Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est
Nungwi Road, Nungwi 73107 Tanzania
Update from hotel: This property has indicated that they are taking safety precautions against COVID-19 and is temporarily closed until 06/14/2023.Read more
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What you can expect during your stay
- All linens sanitized in high-temperature wash
- Face masks required for guests in public areas
- Face masks required for staff in public areas
- Floors marked for social distancing
- Hand sanitizer available to guests & staff
- Stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
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Updated 06/18/20 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
A note from Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est
Updated 06/18/20 Safety precautions are provided by the property and are not checked by Tripadvisor for accuracy.
About
#14 of 58 hotels in Nungwi
Location
4.6
Cleanliness
4.3
Service
4.5
Value
3.8
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Property amenities
Free internet
Pool
Fitness Center with Gym / Workout Room
Free breakfast
Canoeing
Diving
Babysitting
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Wifi
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Private pool
Saltwater pool
Fitness classes
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Breakfast in the room
Outdoor dining area
Wine / champagne
Poolside bar
Snorkeling
Tennis court
Water sport equipment rentals
Entertainment staff
Evening entertainment
Table tennis
Kids pool
Highchairs available
Car hire
Taxi service
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Meeting rooms
Spa
Head massage
Massage
Salon
Currency exchange
Shops
Sun deck
Sun loungers / beach chairs
Sun umbrellas
24-hour front desk
Laundry service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Desk
Housekeeping
Private balcony
Minibar
Cable / satellite TV
Sofa bed
Bidet
Room service
Safe
Separate living room
Sofa
Telephone
Private bathrooms
Electric kettle
Bath / shower
Hair dryer
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Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English, Swahili
Location
Full view
42Car recommended
Grade: 42 out of 100
14Restaurantswithin 0.75 miles
3Attractionswithin 0.75 miles
Contact
Nungwi Road, Nungwi 73107 Tanzania
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170Reviews191Q+A12Room tips
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Nice location right on the beach. Rooms are a bit bare bones but clean. Food is good. Pool is nice but, as is often the case, could use more chairs. Not luxurious but fine. New Years celebration was fun, acrobatic show, nice buffet and sparkling wine at midnight. Bar area has a pool table and is comfortable
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Date of stay: January 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
A very chic and very beautiful compartmentalised complex. As a guest of the resort you feel in an exotic world without missing anything that means modern needs. Very good and diversified food, fruits, seafood, fish and only. If you are a fan of water sports you can do scuba snorkeling, etc.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Location
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: all rooms have sea views - just choose one.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Helpful
Experience was not completely terrible but fell short on so many occasions. Would not go back to this resort. Drink service at the pools are almost non existent unless you "tip" extra.. With an all inclusive package this not worth it, as I dont want to bribe people just to get service. Beach are nice but dirty (see weed etc). They don't clean it as they normally do at 5* resorts. Not the pristine clean beach they show in pictures. Their canoe's is also constantly broken and they have limited water sport items that you can do for free even if you have inclusive package. Rooms are okay, bathroom a bit small and feels damp. Cant change aircon temperature. We went for honeymoon and they advertised a lot of free honeymoon perks such as spa voucher and free romantic dinner on beach. The Spa voucher was only given to us after halfway through the trip wen we confronted them about it. Paid about $360 for the supposedly "free" romantic dinner on the beach and was definitely the low point of the trip. Mostly the same food from the buffet and Italian restaurant which is already included in inclusive package, expected fine dinning not "buffet" food. The restaurants are good, not 5* but still acceptable. If you book at the italian or Sea breeze you can't show up earlier than 5min to get drink or show up later than about 10 min. When you finished eating there is no time to just enjoy the night as you need to go so that they can service the next guest which felt absurd for a supposedly 5* resort. Wouldn't recommend and wont go back. Rather try somewhere else..…
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip: Book at different resort..
