We chose Hiliki House because it was better priced compared to the other main hotels in central Stone Town. It is an easy 7 to 10 minute walk to the main part of town so it was a good location overall. We stayed in 2 different rooms upstairs and both were uniquely decorated. The beds were comfortable and the air conditioning was in perfect order. The bathroom was very clean and nicely designed with plenty of hot water. The breakfast was basic but fine for a quick trip in Zanzibar. The common room was nice to lounge in and also nicely decorated. The staff arranged a few tours and even bought our ferry tickets back to Dar Es Salaam for us which really helped save us precious time. Great value for money and two thumbs up.

Pros: Beautiful guest house. Great decor. Very clean. Wifi in common areas is strong and fairly quick when it works. Staff are helpful and cheerful without being invasive. Will arrange pick up at airport. Located at the edge of the town centre, but you can walk to everything in minutes - Stone Town is small. Coffee they serve at breakfast is dynamite. AC and fan in rooms. Lovely common room where you can sit and wifi.

Cons: The breakfast consists of three types of breads, juice, french pressed coffee, and fruit. This is delicious the first couple of days, but we stayed here for almost a week and every day it was the same. No eggs or protein! By the third day, you want something different. Wifi didn`t work for 2.5 days straight. We were told it was because it was the weekend and there`s no one working at the wireless networks on the weekend but then we were also told that it's not a normal occurence.

We stayed in two types of rooms on the ground floor- one with the bathroom outside (#6) and one with the bathroom inside (#4). The bathroom outside is really just across a small hall. It really isn't a hassle to get to and from it. There were ants crawling around the sink in the bathroom outside of #6 (none in #4's bathroom) The bed #4 is bigger and more comfortable than #6. The price difference between rooms is $10.

Just a FYI in case you have friends or family staying in other places around town. The common room is not open to non-guests (we learned the hard way from a group of tactless French people who yelled at us for playing cards in it at 6:00pm). Agnes, the manager, handled it tactfully the next morning and informed us that non-guests are not allowed in the guest house.

Stayed here for one night after arriving from Arusha before heading off to Nungwi. Very good choice - on a quiet street near the centre of Stone Town and close to an excellent Ethiopian restaurant. Room was very tastefully decorated and bed was comfy. The only minor gripes were that the wifi password didn’t work (which evoked sympathy, but not any positive action from the receptionist) and that our room (at the front, on the ground floor) suffered the headlights and engine noise of every passing car – happily there were few, however. The price was very fair and I would definitely stay here again.

We absolutely LOVED staying at Hiliki! The staff are really friendly and helpful, the decor is very tasteful, the rooms are absolutely beautiful and clean, the rates are really reasonable, the breakfast was always delicious and the beers are always cold! There is free wifi in the common room and air conditioning in every bedroom.
We needed laundry done on one of the days and they actually refused to let us pay for it because they had had a problem with the machines and some of it was slightly damp when it was returned! I didn't want to leave!
There is no pool or fitness center but its close to all the attractions and the beach!
Well done Hiliki, I'm sure you are the best hotel in Stone Town!