My husband and I spent a week at the Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort and we had a wonderfully, relaxing stay. We prearranged a transfer to the hotel with Nillam Tours and Safaris, the driver and guide were very friendly and gave us a warm welcome to Zanzibar. Apart from the odd bit of rain, the weather was perfect, sunny at around 28-30 degrees most days.
The hotel has a range of pools over different levels. Our favourite pool was the infinity pool that looked over the ocean. Nungwi beach is absolutely stunning, you really feel like you’re in paradise. The beach views are incredible and in my opinion, the beach is comparable to the Maldives. For me, as well as the location, the best thing about this hotel is the staff. From the barmen, to the waiters, waitresses, masseuses, security, groundsmen and animation team who all work incredibly hard and provide excellent service. Nothing is too much trouble. They are warm and friendly and they go above and beyond to make you feel welcome and comfortable. I’d like to mention a few individuals who really stood out; Ananda from the animation team, Nicolaus, Nicodem, Lightness, Isaiah, Emmanuel, Joseph and Sosthenes (to name but a few!) A huge thank you to the whole team at Royal.
During our stay we sampled the local beers (Serengeti, Sawa and Kilimanjaro) all were good. The white wine was very easy to drink as were the cocktails!! The food could be better but lots of effort was given to varying the setting of dinner. One night we ate on the beach, another night by the pool and another outside the restaurant. The service at mealtimes was excellent, your drinks always being topped up! I found myself eating quite a lot of pasta which was cooked up by Loris an Italian chef. The Cliff restaurant is a lovely spot for both lunch and dinner. For lunch I’d recommend the mozzarella sticks and fish and chips and for dinner the beef and lamb chops- all delicious and well presented!
Although we had a great time at the Royal I’d agree with some of the other reviews in that the hotel definitely feels more like a 4 star hotel, than a 5 star due to lacking a few finishing touches e.g not stocking the fridge in the room, shower was temperamental with regards to heat and pressure, beach towels provided were a bit worn out, food offered could be more varied.
All in all, a very relaxing holiday!
