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Reviews of Spice Island Hotel & Resort

4 out of 5
Spice Island Hotel & Resort
Main Road Paje, Jambiani

Reviews

8.0

Very Good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 14 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 14 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 7 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 39 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 39 reviews" "

8.6/10

Cleanliness

8.4/10

Staff & service

7.8/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Farouk

Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

Alexandra

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Spice Island Team on Aug 7, 2023
Dear Alexandra,Thank you for choosing Spice Island Hotel & Resort for your stay in Zanzibar.We are glad you had a great time and we look forward to having you again in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Timothy

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very friendly and helpful staff. Patio steps unmarked making progress a little risky
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2023
Response from The Spice Island Team on Mar 12, 2023
Thank you Timothy for choosing The Spice Island for your holidays. We had a great time hosting you and we look forward to hosting you again soon.We thank you for the feedback concerning the patio steps and we will work on it .Once again thank you for entrusting us wit your stay in Zanzibar

10/10 Excellent

Saoula

Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2023
Response from Spice Island Team on Mar 8, 2023
Dear Saoula,Thank you for choosing Spice Island for your holidays. We look forward to hosting again soon.Kind regards,The Spice Island Team.

8/10 Good

Gunnar

Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Spice Island Team on Jan 30, 2023
Dear Gunnar,Thank you for your review and for choosing Spice Island Hotel & Resort for your holidays. We hope to host you again soon.Regards,The Spice Island Team

6/10 Okay

Helle

Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Spice Island Team on Jan 26, 2023
Dear Helle,Thank you for choosing Spice Island Hotel & Resort for your holiday.We hope you had a great time with us and we look forward to host you sometime soon in the future.

10/10 Excellent

Helga

Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2022

8/10 Good

Adel

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

NIKOLAOS EVA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful place ! Great hospitality!
Beautiful place ! Great hospitality!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2021

8/10 Good

A. M

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
It was a lovely place
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff were extremely nice and accomodating, it was a beautiful property, right on the beach. We loved the jetty bar to relax on top of the ocean and go for a swim while we enjoyed our drinks. Plenty of comfortable and beautiful shady spaces to lounge by the sea, and the pool was clean and cool. We had a wonderful stay! The only thing I would say is that the food was not very good, with the exception of barbecue night which was delicious. I would still very much recommend to stay here!
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019

8/10 Good

Frani, London

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Upon arrival, I received a warm welcome from the staff (including men dressed in traditional Masai clothes). That was a nice touch. My room (23) had a garden view and was spacious with a poster bed, sofa and two bathrooms. It was clean and I especially appreciated the turndown service where staff prepare your room for the night and make sure it’s mosquito free. They have a big restaurant and their menu offers local dishes, as well as European and American food. I recommend the traditional fish stew. They also have a great selection of South African wines and very good cocktails (the Mango Cooler was my favourite). One some evenings they have themed buffets and on Saturday, we had a BBQ by the pool. The breakfast is wonderful- there’s continental, eggs, sausages and a variety of fresh fruits. There’s an amazing Jetty Bar that sits in the ocean. It’s a great place to chill, have a cocktail or two and eat a light lunch. I believe they have the biggest pool on the island- it really is impressive. They provide swimming towels and there are plenty of sun loungers and a hammock. The staff were amazing throughout. So smiley and always eager to help make sure you have the best time.
Stayed 7 nights in Dec 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Traveled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This was a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the beach. There was clear access from the hotel to the water but what made the swimming so much more enjoyable was the jetti. This allowed for swimming while the tide was out and walking on the beach early in the morning or at sunset. We felt comfortable leaving our stuff to swim together and had no security problems while at spice island. the food and drinks were wonderful and the staff made us feel comfortable and relaxed. we would definitely return!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from Virginia on Jul 27, 2019
Dear Guest, Thanks so much for your kind words! We are very happy that you were able to enjoy your holiday and relax. Welcome back anytime :) The Spice Island Team

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place, only complaint is food and drink are a bit more expensive than they need to be - good food though.
Stayed 9 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Spice Island Hotel & Resort Team on Feb 8, 2019
Dear guest, Thanks for taking the time to review our hotel. We are happy to hear you enjoyed your stay with us, and that you liked the food. Our staff and kitchen will be delighted to hear this! Thanks for your suggestion about the price of food & drinks - we will definitely take this tip into consideration. Asante sana. We can't wait to welcome you again in our little paradise. Spice Island Hotel & Resort Team

