The Residence Zanzibar

Abdul Ghaffar5/5 · 2026-10

We had an absolutely outstanding stay at this luxurious resort while celebrating our Silver Jubilee Wedding Anniversary. It was the perfect destination for such a special milestone in our lives, offering an unforgettable blend of elegance, comfort, exceptional hospitality, and pure relaxation. From the moment we arrived, we were welcomed with warmth and genuine care. The beautiful surroundings, luxurious accommodation, exquisite dining, and impeccable attention to detail made our experience truly special. Every aspect of our stay was thoughtfully taken care of, creating a wonderful atmosphere for romance and celebration. A heartfelt thank you to the entire team for making our 25th wedding anniversary trip so memorable. Your dedication to outstanding service and making guests feel special truly sets this resort apart. We leave with beautiful memories, happy hearts, and a strong desire to return. Highly recommended for couples seeking luxury, romance, and an exceptional experience. The perfect place to celebrate love and create memories that will last a lifetime! Mr & Mrs Abdul Ghaffar, Uk

준용5/5 · 2026-09

호객행위가 없는 조용한 남서쪽 리조트입니다. 전체적으로 조용한 분위기가 너무 좋았어요. 석양을 보면서 저녁식사 가능하고, 물놀이로 페들보트나 카약을 무료로 빌려줍니다. 5시 저녁엔 요가가 있지만 이용 안했어요. 숙소도 좋습니다. 너무 넓어서 자전거가 따로 있어서 무료로 이용 가능합니다. 바다도 백사장이 따로 있어서 좋았고, 전체적으로 음식이나 서비스 만족합니다. 켄드와 바다 석양이 더 예뻤지만 켄드와는 그래도 시끌한 편이고, 여기는 조용한 마무리를 보내기에 좋습니다. 숙서에 개인 풀과 bath 따로 있어서 너무 좋았고 깨끗합니다. 저희는 와향적이라서 1박 했지만, 조용한 분위기 선호하면 2박 이상도 추천. 한줄평으로 남서쪽 조용한 석양 마무리를 보낼 수 있는 아늑한 리조트. * 저희는 겪지 않았지만, 원숭이가 문 열려져있으면 들어오는 경우 있다함. 그래서 어떤 한국인 커플은 원숭이가 안에서 문닫아서, 객실로 못들어갓다고 함.. 미친 원숭이라고 표현(하지만 귀여웠음)

Mohammed Abdulaziz5/5 · 2026-07

The Residences Zanzibar offers something truly special. While the beautiful surroundings are breathtaking, it is the people who make this resort unforgettable. From the moment we arrived, every member of the staff made us feel genuinely welcome. Their warmth, attentiveness, and sincere desire to make our stay exceptional were evident in every interaction. A very special thank you to the manager, Chanaka, whose personal attention ensured our stay exceeded every expectation. He and his incredible team went above and beyond to make our wedding anniversary and my birthday truly memorable, surprising us with a beautifully presented cake celebration during dinner. It was such a thoughtful gesture that made us feel incredibly valued and created memories we will cherish.

J Deg2/5 · 2026-06

Después de 15 días por todo Tanzania nos disponemos a pasar las dos últimas noches de nuestra luna de miel en el que se supone uno de los mejores alojamientos de Zanzíbar. Nada más llegar ya nos pusieron problemas sobre el régimen que teníamos contratado. Según llegamos a la habitación no teníamos agua caliente. Vino el hombre de mantenimiento muy amable.a intentar solucionarlo pero seguíamos sin agua caliente. Cinco horas más tarde porfin decidieron cambiarnos de habitación y nos pudimos duchar. Nos dicen que por las molestias nos invitan a las bebidas en la cena pero al hacer el check out nos acaban cobrando todo. Una vez en la nueva habitación, una habitación superior que la verdad que las vistas a la playa son increíbles, huele fatal. El ruido de la depuradora de la piscina es horrible y las luces de fuera no funcionan. Tiene que volver otra vez el hombre de mantenimiento disculpándose. La noche anterior a dejar el alojamiento pedimos el desayuno para llevar y nuestra sorpresa cuando llegamos a la mañana es que no tenían nada preparado. Sin embargo a otra pareja que deja el hotel a la misma hora que nosotros lo tenían preparado en dos cajas perfectamente empaquetadas. Al final a todo correr nos meten en una bolsa un tetrabrik de zumo y dos cajas de galletas. Nada de lo que habíamos pedido. Entiendo la filosofía de Hakuna Matata y el buen rollo pero cuando pagas por un servicio de este nivel por lo menos esperas un mínimo y más cuando dejas el mejor alojamiento como la ginda del pastel de tu luna de miel.

