Zanzibar Palace Hotel

If you are looking for an authentic, character-building descent into architectural chaos disguised as "historic charm," the Zanzibar Palace Hotel in Stone Town is an absolute must-visit. Forget the sterile predictability of modern luxury; here, you can experience the rustic thrill of navigating steep, 60-degree staircases that double as a daily lower-body workout while rogue mosquitoes inevitably track you down to deliver multiple fresh bites per leg. Add in a magnificent acoustic amplification system that ensures every footstep, dropped shoe, and murmured conversation in the hallway echoes straight into your skull, and it becomes a true masterclass in how much sensory punishment a traveler can endure in the name of heritage preservation. Of course, the true pièce de résistance of the boutique experience is the interior lighting design—or rather, the aggressive lack thereof. Why rely on window shades that actually block light when you can wake up at dawn to the sun beaming directly onto your face like a focused magnifying glass? Naturally, the solution requires a bit of clever DIY engineering, which involves aggressively jamming decorative throw pillows into window frames just to keep yourself from spontaneously combusting before seven in the morning. Add in a proprietor whose hospitality style leans heavily toward the unpredictable and "spirited," and you have yourself a truly unforgettable vacation nightmare. Ultimately, Stone Town's crumbling, rotting coral-stone alleyways and relentless tourist-trap hustle serve a vital purpose: they make checking into a sterile, air-conditioned airport hotel feel like walking through the gates of paradise. If your idea of a dream holiday involves high hopes, low reality, and improvising blackout curtains out of bed cushions, look no further.

What a cute boutique motel. We were only there for one night, but we got the experience. It felt like an Indiana Jones hotel room. Really cool. They have good AC in the bedrooms. The breakfast is good, no complaints. It’s very small and just be prepared for that. No resort buffet, if that’s your thing.. You can easily walk anywhere in Stone Town from there. The staff were super kind. This is interesting, doors are a big deal in Stone Town. The nicer the door, generally the nicer the place.

Nice hotel, lovely service, good center location. We had the ’grand suite’ however I feel this was closer to a bigger regular room, i kind of expected more from a grand suite in form of quality, but hey this is Africa. Big room but not that top notch.

This was the second time we stayed at Zanzibar Palace Hotel. We had the joy of staying in the Dunia Suite at the top floor - which was Superb, both times. The room is amazing, with a top-floor bathroom that is out of this world. A breezy, open room with a large bathtub and sunbeds on a small patio looking over the city. The staff is most accommodating and the food is excellent. All in all, this is a recommendation - stay here for at least one night, whenever you are in Zanziber.