Zanzibar Hotel — Hotel in Malindi

On the 11th of August 2022, I had a horrible experience in Best Western Plus hotel, in Zanzibar town (Stone town). I had gone out and when I got back into my room which was on the 2nd floor, I was removing my shoes to get comfortable when I heard the most unusual loudest noise like an explosion which continued with a very speeding sound of something gushing out into the corridor just next to my room. I was in such a condition with my heart pounding hard and couldn't think straight whether I should get out of the room or stay put just incase there was fire or a bomb explosion. I plucked courage to open the door n peeped  out. The corridor was full of steam and hot water gushing out from somewhere. I left the room n ran across anyway because I didn't know what to expect n managed to pass the steamy area. At this time the power went out but I still went towards the stairs n went down in darkness holding the wall. NO ONE from the hotel management made any urgent announcement or told the hotel residents what was going or what we should do or guide us to safety. This was traumatic. We all went down and sat outside in the dark not knowing what to do or where to go. No one bothered to tell us anything. After about 40 minutes one person among us went to the reception to find out what was going on because no one came to us.That's when we were told the water boiler had burst and that they were trying to see what to do and that we could go back to our rooms without assuring us of any safety. We just went and got our bags to move out because we felt completely traumatized and unsafe. When we asked for refund the hotel receptionist told us that would be impossible ! We hadnt even spent a night there. We had checked in at 2pm n left to go out  immediately after leaving our bags in the room. The rooms were not pleasant and not very clean either. I have no more words to explain the condition and the service of this so called BEST WESTERN PLUS hotel. I would strongly advise anyone considering staying in this hotel to think not twice but 10 times before booking...

The most notable thing about this hotel is that they only serve breakfast; there is no lunch or evening service. This is not obvious from the website, but should be noted. The website mentions a restaurant but not that it only serves breakfast. |The hotel is literally 2 minutes from the ferry to Dar so handy for travellers from the mainland. However, as it is a port area, it’s not pretty, the road around is not paved and at times it can be noisy when the ferries arrive. I thought this was disappointing for a Best Western Plus. |On the plus side, it is only minutes walk from some of the main attractions in Stone Town so very handy for Forodani Gardens, the Fort and the narrow streets and touristy shops. |The hotel advertises a roof top restaurant; there is a pleasant terrace with a “bar” that seems to serve water but not much else apart from a view of the ocean. |The bedroom is small but comfortable and furnished to an acceptable standard; not luxurious but clean and of a good enough standard. The bathroom is lovely with a large and decent shower. Hot water is plentiful with toiletries provided. There is a good quality hair dryer provided. |Our room had a balcony with 2 chairs but not much leg room otherwise. It’s a bit rickety but still here so sturdy enough for the not so faint hearted. The view was of the tin roof of the port in front and a partial ocean view. My husband was here to work and there was a small desk area and the internet speed was just about sufficient . The AC was very effective. |Would I stay here again? |No way. |It’s not a good area, there’s no food apart from breakfast, the balcony is tiny, the room is basic. |There are plenty of good aspects that may suit a business traveller, but not me; needs a lot to be improved. |No pool, no gym, no outdoor space apart from the breakfast area. There’s a water feature outside of the small reception area, but this does not cover the weaknesses of the rest...

The most notable thing about this hotel is that they only serve breakfast; there is no lunch or evening service. This is not obvious from the website, but should be noted. The website mentions a restaurant but not that it only serves breakfast. |The hotel is literally 2 minutes from the ferry to Dar so handy for travellers from the mainland. However, as it is a port area, it’s not pretty, the road around is not paved and at times it can be noisy when the ferries arrive. I thought this was disappointing for a Best Western Plus. |On the plus side, it is only minutes walk from some of the main attractions in Stone Town so very handy for Forodani Gardens, the Fort and the narrow streets and touristy shops. |The hotel advertises a roof top restaurant; there is a pleasant terrace with a “bar” that seems to serve water but not much else apart from a view of the ocean. |The bedroom is small but comfortable and furnished to an acceptable standard; not luxurious but clean and of a good enough standard. The bathroom is lovely with a large and decent shower. Hot water is plentiful with toiletries provided. There is a good quality hair dryer provided. |Our room had a balcony with 2 chairs but not much leg room otherwise. It’s a bit rickety but still here so sturdy enough for the not so faint hearted. The view was of the tin roof of the port in front and a partial ocean view. My husband was here to work and there was a small desk area and the internet speed was just about sufficient . The AC was very effective. |Would I stay here again? |No way. |It’s not a good area, there’s no food apart from breakfast, the balcony is tiny, the room is basic. |There are plenty of good aspects that may suit a business traveller, but not me; needs a lot to be improved. |No pool, no gym, no outdoor space apart from the breakfast area. There’s a water feature outside of the small reception area, but this does not cover the weaknesses of the rest...