Before we even arrived we were off to a good start. Ahead of our holiday I emailed the hotel a few times and quickly received helpful replies. One of my requests was for our 2 rooms to be located near to each other and we were so happy to be given neighbouring rooms, thank you. My daughters and I were welcomed on arrival with a big smile and a friendly “Jambo” (hello) from the porter and this set the tone for our entire stay. Without exception we found the staff to be friendly, super helpful, and going out of their way to make sure we enjoyed our stay. Every member of the team we came across smiled, said hello and asked if they could do anything for us. I’ve stayed in some fantastic hotels but have to say the attentiveness, customer service and concern for our enjoyment was the best here that I have experienced and made our stay so special. The whole team deserves recognition for the wonderful service. Not sure how I will cope back at home when I actually have to do something for myself! We stayed in garden rooms which were large, clean and well furnished. Beds are surrounded by mosquito nets and there was a sliding mosquito patio door net which meant we could enjoy leaving our patio door open but keep the net closed thereby avoiding a mosquito invasion. The bathroom was huge and nice quality products were available throughout our stay. Spice Market is where we had breakfast and buffet dinner. Dinner was usually accompanied by a variety of entertainment, but there are other bars to escape to after dinner if that’s not your thing. Gabi beach has beautiful, soft white sand, turquoise sea, palm trees offering welcome shade and hammocks to relax in. The food at the beach is delicious and I can recommend the Octopus. Sun beds are plentiful both at the pool and the beach and staff are on hand to lay towels (provided by the hotel) out as you arrive and supply delicious drinks. The jetty is stunning and very photogenic, especially at dawn. The lunch menu changed daily, all delicious, especially enjoyed against the backdrop of wonderful ocean views. For dinner we had tasty fish cooked in aromatic Zanzibar spices while being serenaded by some fantastic musicians. We also ate at Tamu where we enjoyed delicious Swahili cuisine in a most amazing setting. It’s a beautiful place. The gym is very well kitted out and the beautiful view of the ocean from the gym almost made the treadmill bearable 😊 The shuttle service between reception, gym, spa, beach and The Level runs often; we never had to wait more than 5 minutes. The drivers were always cheerful, chatty and pointed out wildlife along the way. We did have a couple of problems during our stay but as soon as these were mentioned they were resolved which we really appreciated. Be prepared for frequent power cuts, but they never lasted more than a couple of minutes. One small thing we didn’t like was the persistence of the people on the beach selling tours, jewellery etc. I do understand we are all trying to make a living, but they stood waiting for us to walk away from the hotel and on a couple of occasions they followed us along the beach. That was enough to stop me walking along the beach beyond the hotel alone which was a pity. Not sure what the hotel can do about this though. Stone Town is definitely worth a visit, giving a glimpse of a very different Zanzibar. We had a guide and as 3 female travellers this was a wise move. A few practical tips: UK 3 pin plugs can be used in the hotel sockets; no need to bring adaptors. US dollars are accepted almost everywhere so don’t bother trying to obtain Tanzanian Shilling. Obtain your visa online before arrival as the queues to obtain visas at the airport were long. What a wonderful holiday.

Where to start , from beginning to end our hotel was amazing :) we were met at the airport with a private transport to Melia where we were were greeted with a fresh towel and refreshing drink , we were very early arriving and our room was not ready but this was to be expected at 10:30 am , we had packed a little hang luggage for this occasion and told to enjoy the resort . The pool and surrounded area was quiet and relaxing with a pool bar , restaurant and waitress service around the pool. Both food and drinks were good , thank you to Elizabeth for looking after us , the pizza ku ku was amazing . Our sea facing room was well equipped with all amenities that we required , it was kept spotless and mini bar was always fully stocked the bed was very comfortable and the was a mosquito net. The main buffet restaurant was clean and the variety of food breakfast and dinner were good with a lot of local and Indian influences :) there are a small number of cats and kittens which frequent the out eating areas , they are tame and very friendly and don’t bother you however I fed I fed them at every opportunity 😍I please ask that the hotel trap and neuter the cats. Gabi beach was outstanding as so was the food, catch of the day with garlic butter was my favourite. The jetty restaurant is open a number of days a week and again the food is lovely . We had a night at the Aqua restaurant and wow the food was outstanding and very reasonably priced 3 courses each and a bottle of wine £60 The spa was quite expensive but worth the charge, I visited on two occasions for a full massage package and also to get my nail re done . We enjoyed each night at the library bar with George who was very attentive and taught me a little Swahili , what a lovely chap “thank you George “ the entertainment at night varied throughout the week although everyone sang the same songs but we still enjoyed every minute. The hotel is eco friendly there is no plastic waste , they grow some of there produce, keep their own bees and also have a donkey sanctuary :) Thank you Melia , although we may not return to “Zanzibar “ as there are so many other countries to explore “ we would definitely visit another Melia Resort. The people of Zanzibar have been the most friendly , genuine and helpful we have ever met ,you made our whole holiday 5 star thank you Clair & Simon Whitcombe Ps Cheetah Rock is not to be missed :)

My husband and I forged ahead with our honeymoon plans in Tanzania despite Covid concerns and are so glad we did. The Melia Zanzibar was our last stop after a week on safari and it was the perfect way to end the trip. We stayed in a Level Beach Pavilion room which had a beautiful view of the ocean, modern amenities and was extremely clean. Because of Covid, it was a little different than your traditional Melia resort experience, but wonderful nonetheless. The meals were in location (varying each night for dinner) and offered set menus (with at least two choices per course), and they were very tasty. All of the staff wore masks, there was a temperature check upon arrival, hand sanitizer everywhere and small changes to drive a contactless experience (QR code scans for menus, emails daily, Whatsapp communication with concierge if needed, TV remote control in plastic, etc). The grounds were expansive and beautiful offering plenty of cabanas and lounge areas all with beautiful views. The staff was very friendly - especially Javier who personally ensured our satisfaction - as well as Paul, Said, and all of the others (there were many!) who assisted us throughout our stay. For our honeymoon, they had champagne in our room, set up a romantic dinner with a view one night at the Jetty and romantic touches like petals and towel hearts in the room.