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
Swim! ❤️Unlike other side here you can swim all days long even in low tide, and this is the great benefit compared to our previous hotel. Beach. Just the most beautiful on Ningwi coast. With palms, no hills and stones. Sun beds are closer to each other than I love, and first line need to be taken early👌. Fantastic serve yourself station with pizzas, salads and fruits all day long right on the beach. Kids. The best possible solution: kids club on the beach ( not as usual far from it), no closer conditioner area, so kids are always busy on fresh air playing board games, drawing or other staff. Personnel is fantastic, they take a child from you and accompany back to your sunbed if there is a need. Dining. The variety and overall very good, still unlike Ocean paradise mango was not alway available.and all inclusive is very limited in drinks ( no sparking wine included, limited fresh juices) and you should tip of course for good cocktail. Ala carry are good both, restaurant at the sunset bar on the ocean is very special place. Perfect for sunset watch with a glass. …
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Date of stay: March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
This can in no way be described as a 5 star resort, it is more of a 3 star resort. It is due to be closed in July for a long overdue renovation. The beach, sea and grounds are lovely but the room was tired and bathroom grimy. The food is average at best apart from the restaurants that you can book. Stay next door at Rui (it will become 1 resort after the renovation) for a better and more enjoyable experience.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
It is the Paradise! I came at hotel a bit too early, than the check in time but the reception found the way to please us by giving 2 rooms for changing. Imagine after 30 hours of travelling all we wanted was to relax .Due to Sundeep, the front Office Supervisor our arrival went very smooth. Many thanks to this guy which is a hardworking person , very professional and dedicated. The rooms are very good with all you need. Still need a bit refurbishment but this didn't bothered me or my group at all. The minibar is full with soft drinks which are refilled every day. The beach is very clean with an amazing white sand. You feel safe everywhere. The Location has 3 restaurants , the Pavillion, The italian and the Sea Breeze. We experienced all these 3 restaurants. We liked very much the Italian Restaurant , many thanks to Chef Victor. For Italian and Sea Breeze you have to book in advance. It is a kind of fine dining. In Pavillion you can eat everyday. Special thanks to the restaurants supervisors , Musa and Mohseen. Both are doing a great job together with their hardworking team. Great bar on the beach during the day time. If you order a drink don't expect to come in a minute because " Pole, Pole" (take it easy) it's for real. If your expectations will be high in this matter you will be disappointed. Learn to enjoy this " Pole, Pole" and " Hakuna Matata" Splendid entertainment! Many thanks to Stephanie and Ian from the entertainment. …
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
We have just returned from 2 weeks here and I thought I would share my feedback (both positive and not) as to me, this is what Trip advisor is for, and so I hope it may give a balanced representation of what we experienced, for anyone thinking of going. For me, this is not a 5* hotel and whilst I understand the comments from others who have reviewed the hotel and say people should take into consideration it’s in a poor country, it is run by an international group so there is no excuse, their standards should be the same worldwide. I also feel it would be fair to say, star ratings vary so much worldwide, that there should be a better system so you know exactly what your getting. In my view this hotel only just warrants a 4* Positives - amazing grounds that are well kept and clean - amazing views! - good food and choice - Italian restaurant on the beach is excellent - fast, efficient and great food Improvement areas - we felt let down by the drink service at the pool and in the restaurant, which was slow compared to what we witnessed others receiving - sometimes despite taking our order the drinks never appeared - but then were told (by a French holidaymaker) we should ‘tip’ when placing our order every time and then we would get excellent, fast service. As we were All inclusive I had no intention of carrying money around and expected a fair and good level of service. I believe in tipping good service at the end of my holiday and unfortunately for that reason alone, I didn’t tip at the end of this holiday as we didn’t receive any even adequate service. - seafood restaurant service exceptionally slow - went 3 times and on all occasions it took over an hour (on one occasion 1hr 35) for the starter. They clearly struggle with the 20.30 sitting - the room had recently had a lick of paint but still looked tired, mirrors in bathroom broken, shower doesn’t drain fast so you stand in water taking a shower, Air conditioning is set by the hotel and you can only have it on 23 or 24 which we found hot and the fan with light in broke down on 4 occasions (they were very quick to come out and fix it but it was just a “to get through” fix, as they told us! - beach is ok but not raked like most 4 and 5* hotels so was covered in seaweed and rubbish most of our holiday. There is also a lot of broken glass so if like us, you enjoy beach walking, shoes are advisable. - I understand it’s a poor country and the locals are trying to make a living but the constant “do you want to visit my shop, buy a sarong, book a trip” etc was annoying and put us off beach walking which is our main thing to do each day. On one occasion I decided to count how many times we were approached during a 1.5hr walk and it was 19 times. It was too much and spoilt my enjoyment. - pool ‘entertainment’ and announcements were load and very club med. certainly not something you expect from a 5* hotel Overall it was an average holiday but hugely overpriced when you consider you can go the Maldives or the Middle East for half the price and stay in a proper 5* hotel.…
