Jaribu Beach Hotel

The rooms cost $180 a night, yet the AC barely worked and the shower swung between scalding and freezing. A basic cocktail was $18 and tasted like sugar water, while $30 pasta seemed clearly microwaved. The prices are like a five-star resort, but the service and facilities wouldn't pass for a budget hostel. The beach was unusable, the food inedible, and the service nonexistent. It felt like they were trying to rip people off. If that's Zanzibar's hospitality standard, the whole island needs serious help. There are hundreds of beachfront hotels, so I'd pick another.

The food was delicious and the staff very kind. It's a good hotel for the price, between Paje and Jambiani, and you can walk between them along the beach.

After day three, breakfast felt like torture. It was exactly the same every morning: warm fruit for some reason, stale bread, and eggs made however they chose rather than how I asked. I tried to explain that I'm allergic to eggs and got blank stares. Four times in 10 days I asked for toast and jam and was told there was no jam because of a truck problem. The coffee was lukewarm at best, and the orange juice was clearly syrup made from concentrate. By day seven, we were skipping breakfast and walking 30 minutes to the nearest village to find something edible. For what they charge, this is unacceptable.

The sunrise was amazing, and I loved relaxing in the hammocks. The food was delicious and I really enjoyed the free breakfast. Special thanks to Anthony, Mahmoud, and Jackson. I arrived early, and they held my bags and set me up with Wi-Fi so I could get some work done. They made the whole experience amazing. The owners, Rachel and Masood, were also super friendly, and I genuinely enjoyed talking with them. This hotel was the highlight of my stay in Zanzibar.