Tikitam Palms Boutique Hotel

Everything was fantastic. A true home from home. Beautiful property, wonderful staff and great chef and food. I celebrated my 50th birthday and it was so special!

Nothing, loved it all

Beautiful small Boutique Hotel with outstanding service. I felt extremly welcome and appreciated. The food was lovingly prepared and fresh. Friendly staff who went above and beyond to make my stay a memorable one. The Villa was beautiful and spacious. A clean and well kept little gem. Thank you so much for a beautiful stay!

Nothing comes to mind regarding the Hotel. The beach was a dissapointment, very shallow water and low tide was for hours. The staff did their best to keep the beach clean and free of seagrass, but if you like long beach walks and swimming is your focus it‘s not the best place. But in the end the house made up for it, nice and clean pool area which is a quiet place for relaxation.

Last month my wife and I stayed at Tikitam Palms for 4 days. We were very excited when we arrived at the reception, but here we were well received. Pleasant and smiling people and we were given a tour on the way to the room. The Maasai who were on guard and who also carried our luggage came and shook our hands. Everyone who worked at the hotel was very nice and welcoming. The food is very tasty and exciting. The head chef always came to the table to either talk about what was on the menu or to get feedback. We had a nice room and it was clean and in a good condition. We had a short distance to the swimming pool where we enjoyed the silence apart from birdsong and the sound of the monkeys in the trees. After our stay at Tikitam Palms, we moved to a hotel by Nungwi beach. It was also good, but it is Tikitam Palms that we remember best and that we want to go back to.

The aim with our stay was to rest and relax and have a 5-star experience on Zanzibar. We have visited the island before, also in the Kiwenga area. Since being a Boutique Guest Owner myself, and my travel companion (son) having worked for top-rated Hilton’s and Seasons Resorts across EMEA, we very well know the requirements for meeting the star grading and the standards that need to be met, for a property like Tikitam to present itself as 5-star and for the apparent reviews and awards to be justified. Unfortunately, the complete opposite of what was expected, was offered, and our experience was nothing short of horrible, even now post check-out. WRONG ROOM TYPE: We specifically booked a twin room, and the hotel confirmed our request (via Agoda). Instead, the room had only a King-bed which we had to share. Reception / check-in staff was not even aware of the confirmed request, so it remains a mystery who then actually confirmed the room type. It was a huge discomfort for, and disrespectful towards me and my travel companion, to not have the room type we specifically booked and had confirmed. NO MANAGER, DUTY MANAGER, 2ND IN CHARGE ON PROPERTY There was literally no one on the property who could assist when we wanted to address our concerns. We had to wait 30 mins because in the reception area, where no one was present, and there is only a bell to ring. The in-room phone doesn’t work, so you cannot call the front desk or anyone from the property for that matter. And there is nearly no mobile signal. The only “manager” we could speak to, was Gertrude who is apparently the reservation manager, and based in Stone Town, about an hour away. We never met her, and only spoke on the phone via the receptionist. Cancellation & Refund Based on our experience, and the extensive list of shortcomings and sub-standard offerings (mentioned below), Getrude mentioned the entire booking would be cancelled from the Hotel’s side, and that we would be refunded in full. The only charge we would need to cover, would be the $5 per person Tourism Tax, which we paid in cash upon leaving. My son and the receptionist were also present when Getrude confirmed the cancellation conditions. There was no question about any “cancellation penalty” etc. – since all charges would be waived by the hotel and the hotel promised to send a confirmation email, to avoid any further confusion, which they did not. However, when I enquired through Agoda, apparently the Hotel went back on their word, did not initiate the cancellation as promised, demands a one night stay cancellation penalty and in fact no-one from the hotel contacted us directly after leaving. So you can imagine, not just having the bad experience at the hotel, but there is no care given even afterwards and severe dishonesty. We had to pay our own taxi to get to Kiwenga and find another hotel that could accommodate us (in peak season), and now this ongoing dispute and lengthy emails and messages regarding the stay is spoiling and taking up precious time from the rest of our short holiday. The following list of misrepresentations, lack of service and / or poor offerings, has been shared with hotel: ROOM 1. We booked a room, SPECIFICALLY requesting through Agoda and Tikitam, for 2 separate beds. It was confirmed in writing by the hotel, but never offered. According to the receptionist, the property actually cannot offer 2 twin beds for example. 2. Upon arrival we were informed "we were upgraded”. When asking what the upgrade entailed, it was mentioned to us that the only difference is the addition of a “coffee machine” to the room. 3. Afternoon Coffee / High tea with cake - (as per offering) - not available. 4. Safe in room - not working properly (staff was aware, and our valuables was locked inside). 5. Fridge in room - not working. 6. “Coffee facilities" in room - only 2 coffee pods provided, no milk / creamer / sugar available in room - even after requested it was conveyed not available. No tea offering or kettle or any alternative. 7. No amenities in "5 star" boutique offering, no slippers, no shower caps, nothing except a single plastic sanitary bag and earbuds. Even the 4-star hotels in Dar Es Salaam where we stayed the previous night offered, gowns, slippers, toothbrushes, earbuds, shoe mitt, vanity kits, cotton face pads, haircombs, loofah etc. 8. According to the guest information booklet, TV can be streamed, but that is highly unlikely with an internet speed of 1.84Mbps, not sure how that will be even possible. FOOD The bread, pastries and dessert offering were sub-standard, which was pointed out to staff. There was no management present at any of the mealtimes. We never received a drinks menu. When ordering something as simple as a cappuccino, the staff was completely surprised and again not even sweetener was available on property for coffee served with dinner or breakfast. The breakfast had no meat offering. The restaurant staff keep staring at you the entire time, making it very uncomfortable to enjoy the dining experience. There was no indication of allergies of any of the food offerings. It has been more than 3 days already since we left the property, yet no part of the stay had been refunded or processed - in contrast to what the hotel promised. The hotel still has not sent through the cancellation confirmation, and kept misleading Agoda as a booking portal as well.

