The Residence Zanzibar

What a fantastic stay we had at The Residence, Zanzibar. The location, property and staff were all outstanding. Particular thanks go to Amahan, Juma S and Hellen, who looked after us brilliantly and made our daughter feel special, but all of the team went out of their way to look after us. We were all-inclusive, which was a great option for us as a family. We ate breakfast and dinner buffet-style, both of which had great choices. We found a good breakfast set us up for the day but did have a light lunch a couple of times, which was a la carte and delicious with good options from sandwiches and salads to full main meals. We all enjoyed the complimentary fruit kebabs and ice cream which were served poolside during the day! Our villa was spacious, well laid-out, spotlessly clean and had an amazing outdoor pool complete with monkeys (!) and a stunning bathroom. We made use of the spa, and had a lovely couples massage. The main pool was a really good size and fairly quiet on most days with great views onto the beach. Bikes are provided to help you get around the grounds, which were perfect for us as we were a little way from the main building, and we discovered the Earth Garden, chickens and goats which were a lovely surprise. The beach is very flat, so the tide goes out a long way and swimming is only really possible at high tide. There are sea urchins and the sand beyond the shoreline is quite clay-like so wetsuit shoes are recommended (and available if you don't take them). Depending where you are travelling from you will need a tourist visa, and everyone has to have Tanzanian travel insurance (both available online before travel). There is also a nightly tourist tax to pay. We took and used USD, mainly for tipping. We would definitely recommend a stay here, and although my normal policy is never to go back to the same place twice, I would return in a heartbeat! :)

Cockroaches and I should finish my review. There is no excuse , the hotel is outside of the city, so there is only this hotel case, how thay care about cleanliness. The room - 3 or 4 stars, the beach and swimming pool - 5 stars, the reasturants - 4 stars but choise is rather poor. Dinner is far away from exoectations. Generally MANAGER should be chainged:)

Where to start...We are usually going on vacation for three weeks, to explore, immerse ourselves in the location and culture and soak up the place. At the beginning when we arrived, we had a few small problems, but we immediately reported them to the beautiful Mrs. Ko who made sure everything was sorted out. Yes the hotel is a little old (but work is planned for that), low tides is not idéal as the water recedes so far , however all the villas have pools and the resort also have a beautiful 41 meters swimming pool.The staff of this resort are absolutely exceptional! They did everything in their power so we would feel at our best here! Thanks to them, we had a very, very nice stay with beautiful memories ! The entire team of the restaurant, the bar as well as the spa took great care of us! We highly recommend this hotel! The location is idéal, You have the wonderful turtles cave 15 minutes from the hotel, you can also take a boat trip to see the sand banks , the dolphins….there are lots of shells on the beach, and the place is still so wild and untouched.You have the visit of the monkeys in your garden every day, and it is absolutely extraordinary! You can walk around the resort or alternativly use your bikes, and come across small « bambi », wild turkeys... a unique and exotic place! In the evening, there is always entertainment, Swahili singers and dancers who are absolutely wonderful! They will make you want to dance! I danced a lot during my stay :-) and I loved it! We were lucky enough to spend 2 unforgettable dinners on the beach by the water. The welcome was warm and attentive. The menu offers refined dishes, and we loved the lobster menu with a +++ mention for the carpaccio, exceptionally fresh! The cozy atmosphere and the breathtaking view made the experience even more magical.We also would like to thanks the food and beverages managers to have offered us the best . Asante Sana. A special thanks to Fikili and Alex, two young men in training in the hotel, but who have a huge heart and who only ask to learn! We once again highly recommend this heavenly place in Zanzibar where time stands still…. we would have liked to extend if we could ….. asante marafiki zangu na jitunze

The Residence Zanzibar is a beautiful place with excellent accommodation friendly staff. The villas are beautifully maintained and facilities are excellent.

The hotel is exceptionally clean, staff are efficient and friendly, there’s a large pool, darts. Snorkelling lessons and other things to occupy children, the food is excellent and our room was lovely. In fact the ‘room’ had a large bedroom, lounge and large bathroom plus a small outside pool. The beach is tidal so it’s not always possible to swim in the sea but it’s a lovely beach to walk along. We enjoyed our stay here and although this was the second time at this hotel, we’d definitely return,