Our expectations were definitely exceeded the moment we walked in to Zuri. It is impossible to describe in words the perfect cenario which we found, an incredible hotel followed by a staff of true execelence. A really thoughtful designed hotel to every last detail, which every single one of those small details made all the diference, so that our stay would be memorable. The staff is without a doubt, the best that we have ever encountered untill today. Always worried about our well-being and comfort, always ready to help in any situation. A special thanks to Abel, who made us feel so welcomed with his politeness and kindness with his outstanding work, an exelent professional. Wanted to also thank Antonio Gonzalez and Susan for the way they received us since day one. Also to Benezeke, Kurwa, Rehema, Oscar, Kevin, Japhet, Malik, Prince and Peter for all the hospitality which who definitely are key-factor to making this Zuri experience one of a kind. We will surely be coming back in the near future.…
After two years of uncertainty, my expectations for Zuri Zanzibar were high – and all were met or exceeded. The property is exquisite, words cannot describe the beauty and obvious pride and care taken in its presentation and maintenance. From the moment of arrival and check-in to check-out [two weeks later] we could not have been more pleased and impressed. Testament to Zuri’s success would have to be its staff – from concierge/reception to F&B to security to housekeeping and grounds staff – every person we encountered at Zuri was professional, kind, helpful and accommodating. They clearly take great pride in the hotel and their respective roles there, which is a huge factor in a guest’s subsequent level of enjoyment, relaxation and appreciation. Let’s break it down: Concierge/reception: Check-in and out was efficient and executed expertly. On arrival, we were promptly shown to our bungalow, and left in peace to get on with the process of finally relaxing. I had several queries throughout our stay, reception was always attended and, either in person or by phone, every staff member was able to answer and act on any questions we had without hesitation. With a late-night flight on departure, we were, unfortunately, unable to secure a late check-out, despite the staff’s best efforts. Instead, our luggage and valuables were stored securely as we enjoyed a final last day on the beach. There are shower facilities & toiletries available for use prior to departure, which made the process far less stressful than having to spend the day in travelling clothes. The room: We stayed in one of the bungalows, the smallest rooms on the property – but, boy, what a room – one of the nicest and most spacious I’ve stayed in. Often hotel rooms fall short on very minor details – lack of or inconvenient placement of power points, awkward positioning of furniture, lack of storage and wardrobe space but, at Zuri, every detail was considered and I really cannot think of anything I would improve on. There was little natural light in our room but, given the surroundings and the amount of time spent in the sun, sometimes it’s nice to retreat at the end of the day into a cool, shady space. There is an outdoor shower (as well an indoor), which may not be for some, but proved extremely handy for rinsing and drying beachwear at the end of the day, if nothing else. Tastefully appointed, each of the bungalows has a huge deck/terrace for lounging and relaxing, and each bungalow is surrounded by lush, jungle-like vegetation and positioned in such a way as to offer complete privacy and a feeling of almost being the only guests at the hotel. The evening turn-down service and the room being made up every day is regular and discreet, no element missed or overlooked, and was executed without me once having to call on housekeeping – something that has frustrated me at other high-end hotels. The bed and eco-friendly Evening Breeze cooling system made for 14 nights of pure, restful bliss. Also, the complimentary bottle of wine delivered to our room soon after arrival was a nice touch. A small, but much appreciated, gesture that just adds to a feeling of being made to feel valued and welcome. The beach: In a word, sublime. One of the best I’ve experienced. Warm turquoise water, safe to swim in, that pictures just don’t do justice, It has to be seen to be believed. The beach was clean and, for the most part, security kept loiterers and beach sellers away. That said, I have read reviews referring to the sellers as aggressive, however, any we encountered offered courtesy in return for courtesy and were not “hard sellers” at all. Some were just happy to chat, usually about football, not a subject on which I am conversant. There are other hotels further up the beach in both directions, which are fine and safe to walk, but does become a bit more littered the further away from Zuri, but by no means dirty. There are enough sun loungers in the shade for everyone, there was never an instance of having to fight for them, and Zuri guests seem not to be in the habit of that early morning “reserving” of prime beach real estate. Or perhaps the hotel actively discourages it? Thumbs up, either way. The grounds: Set over what seems a huge expanse, the villas and bungalows are discreetly positioned and, depending on your room's position, require perhaps a very pleasant 5–10 minute stroll along paths through exquisitely maintained jungle-like foliage and coverage past bright flowers and the occasional lizard or even a monkey, to either the beach or one of the restaurants. The spa: I took advantage of a massage discount – a heal & repair African potato massage – which was expertly administered by Elizabeth. The booking process was simple and the whole experience thoroughly enjoyable. The pool: A long, clean luxurious pool with a view overlooking the