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
I want to start by stating that these holidays were booked by an agency in my home country, that hired a secondary agency (from zanzibar) in order to book the hotel and activities. We arrived in zanzibar in the late afternoon, we were greeted at the small airport (that needs urgent renovations) by a hotel representative. He was extremely attentive to my family and I and explained to us many things along the long car ride to the hotel. Once we arrived at the hotel we were greeted and checked in by the lovely staff. Once we arrived at our room, we were extremely disappointed, as it was completely not the room that was shown to us by our agency, and for a family of 3 adults was tiny, and very uncomfortable. It was slightly dirty, as seen from a hotelier’s perspective (since we are a hotelier family we have high expectations of a 5* hotel). We proceeded to go for dinner in the main buffet restaurant and the food variety was good and the quality was good as well. Given the circumstances that we are in Africa and not in Europe, it was expected to not be an extremely lavish food quality and variety, so we were happy. After dinner I went to the front desk to explain the room situation, and the Manager on duty (Olga) assisted us. She explained that we already had had an upgrade from a room without a view to one with a view, and we proceeded to explain that the price that we are paying and what was promised to us was not matching what was actually given. She mentioned that we could upgrade to a suite and we would have to pay the difference, which was of course denied by us since it was a ridiculous difference. She mentioned there was availability of these suites, and they were what was shown to us. Since it was late she requested that we stayed in the room for the night and that we could check on other options in the morning of the next day, and we agreed. And as requested by Olga, I left her with my whatsapp number for us to be in touch easily. The next morning my family member went to the “new arrivals meeting” to discuss activities with the agency from Zanzibar and once again explained the situation, and the agency man told her he didn’t get any info on the situation. A couple of hours later, i received a whatsapp message from another manager on duty (Jessica). She mentioned that there had been an internal discussion and that they wanted to show us the ocean view suite to see if it matched our expectations. Jessica was impeccable to us and showed us the suite. We were satisfied and she moved us into the suite. From then on these holidays we’re amazing. The atmosphere became great, the activities provided such as paddling etc on the beach were great as well as volleyball at sunset. The only negative points was that in order to eat at the beach, we would have to go at certain hours otherwise it would not be included in the “all inclusive package” which is quite ironic. And that sometimes it was difficult communicating with the staff since their English wasn’t perfect, which is understandable since it is for most of the times their second or third language. Apart from that, we were treated very well at all times, and these holidays were great. A very special thank you to Jessica and Olga for solving this for us and providing my family members 60th birthday holidays an extra special touch to it. (another great point is the beach, especially the left side, as well as the platform in the water) :) We highly recommend going as well to Mnemba island to snorkel and see the fish and wild dolphins there ;) …
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Date of stay: August 2019Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
4 Helpful votes
Helpful
OK, this is tricky, as we arrived here 24 hours after the property was taken over by its neighboring Riu Hotel, so I am not sure this review should go under la Gemma or Riu but let us try to tell them apart. We had booked at la Gemma and were informed by mail after leaving home to check into Riu ... But we did get our expected all-inclusive package in a Gemma bungalow. The Riu reception informed us about all Riu restaurants and facilities, yet they failed to inform us about the Gemma beach, pool, and beach restaurant. In the first couple of days, security guards between Riu and la Gemma repeatedly refused us access to the Gemma beach and our own bungalow, though they were quickly corrected by the Riu management and all was then downhill. The Riu grounds are superb, their buffets superlative. Great selection of varied and tasty dishes. Their staff is absolutely adorable, well trained, personal, efficient, devoted. We cannot rate their rooms of course. Only criticism would be their customership ... somewhat young, noisy, kitsch, with questionable mtable manners and respect for the staff, but then this is not Riu's fault, although they should forbid bathing suits at the beach restaurant and bars, and require proper shirt and knee-height attire in the evening. The pool and beach seating suffer from a Tragedy of the Commons problem classical of that sort of customership: people drop a towel or bag to secure a chair at 7am, then go off to breakfast, gym, swimming, beach volley, lunch, boating etc. hardly ever to return to the seating they reserved for themselves and thus prevent others from using. However if you prefer quietness and more decent and respectful beach chair neighbors, la Gemma beach is the place. Not all is perfect but the average level is somewhat more civilized, and there is ample supply of free chairs through the day ... maybe until Riu customers discover that they can also go to la Gemma (unless a rule says otherwise). La Gemma rooms are large, decorated with simple taste and furniture, comfortable, well equiped, well air conditonned, showing some wear and tear signs, like water leaking out of the shower and causing toilet door to rub the floor and fail to close completely.…
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: Rooms up the hill are quieter but a somewhat long and hot walk back from the beach and restaurants
