Smiles Beach Hotel

The restaurant could use a wider choice at both breakfast and dinner. The room and cleaning were excellent, thanks to a very attentive maid. The hotel is nicely placed near the city center, with fairly good access to the sea. There are snorkeling spots nearby, and I found them much better than several others around the island.

The place is fine for a couple of days at most, but I wouldn't stay for weeks. There's not much to do beyond lying around in the room, by the pool, or on the beach, especially if you've already been on several safaris and trips. The staff weren't very friendly, the food was average or worse, and things seemed broken and in need of upgrades or renovations. The bar had no beer or other alcohol. Breakfast wasn't replenished if you arrived after 7:00.

The staff were unpleasant and didn't understand basic English, and the place left me disappointed and dissatisfied. Our room smelled like a men's urinal, with that hot piss smell that wouldn't go away. The bed had sunk into the floor for some reason, and we now have bumps on our skin. Our friends in another room weren't bitten, so it could have been bed bugs, though we didn't see any. There wasn't a single server, and while we didn't see a mosquito, there were about 1000 cats. Maybe that's because they don't serve alcohol. It was one of the most boring hotels on the strip. Breakfast was a sham, there was never any ice, and drinks were warm or hot unless you ordered bottled water. Dinner was lukewarm. I wouldn't stay there even if it were free, or with someone else's money. The place was deceiving, and we had hoped for so much more from Zanzibar.

The pool was clean and inviting, and the breakfast was nicely prepared with a good range of options. We stayed two nights at this quiet, peaceful hotel right on the beach, with lovely sea views and the soothing sound of waves all day. The rooms are comfortable and fairly standard, though the beds in the triple rooms could be more comfortable. A special thanks to Mohamed and maxmillian at reception, who helped sort out our wrongly booked room. The rest of the reception team welcomed us warmly and gave excellent service, and the restaurant staff were friendly too. It really feels like a hidden gem in Nungwi, a good spot to rest and relax.