beach that sits in and absorbs the day’s heat, a perfect oasis for a dip on the way back from the beach. Again, ample sun loungers, though many are in the full heat of afternoon sun, but there’s really very little that can be done here to improve that. Food & beverage: Zuri has three restaurants and three bars, each of which we sampled, plus a private bar for guests staying in villas or suites. Bahari (on the beach) offers the full range of drinks available and some extremely delicious snacks and lighter meals throughout the day, and is perfectly positioned to enjoy the sunset with a cocktail at the end of it. Some evenings, local entertainment and live music was provided, and was one of our favourite parts of the day to just continue winding down out of the heat of the day’s sun and soak up the atmosphere as it set. The bar and beach service staff are fun, friendly and will cater for pretty much your every whim. No matter how many people came down to the beach for sunset, the highest level of service was maintained and there was room for everyone to enjoy the experience without any sense of overcrowding, even if the entire resort was there! We weren’t demanding customers but, even if we were, there would be zero margin for complaint. The Upendo or main restaurant is where breakfast is served and, in the evenings, a buffet dinner. The all-important breakfast was exquisite, each day offering variety along with the more static staples, both hot and cold. Breakfast is buffet-style, the coffee is good (also sometimes disappointing in high-end establishments) and, again, the staff are professional, friendly, accommodating and attentive, but without fussing over the guests. The buffet dinner at Upendo is on a rotating basis – a different cuisine every evening – so there’s no fear of being bored by the same food being presented night after night. To be honest, I think I enjoyed/preferred the buffet over the à la carte option offered at the Maisha restaurant. Again, the kitchen and serving staff are fun, professional and engaging, happy to answer any questions you might have or accommodate any special requirements. If you’re a meat-eater – try the beef. Cooked to perfection, however you like it, it’s possibly the tastiest, most tender beef I’ve ever eaten. But don’t stop there – whether it’s seafood, chicken, lamb or even pork, the produce is clearly of the highest quality. And there is plenty on offer for vegetarians; whatever your dietary requirements, you’d only have yourself to blame for going hungry. Maisha Bar & Restaurant offers an à la carte dining experience, not on but close to the beach. Impressive, and with a very nice range and quality, I had a minor issue or two, but nothing major. There was one instance of a staple of the dish we’d ordered (shrimp and avocado salad) not being in stock that day – the avocado. Instead of informing us, it was substituted with peppers, thus a shrimp and pepper salad was served. Not being huge fans of peppers, had we been apprised of this on ordering, we’d have chosen something else. The restaurant requires booking to secure a table, a relatively easy process made in advance at reception (not at the restaurant itself). Curiously, the restaurant was regularly “fully booked” sometimes days in advance, so we ate there only a few times in the two weeks we stayed. Yet, on the nights we did eat there, it was never more than probably ⅓ full, and on the nights we were told it was fully booked, a casual stroll past told us otherwise. I’m unsure if this is a deliberate ploy by management to drive people to the buffet. The tables at Maisha are all positioned so as to be “socially distant”, and in fact even farther apart than at Upendo, so they couldn’t have been operating on a diminished seating capacity. It’s a minor quibble, not worth complaining about, but baffling nonetheless. I appreciate that notice and thus bookings are required perhaps for staffing, but booking three or four days in advance, only to be told it was fully booked when it clearly wasn’t was a little frustrating. The Pepino Bar is, again, expertly staffed, but sadly under patronised. It’s the perfect location to retire for a “last drink” after a hefty buffet meal, it was unclear why so few people used it. Pepino is positioned quite high up and I enjoyed nothing more than a cocktail after dinner watching the bats swooping and feeding in the trees, seemingly just an arm’s reach away. So, all in all, a stay at Zuri Zanzibar is pricey. Food and drink don’t come cheap either, but I’d have to say still worth every penny. Beautifully staffed and run, as well as being stunning by day, Zuri was just as gorgeous by night. A large property designed to convey a feeling of true privacy and seclusion, although there were anything from 70 other guests and upwards, we could walk through the grounds and gardens day or night, but often not crossing paths with another soul. A wedding took place during our stay and, unlike previous experiences elsewhere, in no way did this impact our stay. There was no deterioration in service level or attention, the entire wedding was carried out discreetly and did not impede other guests’ access, and focus was maintained on all guests throughout the wedding preparations and execution. I have stayed at other properties where a wedding seems to divert pretty much everyone’s attention, and non-wedding guests can be left almost to fend for themselves. Not so at Zuri Zanzibar, for which I highly commend the staff and management. It’s very difficult to find fault, but if I were to pick just a couple of things for management to consider: A small beach bag or basket supplied in the rooms would be welcomed. As some of the bungalows are a bit of a walk to the beach, it was important to be able to haul everything down rather than having to nip back on occasion when I’d