Best Western Plus Zanzibar in Zanzibar

I have done many bookings by checking a hotel online largely with positive outcomes but this one, I missed properly. It was a disappointment considering its price and name. First, the access road is rough and unpaved with entrance looking a bit shady. Far from what I expected after seeing stunning images online. Secondly, for 90 USD, I expected at least a hotel with some basic facilities like a swimming pool, gym, restaurant etc. Well, this is what I got; a) No gym or swimming pool b) Check in was smooth c) Room was dusty, stuffy and lacked basics like sandals or ironing box. Cleaning was not up to scratch d) Hotel only serves breakfast and relies on neighbouring hotels to supply other meals e) Breakfast is basic and nothing special. f) Staff looked lacklustre and disinterested g) TV was a disappointment, grainy and few channels. h) WiFi was stable I checked out after the second night after I found the neighbouring Golden Tulips is much cheaper and has much better service and facilities.

Spend a night in this hotel, and the best was the room and how clean was it. Breakfast can be better, also the service was not that good, specially on the upstairs terrace, but for a nice and confortable sleep I will definitely recommend. Location is good, very close to the port.

Nice hotel in the city centre. Perfect location in front of ferry port. Excellent service, nice rooms with balcony, excellent breakfast. Try the rooftop for a good cocktail at sunset

The most notable thing about this hotel is that they only serve breakfast; there is no lunch or evening service. This is not obvious from the website, but should be noted. The website mentions a restaurant but not that it only serves breakfast. The hotel is literally 2 minutes from the ferry to Dar so handy for travellers from the mainland. However, as it is a port area, it’s not pretty, the road around is not paved and at times it can be noisy when the ferries arrive. I thought this was disappointing for a Best Western Plus. On the plus side, it is only minutes walk from some of the main attractions in Stone Town so very handy for Forodani Gardens, the Fort and the narrow streets and touristy shops. The hotel advertises a roof top restaurant; there is a pleasant terrace with a “bar” that seems to serve water but not much else apart from a view of the ocean. The bedroom is small but comfortable and furnished to an acceptable standard; not luxurious but clean and of a good enough standard. The bathroom is lovely with a large and decent shower. Hot water is plentiful with toiletries provided. There is a good quality hair dryer provided. Our room had a balcony with 2 chairs but not much leg room otherwise. It’s a bit rickety but still here so sturdy enough for the not so faint hearted. The view was of the tin roof of the port in front and a partial ocean view. My husband was here to work and there was a small desk area and the internet speed was just about sufficient . The AC was very effective. Would I stay here again? No way. It’s not a good area, there’s no food apart from breakfast, the balcony is tiny, the room is basic. There are plenty of good aspects that may suit a business traveller, but not me; needs a lot to be improved. No pool, no gym, no outdoor space apart from the breakfast area. There’s a water feature outside of the small reception area, but this does not cover the weaknesses of the rest of the place.

+ Price is normal for this quality, but not cheap. Good location near the port - you can visit all interesting historical points by foot.
- Standart room is very small, which is not enough to open and pack bags (better to pay extra $ in advance and get bigger room). Wi-fi connection is very unreliable, it didn’t work at all or worked extremly slow. Room was cleaned regulary, but the bathroom near the toilet bowl was not claen for a long time.