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Jambo Jambo What can I say about the Hotel La Gemma Dell'Est. well before we start lets get one thing very clear, you are not going to New York. The reason I say this is because I have seen some negative reviews about this wonderful place, and they all seem to think that it should be like the Plaza in Central Park. Bear this in mind and look with open eyes and dare I say it an open heart. you can't compare a Developing Country like Zanzibar to the worlds richest nation. We arrived in Zanzibar at 8am local time and was very quickly through the airport and found our transfer company waiting for us all of our travel itinerary was arranged through an independent operator in the UK called Tropical Skys. our transfer took about 90 minutes from the airport. and we had a guide with us on this journey. We arrived at the hotel complex at around 9:30am a full 4:30 before check in time which is at 2pm. This was not an issue we were made to feel welcome and taken to the Lobby Lounge where we were given a very refreshing Herbaceous tea. within 5 minutes Boaz from the front desk came t greet us with paperwork and wristbands. he then sent us off by Go Cart to get some breakfast. remember we still not officially checked in and so this is above and beyond what they needed to do for us. Our luggage was with the others that arrived early and was constantly watched by the hotel security. After we returned to the lobby and were given more drinks we just chilled out in the shade enjoying the peace and tranquility of this place. we were taken aback by a couple of others that were waiting were not happy that their room was not ready, this we think was very ungracious attitude as the rooms are not vacated till 12pm by out going guests.this we found was rather rude of these guests after all the graciousness that we were all being shown by the hospitality team and it was only 12:30pm. 2pm arrived and Boaz came with our room key and a go cart to take us to it, our room a Standard double is housed in a chalet has full Air Con and very spacious a huge supper kingsize bed, yes it is two beds put together but do you know this was not an issue and did not cause any problems yes two covers but for us this was actually useful. We walked into our room and the bed was laid out with flower petals to greet us those little extra touches go a very long way. Okay yes the rooms are a bit dated but you know what it actually added to the charm of the place (Remember Developing Country). so we went for lunch at the pavilion and the choice is immense. afterwards first visit to the beach. well the beach is white the sea is Turquoise and clear also warm. the top section is private to the hotel. so in the middle is the Sunset lounge on the pier to the left the beach for those in a room to the right is the Gazebos for those that paid to stay in the Villas (Star of the East) still part of the complex. we found some sun loungers and the beach bar and wow the staff do they ever stop smiling. yet more welcomes and more drinks. the beach is quiet and you feel so safe. there is the locals trying to sell you their wares but they not too bad and don't come onto the private beach area at all. the hotel complex has theme nights Tuesday is African night in the Pavilion, live entertainment is also at the Sunset Lounge bar. the Italian Beach restaurant (Book at Reception) has to be done while you are there the food is amazing. Whilst here we did lots of activities like sailing in a Dhow for Sunset (Did I mention this is the best hotel for the sunsets). and used the Spa for a massage booked two trips wit Zan Tours who are hotel partners. on check out day it was the reverse of check in we packed left our room. bags went into storage as we were not leaving till that evening. was allowed to keep our bands so we could eat and drink till we left. The staff are out of this world and made sure that we wanted for nothing. We have already mentioned Boaz then there is Chriss, yes two S at the end he is the Restaurant front of house manager who was always there smiling and talking to all the guests. and Frankee who worked in the Sunset lounge but then any of the staff were equally amazing. So please again look beyond the western idea of a five star hotel and embrace La Gemma it is unadulterated Luxury and in my personal opinion gives our idea of five star hotels a real run for the money. and always remember Hakuna Matata…
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip: the rooms up nearer to the reception are quieter as they are away from the evening entertainment....
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
PRICE RANGE
$258 - $358 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
diamonds la gemma dell` est hotel zanzibar, la gemma dell est zanzibar, gemma del est
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Diamonds La Gemma dell' Est
LOCATION
TanzaniaZanzibar ArchipelagoZanzibar IslandNungwi
NUMBER OF ROOMS
1
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est
Which popular attractions are close to Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
Nearby attractions include Kendwa Beach (0.7 miles), Bahati Beach Boutique (0.7 miles), and Mbape Tours Zanzibar (0.6 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
Which room amenities are available at Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a bidet.
What food & drink options are available at Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
What are some restaurants close to Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
Conveniently located restaurants include Fisherman lokal restaurant, La Fontana Restaurant & Bungalows, and The Lebanese Cuisine Kendwa Zanzibar.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
Yes, guests have access to a pool, a fitness center, and fitness classes during their stay.
Does Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers meeting rooms, a banquet room, and conference facilities.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Swahili.
Are there any historical sites close to Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Fukuchani Ruins (2.2 miles).
Does Hotel La Gemma Dell’Est have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.