We stayed at the hotel for one night (28 December 2012). We selected this hotel based on the colonial look and location. On arrival our sea view rooms (paid in advance) were no longer available and we had to settle for second best. A power failure added to our mood.

We were disappointed with the state of the hotel and the overall quality of food and service. It is a pity that poor management and staff discipline ruins a great opportunity and setting.

Our experience in stone Town was enhanched by a city walking tour as well as a superb dinner at the Dhow palace Hotel.

Fantastic colonial place that has not lost its soul through renovation. Wonderful staircases, woodwork, old photos, signposts, lavatories. Could be used for a period film any day without much in the way of alterations!

The staff are mostly lovely but a bit shy and lethargic. Unbeliavably they were out if coffee, the water came on and off. There were many charming idiosyncracies that were rather touching and made me feel for the place and hoping that it will manage to stay in business.

Sadly, what will happen is probably a few more years of decline followed by new management and a complete and sterile renovation that will destroy this aging gem!

DO NOT GO HERE!!!!!!

Thus hotel is beautiful from the outside and HAD potential to be exquisite inside but something went wrong somewhere.

We were previously at another hotel but couldn't stay there for the final day as it was full booked. So my dad booked African house hotel because he had previously had such a great stay there (must have been in the early 90's). Anyhow upon arrival the receptionist was so unmotivated that it took her 15mins to look at the same page in the diary to find our booking. Then made me and my sister follow her around the hotel so as she could show us the VERY many empty rooms they had so as we chose what too we wanted. That in itself was a sign that we shouldn't have stayed there- the fact that they had so many empty rooms in high season and that there no tourists anywhere in the hotel (this was at around 11pm)

After deciding what rooms we wanted I went back into the balcony/bar area where my dad asked the waitress for coffee and she replied that they don't have coffee. To which my dad responded 'why didn't they have coffee, there a hotel?'. At that point I had to leave as I was getting irate.

We went downstairs to pick up our bags, carried them along two flights of stairs with three of their staff walking slowlly behind us. Then when we reached the top of the stair ls the receptionist asked if she could help me with the bag!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the long review....

Upon arrival into our room we had two Cleaners making our bed (the only two members of staff who were lovely), then the other three members of staff came into our room as well just standing there

Whilst waiting for the beds to be made it took the receptionist 1ins to find a remote for the AC.

After freshening up we decided to head out and as e did so a waitress came to us with a tray of coffee!

To top it off the room wasn't very clean, doors weren't closing properly, fridge wasn't working, toilet wasn't flushing properly, it took  forever for the cistern to fill up with more water, constant water running in the toilet, staff were so unmotivated, staff would come into your room when your not there,

Breakfast was appauling, wasnt cooked properly, didn't have some of the things on the menu. 

The thing that annoys me is that we paid nearly the same amount for the rooms as we did for the other hotel yet the experience was completely different.

I wrote this review at 5am in the morning due to not being able to sleep from the constant running water in the bathroom. 

Great fun, great food, beautiful view. The owners are saints. Very accommodating. Located right in the heart of Stone Town. Perfect for watching the sun set and have a few drinks!!! The service was excellent and we were treated like royalty for the duration of our stay by the owner/manager. The drinks are reasonably priced and bar staff efficient, but the setting... overlooking the Indian Ocean (in our case just before sunset) is magnificent. This place has not changed since it was an old colonial officers' club.