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2019
Response from Spice Island Hotel & Resort Team on Jan 26, 2019
Dear guest, Thanks for taking the time to review our property. We are so sorry to hear you didn't enjoy at the best your stay with us. We would be delighted to know what problems or complains you had during your visit. The guests are the most important value in our hotel and we are always improving for them as we want to guarantee the nicest of the stay. All the team at Spice Island Hotel & Resort wish you a pleasant day ahead.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Rate that was shown on orbitz different from what was charged to me and all electrical outlet didn’t support anything that from Africa
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2018
Response from Spice Island Hotel & Resort Team on Jan 1, 2019
Thank you very much for taking the time to review our property. We are really sorry to hear you had problems with the electrical outlet, we provide outlet adapters at the reception whenever you are in need of one. We hope your stay was satisfying, and we would love to welcome you again soon! Hope you have a great day ahead.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
For us, this property is the perfect blend of Africa and luxury. It still had a local feel, but with most of the amenities you want at a European/american resort. The rooms are nice and the staff are great. What makes this property unique, and why I would choose it again, is that it has a 100 metre long dock stretching out into the Indian Ocean. The landing at the dock's end sits over the water and allows for great views and more ocean breeze to quell the Zanzibar heat. The dock also provides adequate snorkeling underneath, perfect for families who don't want to venture to the reef, but still want to enjoy some amazing fish. The downside to Spice Island is the wi-fi. It is slow and does not always work. But, who goes to Zanzibar to look at the internet? Hakuna matata The food in the restaurant is good, not great. It is good enough to eat there every day, so you don't have to take a taxi out. Fine dining is available elsewhere, if you are a foodie. However, the wine list is pretty good! The owner owns his own vineyard, and knows how to get good wines from South Africa.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Reservation Management Spice Island Hotel & Resort on Dec 18, 2018
Dear guest, Thanks for spending your holiday with us at Spice Island Hotel & Resort. Thanks for your suggestions - we will definitely improve soon our WI-Fi connection. We would love to have you here again! Asante sana. Reservation Management Spice Island Hotel & Resort

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Disliked: Staff & service
Expensive with poor food choices but great views
Well organised pick up from Ferry and local staff very friendly. Ambiance is great and views spectacular. Clean big pool. Unfortunately Jetty closed when we were there throughout stay and food/beverage choices extremely limited, poor quality and very expensive. Not much to do but to lounge around. The rudimentary butterfly park and forest nearby will keep you entertained a few hours while Stonetown/main city approx. 1 hrs drive away has much more to offer but requires a day-trip that the hotel will happily organize against a fee.

10/10 Excellent

eric

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome
Nice hotel in an exotic country no complaints here

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

large hotel with a nice large pool
The hotel is a large with a nice large pool. It caters mainly for the German Tourist on their meal plan. The breakfast was good but their a la carte menu was not great. It is very limited and most of the food is covered in their sauces. We had better food and service at other restaurants. Very hard to swim from this part of the beach. There are rocks and compact sand with low tide. The stairs off the jetty are broken so we were unable to access the water. Jetty bar a nice spot for a drink when its not windy.

10/10 Excellent

Joseph, US

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfectly relaxing time at Spice Island
When my fiance and I arrived in Dar we decided to take the ferry to Zanzibar. I highly recommend against this and taking the short 15min flight instead. But anyway, we got to Zanzibar and took an hour taxi ride to Spice Island. At this point we were exhausted, but immediately we were greeted by hotel staff who took our luggage and then we met the reception staff who were waiting for us with cold towels and passionfruit juice. They were very accommodating. When we got to our room all we wanted to do was sleep, but the A/C seemed to be blowing warm air. We went to the reception and they quickly got us a new room which was much cooler and we slept like babies. Breakfast was included, and they had a wide assortment of breads and spreads and meats and an omelette station. We drank so much fresh passionfruit juice during our time. The entire staff was always catering to our needs and making sure we felt relaxed. The pool was so nice, and they would bring drinks out to the pool for us. The jetty bar was amazing, and we went for morning swims in the ocean. There were monkeys jumping around the trees outside our rooms (kind of scary but a cool experience). Everything about this hotel was incredible and I highly recommend to anyone.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everyone was very accommodating.
Everyone was very accommodating, but English was a problem, as it was in the whole country. Prices were high, again same in whole country. Beautiful beach, rooms were clean and nice, staff friendly and tried to please.Pool was lovely. Limited menu.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Liked: Staff & service
The hotel is located on a beautiful stretch of beach. The staff is very service minded and polite. The pool is very big. Unfortunately the rooms are not 4 star standard as advertised. The rooms are big, but the décor and facilities are not more than 2-3 star.