Kameron Patel2/5 · 2026-05

Stayed here for 5 nights after a 2 week safari across Kenya + Tanzania. For ~$1k/night across 2 Ocean View Villas, the most disappointing resort experience I’ve ever had. Your money is better spent elsewhere. Sort the reviews worst to best and you’ll see several that verify what I’m writing below. 1st - the beach. I blame our travel agent who royally messed up for choosing The Residence as their group’s hotel is undergoing renovations, but this hotel doesn’t do itself any favors. Zanzibar is known for white, sandy beaches. The beach at The Residence is the worst beach I have ever seen. Rocky sand that’s painful (and dangerous due to all the trash and broken glass) to walk on without shoes and seaweed that isn’t cleaned. Even our guide for the spice tour talked about how there’s no good beach in the area. The staff rakes the beach directly in front of the main pool, but they just rake the trash and seaweed towards the water line. Across 5 nights, I only saw 1 person go in the water, and he quickly came out. 2nd - location. There’s nothing around the hotel. Minimum hour drive to get anywhere, and the main road getting to the hotel is horrible. I’ve travelled Africa and know bad roads. It’s one of the worst paved I’ve seen with massive potholes and washed out sections. Makes you dread leaving the hotel. 3rd - the hotel itself. My pool’s pump didn’t work for 3 days, parents’ air conditioner went out, and 3 separate coffee pots didn’t work. The grounds were also not maintained. Grass was over a foot high in parts of main area until our travel agency contacted the hotel. After the email, there was an entire team cleaning up the grounds. Connie (manager) mentioned that there’s a schedule they follow, but that schedule is unacceptable if it allows the grounds to look like that. The sauna and steam room were also dirty. 4th - excursions. We booked a Prison Island + Stone Town Tour through the hotel. Near $400 is several multiples more than what a direct booking with a tour operator would be, but we did it so we wouldn’t have to worry about anything. The hotel booked us with a taxi driver and “guide” who were extremely unprofessional. Once arriving to Stone Town, the guide tried to make us pay $50 for “government taxi parking” then $45 for “church viewing fee”. Complete scam. The church is $3 to go inside. You take a boat to Prison Island from Stone Town. Upon arrival to Stone Town, our guide started negotiating to get us a boat. There was no boat waiting for us, even though several “Prison Island Tour” boats were anchored in front of us. We ended up on a random fishing boat with no life jackets. Had to wade into the water up to our knees to get into it. The ~30 minute boat ride took an hour each way due to the boat we were on. Guide was unable to answer any question that wasn’t a repeat of whatever was on the signs during the tour. Waste of an entire day. My dad spoke with guest relations the following day, and the worker couldn’t believe that’s the boat we were put on. The next day, we did a Spice Tour with an actual tour group and it was great. Also booked through the hotel at an expensive rate, but it went well, outside of being ripped off at checkout. The front desk said we should eat lunch in Paje after the tour. We agreed - they never mentioned we would be charged $90 on for a taxi ride and wait charge (same taxi that did the spice tour). Absolute rip-off. I spoke 1on1 with Connie about how poor the hotel and excursions were. She comp’d Prison Island and Stone Town and offered us a sunset cruise on the hotel’s dhow. It was a nice ending to a horrible trip. I appreciate her talking with me, but I still wasted $7k and, more importantly, my time. The front desk (outside of Benjamin) is useless. Nobody is capable of directly answering a question, and everyone has to ask someone else. Final thoughts: if you want a beach vacation, DO NOT go here. Even if you just want to relax at the pool, the value for what you’re paying is not found at The Residence Zanzibar. Poor location, sloppy hotel.

Nhlanhla Ntuli5/5 · 2026-04

This was easily one of the best stays I’ve had. Everything is intentional—from the design to the service. The staff are kind, efficient, and genuinely care. You don’t need to repeat requests, everything is handled properly the first time. We had to switch to private dining due to my daughter not feeling well, and the team went out of their way to accommodate us, including offering discounts without us even asking. The property is spotless, beautifully maintained, and the twice-daily housekeeping is a lovely touch. Extending our stay was seamless. A true luxury experience—worth every cent