basically the main issue about zanzibar is the sea. And the main issue of this small village resort is the fact the beach is ok...nice...white sands....BUT WHAT'S FOR? if you need to walk 300meters with very low and dirty water for a swim?
after that yes...there is a tiny dreamy blue sea water. But extremely annoying an frustrating.
About the RESORT in terms of structure, i can say we had a good accommodation second line and facing the sea. It is well built and almost new 2010/2011.
In terms of managing and service, i think right now.....i would not suggest anybody i know to go for it. I use to spend almost 200 nights a year in hotels/etc....for business (mostly of course) and lea sure. But i can certainly confirm they do NOT have any skills...even if they try to act as they are
The food is good
AND ALSO IT IS PROBABLY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE....and remember no blu sea

We stayed at this hotel for 2 nights as there was not space in other places during the busy period we were there.

Having stayed at 3 other hotels during our lovely stay in Zanzibar, we can comfortably say this resort is not a good option for those looking for more than a mass-market atmosphere resort:

1. The food (including a la carte) is simply terrible. It is obvious there is a big effort on minimising cost and little interest in doing something about it: no one asked us if there was anything wrong after taking back our the four dishes we ordered but barely touched, which we'd expect from a hotel charging us $190/night and priding itself of food being a priority. The only ok options was pizza and pasta, but there is no way that pasta was home-made, as written on the menu.

2. Rooms: the curtain only covered 20% of light coming through the window, which is a no go for those sensitive to light. We called the receptionist about this, who said they will look for a solution, but never got back to us. Also, we had a big flood of water in the room after a rainy night. We were probably unlucky, but it further highlights a poor design.

3. When we wanted to pay the bill with local currency, the hotel applied a very unfavourable exchange rate which meant our bill was effectively 15% more expensive. There was no other option for us as it is known on the island that paying by card is expensive and that retrieving dollars (which is their official price) is not an option. We tried to make sense about this with the Italian staff in charge (who then called the manager) given this rate was completely out of range compared to the 3 other hotels we have been to, but they told us manager said "this is our hotel policy". To us, it just felt like a classic trick to squeeze a bit more from the customer in an unexpected moment.

For those caring about these things on holidays, this hotel is not a good option. Even for those with different expectations, there are much better choices on the island at comparable/lower prices, like Seasons lodge (not too far away - see our positive review) or Paje by night. All the good stuff said about Uroa Beach Resort (good beds, friendly staff, lovely beaches etc) can also be found at these other mid-market hotels.

I stayed here for Christmas 2012 for days , my first choice (more rustic/local) was booked up and had made day trips here before and liked. The friendly staff, tasty, Italian-inspired bood, cheap wine ($8 US/ltr) and very well maintained lush property, were big sellers. The rooms are airy and nicely decoareted Zanzibari style, a/c, fan, sat. t.v.v fridge, hot water, commode. Very much recommended. Of course we had to pay more for the holidays, but in low season, as late as mid-Dec. They were going to only charge me $63 US/night single for the same garden view room as I was booking direct (was living in Zanzibar) Christmas was double for a single and then more for my boyfriend.

I just came back from a 4 day holiday at the resort (my selection was based on reviews on Tripadvisor) and I must say that it is a place where you get value for your money. The architecture is amazing and has great ambiance. The rooms are also spacious, clean and well maintained with big bathrooms. The staff are really friendly but gave conflicting information at times, like when guests can swim in the pool. The breakfast buffet was awesome but the dinner buffet could use some variety. However the food was good. Had problems with accessing internet at the internet cafe once but that was quickly sorted out. Overall it is a clean, beautiful and comfortable place to stay that's only about 40 min away from Stone town. You are assured a good stay. Thanks tripadvisor for the reliable information.