10/10 Excellent

Anthony D, Milton Keynes, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Quiet luxurious heaven
A wonderful quiet relaxing couple of days with the family. Big pool, lots of space, excellent dining, and the staff were very caring and helpful. And a bar on a pier out over the sea! Very highly recommended.

10/10 Excellent

Tobias, Fairfax, VA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Finest Sands in Zanzibar
Lovely people, lovely food. The jetty is truly scenic. Paje has also some dinners and parties happening regularly. Will totally come back to Spice Island when I return to Zanzibar.

10/10 Excellent

Whitney, Washington, DC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous quiet getaway on Jambiana Beach
Spice Island Hotel is a real find. Jambiana Beach is much quieter than some of the norther beaches, and it is for long walks or runs, during which you will pass other smaller hotels and lots of the traditional wooden boats. The hotel facility itself is very nice and upscale but not overly fancy; the rooms are private bungalows that are spacious and clean and the restaurant is good quality. The Jetti Bar is the most special part of Spice Hotel. It allows you to walk right out into the Indian Ocean and the views of the ocean blue colors are breathtaking. There is a nice bar and comfortable lounge seating, making it a peaceful and romantic place to have a drink or read a book. Staff was all wonderful and helpful. The trip to Kizimkazi Island, where you can snorkel with the dolphins, is only a 25 minute drive. The hotel has good adventure packages. I would definitely go back.

6/10 Okay

denise

Passeios extremamente caros e ruins
O lugar é para quem quer sossego absoluto, funcionários solícitos, não tem nada para fazer ao redor ou no hotel, banheiro ruim, cama boa, o hotel só tem internet no restaurante e na piscina, e muito ruim, praia com muitos ambulantes extremamente inconvenientes, mas o pior mesmo são os passeios e transfers vendidos pela recepção do hotel, são caros e muito ruins, beira a desonestidade, comida muito ruim por ser muito apimentada, enfim não voltaria para essa região e muito menos para esse hotel.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2021

4/10 Poor

Verified traveler

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Rien n’est vraiment propre. Tout est vieux. La cuisine est moyenne. Le rapport qualité /prix est tres décevant. On paie 60$ le transfert de l’aéroport alors qu’il coute 35 On part en ayant l’impression de s'être fait avoir. Tout est organisé pour plumer le client... Et le service n’est pas du tout a la hauteur, meme si les gens sont gentils...
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2020

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019
Response from Spice Island Hotel & Resort Team on Aug 22, 2019
Dear Guest, We are really sorry to read your feedback. If you could share with us more info about your experience we can give you more explanation and it can also help us to improve our little paradise! Asante Sana

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveler

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019

8/10 Good

dennis , danmark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, room comfort
Skønt sted med rart og venligt personale
Dejlig afslappet oplevelse. Fine hytter og godt personale. Mht maden på hotellet, så er det ikke nogen stor oplevelse og all inklusive kan ikke anbefales. Det mange aktiviteter der står oplistet kan mm ikke helt regne med: fx er der ikke mulighed for at ride og de 2 katemaraner så ud til at være i stykker. Vandet fint som forventet og vejret perfekt.
Stayed 6 nights in Feb 2018

6/10 Okay

saramadrid25, madrid

Liked: Room comfort
Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Viajesclaudiacris
El hotel es precioso ...aunque falta mantenimiento!! Camas comodas buenas, el personal del restaurante y recepción muy corretos y educados !! Tuvimos un incidente desagradable en la llegada,si escogéis este hotel guardáis muy bien vuestras pertenencias personales!! Ya que el manager no tuvo ningún detalle cómo se pasara del tema !! Pero enfim no deja de ser un buen alojamiento volvería .. pero sería más cuidadosa ..espero que el comentario llegue hasta el Hotel ya que los detalles cuentan mucho y no tuvieron ninguno con nosotras porque un mal rato me lleve ... aunque después restas importancia y disfrute mucho las instalaciones que son muy lindas pero algo descuidadas !!
No puedo olvidarte!!

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastica la costa orientale peccato perché il mare sotto il resort era sempre in bassa marea ma a pochi minuti con una piacevolissima passeggiata la pazzesca spiaggia di paje.resort molto carino personale gentile tutto per un ottima vacanza.

8/10 Good

María soledad

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Buen lugar
El hotel es lindo, limpio, cómodo, con buena ubicación., spa y excelente comida. El único inconveniente fue al llegar, dado que la reserva tuvo inconvenientes. Pero hubo soluciones de parte del lugar.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort