Kasha Boutique Hotel — Hotel in Unguja

UPDATE: Awe this is such a shame I need to update this review from 5 stars to 2, nearly two years later. I visited again, and this place went really down hill. Pool table only had broken sticks (all sticks broken) and 3 missing balls. Also pockets are broken and the balls dropped to the floor. Beds are missing headboards but the holes are still on the wall. Some staff doesn’t speak English. Darts has only 3 arrows? The food went so downhill. Calamari tastes like plastic. When we first checked in our room, the window was left open so many mosquitos were already in waiting to bite us At checkin they forgot to include the bathroom towels, bathroom washing soap/shampoo for 2 people. Only left 1 hand towel but for 2 guests. The chairs in dining room are hard, they should put cushions on them to sit on. The WiFi is unreliable in the rooms, they should have 1 router in each room connected to the main router by Ethernet cable. Breakfast coffee cups are way too small, they also overfilled them so I had to drain some out in order to add milk. The villa backyard is missing the two lounge chairs for sun bathing. Pretty big thing that was part of the backyard experience they just removed them because they broke and never replaced them?

Building optimizations feedback: Entrance needs to more pronounced. When you’re walking in from the parking lot it should showcase ultimate character and luxury, like some hanging chandeliers, white bendy wall that is thin at parking lot then opens to the building with gold paintings and artwork on the passageway. Build up the front desk area, it’s just a plain desk on the ground it’s so awkward. Make it white or nice finish with a led strip going around the countertop portion. Remove the insanely large sail boat in the middle of the lobby and replace it with a water foundation or large central art piece

The common theme here is management has done terrible at upkeeping the property. Seems like a lot of things are broken and not fixed or replaced. What was once a beautiful gem is now just an average place. They need a revamp and quickly.

Old review from 2 years ago: Exquisite hotel offering a high level of service.

I have been to 10+ other hotels on my trip to Zanzibar, this is far the best one I’ve stayed at. Private villas are elegantly designed with a very intricate level of detail. Spaced in between each other so all have a perfect ocean view. Rounded corners on cement bathroom countertops and showers. Private tub.

Each has their own mini pool and backyard.

The level of service is superior. I saw on their instagram they set up a special lunch or dinner table (attached picture) with fresh flowers and woven branches to be a romantic inclusion. They did this for me and my significant other which was a nice surprise to her. It was such an elegant display!

Some minor feedback to the owners to make this resort perfect: -Food menu wasn’t the largest, the best food hotel is Zanzibar Queen. If they can replicate what they have, it will be perfect. We went over to Zanzibar queen a few times for dinner but it would have been better to stay at eat at the hotel instead. -The pizza is not good — needs improvement -The sink and shower water is salty. So salty it erodes the metal faucet appliances and clogs the shower. Perhaps they can get a large commercial water filter. -Only one water bottle in the fridge upon our arrival. They should have the standard of 2 water bottles per day for the guest. If a guest stays 3 days, they should check in and 6 bottles should be in the fridge already chilled. -For the ocean front villas located on the right side (6-8), they should make a little path for each going to that beach path. So we can walk directly down from the backyard to get to the ocean path, instead of walking all the way around.

Other than the minor improvements above, this place was PERFECT. Reasonably priced for a nice resort, especially when everything else on Zanzibar is pretty high cost for such low level accommodations. This was...

Kasha Boutique Hotel is an extraordinary place - perfect gateway from overcrowded, intense and loud civilization. Place where you can truly rest from your every day life and find your inner peace. Each of (only!) 11 bungalows has its own, private terrace, sunbeds and tiny swimming pool, creating amazing, intimate atmosphere. In addition you can find there bigger (shared) swimming pool, private spa, two bars, wide lobby with lots of space to sit around, breakfast / lunch place with astonishing view and evening restaurant.

The food itself is really tasty. Every day chef's choice will introduce you to local dishes, including fish, sea food, beef plus options for vegetarians. Eventhough prices are higher then standard ones on Zanzibar, they are really average compering to European ones and adequate to Kasha (higher) standards. And most important - the food is simply worth it!

