s great if you have kids of your own but if you don’t, it can feel a bit like school nursery during breakfast / dinner time. "