We stayed at Smiles Beach Hotel expecting a vibrant beachside paradise – but unfortunately, it did not live up to our expectations. We didn’t see many smiles from the staff, which stood in stark contrast to our experience in mainland Tanzania (Arusha), where warm hospitality was everywhere.||First and foremost, the hotel is Muslim-run, which is absolutely fine in itself — but nowhere during the booking process or on TripAdvisor was it clearly stated that “alcohol is not allowed on the premises.”|Note: Not just “not served” — but “not allowed” at all.||There is no bar, and this creates a lack of social atmosphere at the hotel. Many guests seemed to avoid spending time on the property during the day and evening. For many, the alcohol-free policy combined with the half-board option results in meals without the possibility of a glass of wine or a cold beer by the sea. We ended up dining next door and only ate a few times at Smiles Beach. The half-board package is not worth the money — I do not recommend it.|Although the dinner menu changes daily, it consists of a small selection of uninspiring dishes with small portions.||The beach area also does not match the hotel’s marketing. A concrete pier cuts through the beachfront, undermining the idea of a classic beach experience. The sand is soft only under the pier — where the tide washes it away every six hours. Around the sun loungers, the ground feels more like crushed shells or small pebbles — not the soft white sand you’d expect from Zanzibar. For that, you’d need to head to the east coast.||À la carte is available, but to be honest, after seeing the kitchen setup and food quality, I would recommend choosing a different hotel altogether if food is important to you.||What disappointed me most was that the hotel had already made a religious choice on behalf of all guests — banning alcohol not for legal or health reasons, but purely from a religious standpoint. In my view, it’s not a hotel’s role to impose religious restrictions on guests. If someone chooses not to drink for personal or religious reasons, that’s perfectly fine — they can simply opt out. But it shouldn’t be the hotel’s decision.|Or, of course, guests should be clearly informed in advance so they can choose a hotel that suits their preferences and desired atmosphere.||Had this been mentioned clearly by the travel agency or in the hotel’s description on Booking.com or TripAdvisor, we would have chosen differently. In the end, we actually asked our travel agent to move us to another hotel.|We later discovered that the neighboring resort offered everything we had hoped for — a lively atmosphere, great food, and the option to enjoy a glass of wine or cold beer at sunset.||At Smiles Beach Hotel, all rooms are marketed as having “ocean view” — but this is a bit of a stretch. All rooms face the ocean, but the view is through the garden, palm trees, pool area, and parasols. There is no direct beach access from the rooms, although the walk to the sunbeds isn’t far.|However, during low tide, everyone strolls along the shore just a few meters in front of the sunbeds, often shouting offers for sundowner cruises, snorkeling trips, pineapples, etc. So — peaceful? No.||The rooms are clean but outdated and in need of renovation. There were no hangers in our narrow wardrobe, only one shelf, which also housed the safe — which, in our room, wasn’t even fixed to the wall. There was a water heater, a very old fridge (that worked), and air conditioning.|No chairs in the room, only a stool. The two desks weren’t really suited for working. Wi-Fi was stable but very slow.|On the balcony, there were two chairs and a small table. You’re allowed to drink your own alcohol there — but you have to purchase and carry it yourself. No service is available.||Dinner and breakfast were served in the seafront terrace restaurant — covered, but open-air — where cats roamed freely, and crows occasionally flew in to steal uncovered buffet items. The brief glimpse I had of the kitchen was not reassuring.||The service staff appeared disengaged, and it was clear that no guests used the juice or soda bar in the evenings.||On a positive note, the cleaning staff did smile when greeted.|That said, when it comes to cleanliness: the rooms come with two glasses and two mugs — these were not replaced during our stay. After two days, my wife noticed that the mugs smelled strongly of cleaning detergent, and we suspect they may have been wiped with our towels.|In a post-COVID world, one would expect hotels to take hygiene more seriously. At the very least, this raised serious concerns — even though the room itself was generally clean.||⸻||Conclusion:|If you’re looking for a lively beach hotel with full amenities and personal freedom, Smiles Beach Hotel is not for you.|If you prefer a more conservative, quiet environment with religious undertones, this may be a better fit — but it should be clearly communicated in advance.||We met other Danish guests who felt exactly...
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