Melia Zanzibar

This is our third time at the Melia, and once again we're amazed at how quickly you forget all the negative energy that's accumulated over the past few months… Check in and feel completely pampered and at ease… There's always something new to discover on the huge grounds; the pool area and Gabi Beach are fantastic. The individual houses are designed so that you feel completely private. The selection at the various restaurants is excellent, and the menus are updated annually. A huge thank you to Ashish and his F&B team for this; even special requests are fulfilled immediately. The service teams in the restaurants anticipate your every need; a very special thank you to Bruno, Sead, and Adam, and to everyone else… I also appreciate the Guest Experience Team led by Ana Walls, who listen to the guests' feedback daily and translate it into improvements. The Guest Experience Team is Good idea to improve guest Relations Daily. You couldn't ask for better service than at the Meliá Zanzibar… Thank you so much for a wonderful holiday, we'll be back!

Beautiful, relaxing hotel. We don't normally use "all-inclusive" but we're certainly glad we did. Our room was great, with a balcony overlooking the gardens and the sea. The bathroom was huge, as big as the bedroom! Loads of storage space. The food in the main restaurant was good and the food at the beach bar and jetty was very good. Loved the stunning outlook from both the beach bar and jetty. Beautiful pool area and gardens, with transport around the grounds and to Gabi beach. All the staff always greeted you with a smile and "Jambo"! They went to a lot of trouble to remember names and personal preferences. Eric, from Fisherman Tours, was excellent in helping us sort out our itinery, not pushy but realistic and honest. Staff on reception and those who looked after us such as Eli, George and Peter, all made our stay special. The security staff on the beach and the jetty were both very pleasant and efficient.

Lovely staff, very kind people, great food, make us everything we ask for. we had some issue with our room but they help us find a good solutions.

Our stay at Melia Zanzibar was truly memorable. The staff were exceptional – consistently professional, attentive, and genuinely warm, ensuring every aspect of our visit was enjoyable. The views from the property are simply breathtaking and could be admired endlessly. The resort itself is beautifully maintained and expansive, creating a sense of privacy and tranquillity. There was a wide variety of activities and evening entertainment, all of which were of a very high standard. We stayed in a standard room, which, while slightly dated in style, was spacious, comfortable, and impeccably clean. Overall, Melia Zanzibar offers a perfect balance of luxury, space, and hospitality, and we would not hesitate to recommend it to others seeking a relaxing yet engaging getaway.

We stayed at Melia Zanzibar after an incredible five-night safari adventure in the Serengeti, Tanzania. As a group of five family members and friends, we had chosen Africa to celebrate my 50th birthday in style. After researching luxury options, we selected Melia Zanzibar for a relaxing five-star break. Having stayed in various Melia hotels around the world — including the exceptional Melia Arusha just before our safari — our expectations were high. Sadly, this hotel did not live up to the Melia brand we know and love. I’m sharing this honest review so others can make a fully informed decision before booking. As someone fortunate enough to have travelled extensively and stayed in many five-star hotels globally, I can confidently say that Melia Zanzibar is not a five-star property. At best, it could be described as a three-star resort — and that’s being generous, considering some three-star hotels deliver far higher standards. Rooms The first impression was disappointing. The lobby felt tired and dated, with faded rattan furniture and stained cushions. Once checked in, we received keys for our three rooms, but on entering, we were shocked — they looked nothing like the photos online. The floors were dirty, cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and the general cleanliness was poor. After a long day of travel, we decided to shower and address it later with management. Unfortunately, things only got worse. The bath taps didn’t work, there were paint splatters throughout the bathroom, the lighting flickered or failed completely, and the TV unit was hanging off the wall. The hairdryer made a loud buzzing noise before blowing out entirely. When we checked with others in our group, we discovered all three rooms were in a similar state — unclean, poorly maintained, and filled with broken fixtures. After raising our concerns with the manager, we were eventually moved to recently renovated rooms, which were significantly better and closer to the five-star standard we expected from Melia. However, we were informed that only a small number of rooms have been renovated so far, meaning the majority of guests are still placed in the older, much lower-quality rooms. We felt genuinely sorry for those still staying in the unrenovated blocks, as it’s clear they are not receiving accommodation anywhere near the standard a Melia guest should expect. Food & Drinks The main buffet restaurant, Spice Market, offered generally nice food but with limited variety and repetitive options. The buffet area was surprisingly small for a five-star hotel, and guests with dietary restrictions might struggle with the lack of choice. One particularly concerning issue was the poorly butchered meat, with bones found in several dishes throughout our stay — not only unpleasant but potentially dangerous. We also dined at the speciality restaurants, where the meals were fine but far from memorable. To be honest, we’ve had better food at high-street restaurant chains in the UK. The all-inclusive drinks selection was another let-down. Only a few local beers, wines, and cocktails were included; anything international had to be paid for. As for cocktails, they were poorly made — bartenders often didn’t know the recipes for classics like mojitos or piña coladas and substituted ingredients incorrectly. Pool Area The pool itself was beautiful, but shade was scarce. Umbrellas were fixed in place and could only be rotated, not moved, so unless you secured a spot early, you’d spend the day under the intense sun. We also encountered an unprofessional staff member who spent most of his time chatting with guests, trying to promote his friends’ business ventures and real-estate opportunities — completely inappropriate behaviour during work hours. Staff The staff were the highlight of the hotel. Most were warm, friendly, and eager to help. There were occasional language barriers, but they never impacted service. A few staff members seemed less enthusiastic, but overall, the team’s hospitality stood out in an otherwise disappointing experience. Power Cuts One of the most frustrating aspects was the constant power cuts, sometimes occurring every 5–10 minutes, even overnight. Coming from a remote solar-powered safari camp with flawless electricity, this was baffling. We didn’t experience a single night without constant power cuts, which caused the air conditioning to turn off or reset, the lights to flicker, and an audible beeping in our room. This became extremely disruptive and irritating, particularly during the middle of the night. The outages also affected Wi-Fi, making it nearly impossible to maintain a stable connection — not ideal for those needing to work or join online meetings. Beach The beach is a long way from the main hotel, requiring a buggy ride or a 30–40-minute walk from reception. While it looks stunning in photos, in reality, it was underwhelming — with seaweed, sandflies, and no maintenance throughout our stay. The seaweed wasn’t cleared, and as a result, very few guests used the beach; most, like us, chose to stay by the pool instead. Entertainment Entertainment was limited and repetitive, mostly consisting of the same singers or dance acts night after night. Even during our short one-week stay, we saw repeat performances. It lacked the variety and energy we’ve experienced in other resorts. Overall Experience Would we stay here again? Absolutely not. Would we recommend it? Unfortunately, no. We raised many of these concerns with the hotel manager, who told us we shouldn’t compare Melia Zanzibar to Melia Arusha because it’s a newer property. However, as we explained, a brand’s reputation is built on consistency — and Melia Zanzibar falls far short of the quality, cleanliness, and service we’ve experienced at other Melia hotels worldwide. This hotel has potential, but it’s in urgent need of refurbishment, staff retraining, and management accountability before it can truly claim to be a five-star resort worthy of the Melia name. For the price we paid, the entire experience was deeply disappointing — nowhere near the level of luxury, comfort, or quality promised.