forgotten something, though not insurmountable. The Bahari Bar could offer some additional food options: for non-meat eaters, perhaps a fish burger or vegetarian burger would be welcomed, for example. The Maisha Restaurant should be able to accommodate more diners than it seemed willing or able to. The GM only made herself known to us as we were leaving. We enjoyed a charming chat as we waited for our airport pick-up. It’s not a major issue but, as we’d spent two full weeks at Zuri, it might have been nice to have made herself known and had this conversation earlier in our stay, but really, I’m nitpicking here. Tip: the property to the north of Zuri plays quite loud music at night, usually on weekends. There’s little Zuri could do about it but, if you can, perhaps try to avoid the rooms in the northeastern part of the resort – though it doesn’t go on massively late and some half-decent earplugs are sufficient to drown it out. I’ve mentioned that ALL Zuri staff were exceptional, but special mention and thanks to Abel, Enock, Jackline, Habibu, Kurwa, Safina, Charity, Boniface, Juma, Thadeo, Fendy, Tee, Susan and Charles (security) who looked after us probably more than anyone, often entertained us and made a perfect experience even better. But really, everyone at Zuri deserves commendation, and we indeed left not just as guests, but as friends to several. If you’re considering staying at Zuri Zanzibar, I would not hesitate to recommend it highly as one of, if not the, best hotel experience ever. Thank you all at Zuri. We will return.…
The experience at Zuri was an unforgettable vacation especially on our honeymoon. To begin with the staff was phenomenal! They were all so friendly and always made sure that we felt at home. The beach and sunset were amazing, out of a picture! And we advise anyone visiting to take the sunset cruise as well as enjoy the water activities. Mr. Romany Nabil director of F&B made the experience one of a kind! He made sure we enjoyed our meals, always sent us extra food. Made sure we were pampered and fulfilled any requests he had. His duties were not only restricted to F&B but he helped in anyway possible in other things. We will definitely visit again. Also anyone at the beach should try the burger its amazing!
A fantastic experience, magnificent location, very friendly crew, luxury rooms which adapt to the location, a place I will remember for the rest of my life and I will definitely try to visit again! #zurimoments
Zuri is a relaxed beach resort, which is very picturesque in this part of Zansibar. The views from the infinity pool and the sundowners on the beach are amazing and all the staff are very friendly and helpful. The rooms are large and comfortable, but we had quite a few bugs visiting each evening. The restaurant offers a choice of foods, which is good but doesn't match a 5 star standard. Overall a nice resort, worth visiting if you're in the region but not a must see place.
The hotel experience was very good. The place is beautiful and relaxing, with a very nice atmosphere. While it is understandable that people in the region want to sell tours as a means of subsistence and most are very educated, some are very insistent and compromise guests' peace of mind on the beach. It must be said that the experience at the Wimbi Water Sports Center was just average and the tour is definitely not compatible with a 5-star hotel, according to a feedback made to the manager ANTONIO, who was extremely attentive, helpful and competent in understanding the situation and looking for the necessary adjustments.. Furthermore, our compliments to waiters BENEZECK (Maisha Resto & Bar) and ABEL (Bahari Grill & Bar). ABEL always attentive and cheerful. BENEZECK has a rare, captivating and special sympathy of dealing with people. What a nice person! They are certainly distinguished professionals!…
Best Hotel ever. Especially for Honey Moons! Delicious food, always fresh with a lot of choice. Excellent service, friendly staff, everyone is welcoming and speaks different languages. The beach is unique and the sunsets are unforgettable. Don‘t miss the sundowner with bonfire!
Amazing service and friendly staff. We had an amazing time at Zuri, the hotel is simply beautiful! There are lots of activities to do at the resort and there are many attractions near by. The food is really good, don’t miss the burger at Bahari!!
It was absolutely wonderful experience. The hotel is stunning, decor is mind blowing. The most stunning beach with white sand and turquoise water. But most importantly very polite, kind and attentive people who work there. Special thanks for Romany and Antonio. Romany is extremely helpful, professional and efficient. I had a disappointing experience with breakfast at the beach, but Romany turned it into the most memorable and pleasant experience by setting an amazing lunch for me. I felt special, I completely forgot the unsuccessful breakfast. Antonio welcomed in a very warm manner and carried out same kind allure throughout my stay. It was great to see how Antonio and Romany attentive to all guests and spend quality time with each guest. There are many more great people who really made my stay comfortable and fun( sorry don’t remember all the names) People are truly make the place beautiful, not the other thing around. I will definitely come back!…
We were a group of 5 girls. We stayed at villa 92 which was the 2 bedroom villa with the jacuzzi. We wanted the 3 bedroom but it was booked. The all inclusive was great we didn't pay extras. There was every night a buffet dinner or a set menu and both were great. Our butlers were on top of things. Thank u pia and malik. The head of food and bevarage romany checked on us daily if we wanted anything extra. We enjoyed the daily sundowner with a dj or live music.
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