Golden Tulip Stonetown Boutique

The location was good and the rooms were okay, but renovation noise was going on without any reflection in the price. The kitchen was below the already low local standard. I also felt the staff were ready to take advantage of you, so pricing seemed to be whatever they wanted. I gave one star to show how willing I am to stay again.

I used to spend about 800,000 shillings a month on lunch here, nearly 9 to 10 million a year. Before that, when I bought both lunch and dinner, it was double, around 20 million for the year, almost 8000 Usd. But I was treated as if I ate for free, perhaps because I was a regular restaurant customer rather than someone staying one night at the hotel. I had to cut back from two meals a day to one, and now I'm stopping completely. I'm appalled that a relationship going back years has ended through negligence and a lack of basic courtesy. I've been a daily customer at Golden Tulip stone Towns restaurant since 2021, but the service has fallen to an unacceptable level since November 2025. It used to be my regular lunch and dinner spot, and now it's a constant frustration. Over the last two months, every second day I got the wrong order, with no change and no receipt. More than once, I went to collect food I'd ordered an hour earlier and was told they had forgotten or didn't know about it. They've also repeatedly given me the wrong food or added ingredients that aren't on the menu and that I'm allergic to. That's a serious health risk, and they seem to take it lightly. There's been no accountability and not one apology, only excuses. I kept quiet for a couple of months because returning incorrect orders or asking for my money back costs the hotel, but that changed recently. My messages to the F&B Manager today were ignored. Today, an hour after I placed an order, I was told the kitchen couldn't cook because there was no electricity. I live next door on the same power line, and power was on all day. The restaurant music was playing loudly, and the hotel has a generator anyway. On Tuesday, I was told they were busy and had forgotten, even though the restaurant was empty. There has been no respect for my time, money, or safety.

The terrace breakfast buffet was tasty, with a view over the Indian Ocean. The hotel is clean, conveniently located, and the people working there are friendly and helpful. The Travel Desk staff are capable and arrange good tours, and the in-room safe is useful. A few cupboard handles need fixing, the shower gel is watery, and they charge extra if you use a credit card. Also, expect to wake early to loud horns from vessels at the Zanzibar Ferry Terminal opposite.

The staff really made Golden Tulip Stone Town hotel for me. Reception, restaurant, housekeeping, and pool staff were all efficient, helpful, polite, and smiling. Every one of them went above and beyond. 😊