Opera Hotel

The garden and pool are lovely spots to relax and tune out from everything. This is a really peaceful place, with tasteful architecture and decor. The hotel belongs to the Italian Venturi family, and the mother and daughter are especially helpful with excursions and recommendations. All the employees are very nice. We ate at the restaurant every night. It had recently opened, and the food quality matched the rest of the place. The buffet breakfast was amazing too, with delicious fruit and homemade dishes. Getting to the beach takes a little walk, about 5 minutes to the public beach and 15 minutes to the private ones.

I was moved here, so it wasn’t my choice, and I have quite a few concerns, though there were some good things too. The food was very good, the staff were all friendly and nice, and they offered a welcome drink when I arrived. The place also looks somewhat posh. It’s a nice-looking hotel, but it feels like it’s in the middle of nowhere, with the beach far away. Construction all around meant constant drilling and noise. The owners are on site all the time, and their presence gives the place a somewhat military atmosphere. Staff seemed uncomfortable when the owners walked by. They were welcoming, but it felt like strict training left little room for a personal touch. You have to buy water yourself or pay $0.50 to refill the bottle in your room. In nearly 40-degree heat, it was disappointing that it wasn’t replenished daily. The glass bottles break easily, and the damage charges seemed excessive. The printed notice listed fines from $5 to $1,000 for almost anything in the room that might be damaged, which made me worry even about accidents. The Wi-Fi was very poor, by far the worst connection I had in Zanzibar, though I understand the connectivity issues there.

We only booked one night at first, but ended up staying for our whole time in Zanzibar. After a terrible first day at another hotel in Bwejuu, where the advertising was very misleading, it was a relief to find this place as clean and tidy as the photos showed. The staff were attentive from the moment we arrived, and the care in the services was clear. When the power went out, the generator came on immediately, which mattered a lot for our comfort. It was quiet at night, good for families, and run by a wonderful family who clearly take pride in their work. We felt safe throughout, with security at the door around the clock. This hotel made our holiday comfortable, cosy and stress-free. Highly recommend.

A bit of a mixed review. The hotel was nice and clean, the food was really good, and the service was very good with friendly staff. There’s building work all around, with constant banging as new hotels go up. I got bitten a few times at night because there were no mosquito nets over the bed. Those were the only times I was bitten in Zanzibar. You have to sign for every little thing, and even after we’d paid our bill the night before leaving, we got a knock close to 10 at night over a 50-cent water refill. There’s no free daily water, just a glass bottle in the room that costs 50 cents to refill. The way things are run feels a little militant. It’s also a 15-minute walk to the beach. One night, there was what sounded like a serious domestic abuse situation between a man and woman in the room above us. I told security, who said it wasn’t in the hotel, but it clearly was. In the end I had to go back to security and go with him to where the fight was happening. Not a good situation to have on holiday. It may not have been the hotel’s fault, but it left me questioning what security’s role is.