When the warm and friendly welcome from Hindi and Hassan at reception makes you forget it's 3am, and you haven't slept for almost 24 hours, you just know you've come to the right place! My 7 night stay at Melia Zanzibar was truly the best birthday gift I could have given myself. (This review is long, but I hope to do the Melia, its people, and its offering justice) My ground floor room was large, extremely comfortable, maintained very efficiently over the week (gosh, the wonderful ladies who do the cleaning move like ninjas, quick and silent), and had a stunning view across the lush gardens to the ocean. I was up at 6 every morning just for the sunrises. The hotel and it's amenities are spacious and beautiful, and have more than enough space that I never felt too close to other people, while still enjoying the experience of fellow travellers. Travel between the hotel and Gabi Beach was a breeze (thank you to all the Daladala and golf cart drivers!) and there was plenty of comfortable space at the Pools and Beach. Thank you to Ebrahim, Jacob, and Fahad at Gabi for always helping select the perfect Bali beds, and providing a fun and helpful towel service. Thank you also to Omar, for doing the same at the main pool, and for really looking after me each time I visited there! I could go on and on about the food (and I certainly ate plenty of it!), but I will just say that there is brilliant selection and variety at each of the themed buffets at Spice Market, the seafood at The Jetty is truly sublime, and the casual dining style at Gabi Beach belies its almost "fine dining" presentation and quality of food. There was certainly something for everyone at all times, and catering to all tastes is tricky. Well done to Melia for getting it right! And so deliciously!! I especially loved the Thursday night Swahili Feast, and the Swahili Corner at breakfast, where I ate more Vitumbua than any one person should! :) And, of course, the But! What truly makes Melia Zanzibar special, and made my experience 5-star and more, are the wonderful and amazing people who work there, and work to make your stay incredible. I'm sorry if I forget any specific individual, because the way the team works, you encounter many of them in various places, but special thanks to managers Daniel and Daudi who really make sure that every meal is well-managed, and every client feels like the only client. (I only met beautiful manager Neema on my last day, and she provided that same care and interest). To Fatuma, Prosper, Samson, Hasan, Ipitsam, Abdel-Latif, Thumain, Witness, Gilbert ("my guy" at Spice Market dinners, and all the others - thank you for your smiles, chats, and service. Very special thanks to Peter, Neema and Valeria, whom I encountered most, and who I consider friends now; wonderful ambassadors! My last thanks here has to go to Daniel, the lovely young man who looked after my mini-bar, but mostly looked after me. He is a Blessing, and I will never forget him, or his heart. So, yes, a long review, but a place like this deserves it. Even my late-night checkout and farewell, with the lovely Magdalena, was a great experience, and just another factor in wanting to go back. Soon. …
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.