Tarawanda House - Stawi

The location made this an easy place to recommend, with the beach, market and restaurants all close by. Reception staff were welcoming and happy to help, and breakfast was amazing, with fruit, vegetables, milk, coffee, honey, hot water and juice. We stayed as a family of five and had three rooms. Two had private bathrooms, while mine used the shared one. It was fine, and you get one towel a day; you can have it changed by handing it in for cleaning. For housekeeping, leave your key before you go out. My room was great, with good Wi-Fi, a safe and hangers. There’s a shared kitchen downstairs if you want to cook, and fridges upstairs and downstairs. I’d come back.

I could walk everywhere I wanted to go in Stone Town, which made the location perfect. I was a little worried about sharing a bathroom, but even with the hotel full it never caused a problem. Some rooms have private bathrooms, but I hadn’t booked one and was pleasantly surprised by how fine the shared setup was. The room did feel a bit warm even with the fan, but I really enjoyed my stay.

Breakfast was good and homemade, and the price was fair for what you get. The area was quiet and the rooms were nice, though I hadn’t realized when booking that the bathrooms were shared. There was one towel per guest, and having no water for about 12 hours one night was frustrating.

The place was comfortable and clean, with lovely furniture and a good location. Breakfast tasted good, though the portions weren’t abundant. Staff could be very friendly one day, then not even say hello the next, for no reason I could understand. It’s worth the price, but probably on a similar level to the other 50 accommodations in town.