Great value for a deluxe bungalow with a/c. We were travelling as a 3 and the room was spacious and welcoming.

The beach is breezy but it keeps you cooler. Very fun to walk out and watch the seaweed farms being tended to in the morning. The breakfast was ok with nice coffee.

The swimming pool was clean and the water refreshing and it was nice to mix up beach and pool times! It was very quiet when we went so we always got a lounger.

The gem to this is the thai restaurant next door (owned by the hotel). The prawn curry was IMMENSE. We ate here three times!! Delicious.

It is an one hour drive from the ferry port in Stone Town (45 $ one way)that gets you to this resort. Driver sent by the hotel waited for us at the exit gate with the sign and he was helpful and courteous. On your way to the hotel don't miss out on stopping in a supermarket to stock up on whatever you might need*water, sodas, sun lotion...) since there are no stores in the hotels vicinity. Once in the hotel you might want to opt for eco lodge (best value for the money) It is very basic but definitely ads up to the entire Zanzibar experience. Eco lodge is small bathroom area is separated from the rest of the room by half wall it has netting on windows and all in all gives you Robinson Crusoe experience. Breakfast is very basic so don't keep your expectations high. We have decided on a half board option and I have to say that the dinner exceeded all expectations. (although the bar was set low due to the breakfast experience). Service is great. You can get beach towels from the reception desk so don't bother bringing extra towels with you..The swimming pool is small but clean and provides a nice refreshment during the low tides(which are really really low), If you are looking for a nice weekend getaway it's a perfect spot. Costs for two people are 160 $ ferry tickets round trip, 90$ cab ride to hotel round trip, 130$ two nights half board at eco lodge. For a total of 370$ not a bad deal.

After reading of the reviews, I as a little nervous about my trip to Cristal Resort, but was pleasantly surprised. We stayed in the deluxe bungalow which was wonderful. We had AC, three beds (three girls were sharing) all with mosquito nets and a huge bathroom. The place was clean and tidy and inviting. We did at one point have a friendly guest of a gecko, but that’s too be expected anywhere in Africa. The staff were lovely, and we always had fresh towel, both in our bungalow and for the pool. The restaurant had a continual change of menu for dinner every night, and always had a variety of good meals. We also enjoyed our free breakfast, which consisted of toast, spreads, lovely fresh fruit and we could order eggs and/or pancakes as well. Yes it was extra for bacon or cereal, but why would you want it with all that was available for free?

For those reviewers who complained about power-outages, no welcome drink, having to carry your own bags and unfriendly staff, I do not know what you are talking about. Also, people should do their research before coming to Tanzania. Power outages are common, even in major cities, and when our power went out, it came back on within ten minutes (instead of 5 hours later in Arusha). Also, for the price of $23/person (with three girls) what do you expect, the Hilton? I was very impressed with the quality of the place, the beach, the variety of food and the staff.

We are a family of 4 with 2 children aged 6 and 7 at the time of staying at Cristal in late October 2012. The location is great and the overall experience very good. Swimming pool is great for young kids and there are a variety of different rooms. We had a family room and it was very spacious - the air con did not work the first night and the bed squeaked every time we moved - this problem was solved the next day once we informed reception. The breakfast is OK but the hidden gem is the Thai restaurant next door owned by the same hotel - the food was excellent and we lived in SE Asia for 8 years.
After talking to a friend who looked at a variety of hotels in Paje he said that Cristal was the best value for money in that area.