What makes Kasha truly unique place are the people. The stuff is amazing! Helpful, kind, dedicated, patient and always smiling! These honest smiles are worth billions :) From all the luxury resorts and hotels we've been to, this hotel is definitely the best, precisely because of their employees. We have never experienced anything like that anywhere else. Big, big thank you to all of you there!

Local (Matemwe) beach, next to the hotel can give you inside overview of real Zanzibar life. You can observe local people with their everyday activities: morning fishing, afternoon trades and evening football games. Enjoy yourself, the sun and swimming in the ocean (just be careful with urchins - hotel provides special shoes). Pack your snorkeling mask to watch offshore wild life. Beach boys can be bothering but respectful assertiveness is the key to get rid of them. And don't be afraid, you are perfectly safe there.

Tips for you, outside the hotel: snorkeling with Divepoint - must have! Better than most we did anywhere else, almost as good as Maledivian one. Of course you can get cheaper offers from local beach boys but it's like buying a car: you can buy Dacia or Mercedes, in theory both are cars but... combine Jozani forest, Spice farm and Stone City in one trip (we did a big mistake that we skipped last one), take a long walk along the beach and find local restaurant called Bin Jabir. If you are lucky, the owner will offer you drive back to the hotel.

Tips for the haters: yes, last part of the road is bumpy but instead of whining about your back, treat this as free of charge offroad adventure and look around to see one of the last, traditional village in Zanzibar (Matemwe village), yes, you can find insects in and outside the bungalow but you are on tropical island, so what do you expect... Anyway mosquito net around your bed and lemon grass will save you. And believe us, mosquitoes during summer in Europe are way worst than there.

Tips for Finish people - Tanzanian coffee is amazing, so you don't need to bring your own ;)

Huh, that is a really long note but since we spent there two weeks, it would be hard to cut it shorter :)

And very last tip to remember: as local people say: it's Zanzibar, there is no problem here!...

Total relaxation and bare foot luxury for your holiday.This is a well designed lodge and villas, located on the North East coast of Zanzibar which is still quiet and off the beaten path. Private coves and beaches await. This is the place to go if you are looking for total relaxation with a peace and calm coming over you from the time you arrive. There are 11 well appointed spacious villas spread out along beautiful grounds. All of the villas are the same size, with the only difference being the view. Some are set farther back from the sea, but still have a great view. Each villa is equipped with a flat screen tv, dvd player (dvd library in the lobby), and a fridge stocked with some water and milk upon arrival. All have a/c, a nice shower, large tub, toiletries, robe, slippers etc. You also have your own private plunge pool, with a lovely lounge area outside for ultimate privacy. If you wish to be more social, there is a decent pool over looking the Indian Ocean and Mnemba Island, as well as a good pool bar with adequate food and drinks. There is also a small spa with a great local therapist past the pool bar. You can arrange any activity with the concierge in the lobby and you can even take a boat right off the stairs to go to Mnemba which is famous for diving and snorkeling or even to Kendwa and Nungwi to the north of the island. The hotel can arrange an airport transfer and any other transfers that are needed. I found the pricing to be competitive for the transfers arranged with the hotel to go to most places (even being cheaper at times). The food is offered during breakfast, lunch and dinner with a good menu of options. They offer meal plans with a breakfast option, half board or full board option. I would recommend at least breakfast and or dinner as it is a different menu each night and several courses, starting with soup or appetizer, a main course with about 3 options (can also do vegetarian) and then desert. They can arrange a romantic dinner or beach BBQ if you wish. The staff is all very friendly and willing to go out of their way, if anything is needed. You can even order food and drinks and have it delivered to your villa if you don't want to leave. There is a small gift shop, but I would suggest bringing the essentials such as sunscreen, after sun cream etc, before your arrival. All in all the place is lovely with a well appointed and thought out design. It has an amazing beautiful lobby and lounge area that gives off a grand lodge feel. It's a great place off the beaten track, if you are looking for a romantic place, to relax, and avoid the larger crowds of the North Coast (but can still easily get to by boat or taxi by day.) Total bliss, peace and quiet and...