The Residence Zanzibar

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.

We travelled from Stone town to the Residence for a 5 night stay in a Garden Villa. The hotel closed in May. So we decided to spend time in Stone town purposefully so we could stay here when it reopened. Unfortunately we felt they'd not hit their stride at the point of re-opening. The hotel quickly got busier around the 3rd night of our stay. Lots of families and children. Note - Ask for a villa further away from the sound of the Beach Bar music if you like it quieter. The villa was beautiful and kept immaculate thanks to the cleaning team. Thank you so much for the wonderful bed art for our Anniversary Shakira and Suzana! The beach was disappointing. With builders making several crossings in front of us whilst having breakfast, taking materials back and forth to do rebuilding work. We didn't know that the Jetty had been taken down to be rebuilt which was also slightly disappointing. Because of this we didn't spend much time around the shelly beach - beach shoes are advised. Instead we chose to spend time in the beautiful villa or mooching around the grounds looking at wildlife. Whilst there we saw lots of Red Colobus Monkey's, Beautiful birds, families of Guineafowl, Suni Antelope and even a Bush Baby. The hotel is like a Nature Reserve... Just Wonderful! The Food was 'O.k' The Pavilion Restaurant was stunning when we ate outside, the food was fab. The next night we were sat inside due to the weather conditions. The experience wasn't so good. It felt less like sitting in a restaurant more like sitting in a sports hall. We found the food overall very hit and miss, however the service was good. Maybe some more training around the wine menu would be advantageous. Special shout out to Nico who stood out to us and provided exceptional service. The reception team could not be more helpful. Especially Grace who went above and beyond to try and organise diving for my husband before their dive centre had properly opened. Super efficient, friendly and professional. And that goes for all the Staff we came in contact with. Fond memories of an enjoyable stay at The Residence.

Very nice resort … beach is really not usable due to tides and also water is not clear Fantastic staff BIG SHOUT OUT to Mr Lookout at the spa who hosted daily aqua gym, Pilates & yoga. Super professional and accommodating — he is fantastic and makes the entire stay at the residence complete

Holiday to celebrate our40 th wedding anniversary, We stayed in a sea view villa for 10 nights and it didn’t disappoint, the grounds are beautifully laid out and maintained, the villas are amazing The staff are fantastic and the restaurant manager Rajesh was outstanding The hotel has a doctor on call at all times. The hotel has a main dinning room. The breakfast buffet had plenty of variety, the lunch menu was Al la cart and this was excellent and beautifully presented however the evening buffet was disappointing with bland just warm food. The hotel addressed this when informed and I must say the result was excellent. Still to be addressed is the lack of seat cushions for the dinning room chairs And some relaxing areas to sit for pre dinner drinks But I’m sure the hotel will address this The pavilion restaurant for our 40th wedding anniversary was our biggest disappointment, it wasn’t Al a cart , it was a large room with a few tables and chairs no ambiance, no cushions on the chairs, no interior decorations, the food awful I couldn’t eat my main meal the duck was so tough. Not a refined experience worst night of our holiday. The beach isn’t golden sands it’s tidal with seaweed, however it’s a wonderful rural location with lots of wildlife and has a raw beauty.

The hotel staff are good a d the service is great. The restaurant manager, Rakesh is very friendly and always ready to help the hotel guests