Visited the place for the second time. I really enjoy the intimacy of the place. Small destination, with only few villas / rooms. Great personnel and beautiful decorations. Very good food.

A bit far away from actitivies. This place is great for resting and taking time for yourself. During the low tide, the beach is not so great.

This vacation was something special for us! We didn’t paid that much attention before the booking in regards to the beach. As we expected a sandy beach as we knew it from previous holidays. However it turned out that this was not that big issue for us as it got overcompensated many times by the hospitality of the peoples working there. It is hard to put it in words, you simply have to experience it. Two minor things are that it would be nice if the kitchen would offer a dinner plan which lasts for 10 days or two weeks, actually the food is repeating each week. However the quality and the kindness of the chef and the entire kitchen team is simply outstanding. The 2nd minor thing is the small bridge leading the way into the ocean. It is almost impossible, especially for older people to climb out of the water at the end of the bridge. But that should not be understood as a complain, it is just a small hint of how to improve further.

The property was clean and modern. The rooms and communal areas were decorated to a high standard, providing a relaxing environment. The staff were outstanding and the food was exceptional.

They could go round the pool offering drinks more.

We had 4 wonderful days at Tikitam Palms in complete peace and tranquility. There weren't many guests when we were there, so we usually had the entire pool area to ourselves and felt almost alone in the world during the daytime. There were a few more guests in the evening for dinner, which was pleasant. The area was absolutely fantastic with beautiful details in the rooms and buildings, and it was a lot of fun to see monkeys and other small animals in the outdoor area. We took a walk to the coral reef and strolled along the beach during low tide, visiting Kiwengwa. We borrowed a kayak for a paddle and swam in the sea from the small pier. Please note that there is no beach there, which we were aware of, so it was perfectly fine for us. The food was good, but considering that this is a 5-star hotel, there are a few things I would have preferred to be different. 1. An all-day a la carte breakfast option would be preferable. At this type of resort, it would be nice to choose when to have breakfast. 2. A la carte restaurant - in such a small place, it would be possible to have a menu to choose from, at least on some evenings instead of the semi-buffet style they have. Even though you could choose between meat and fish, etc. 3. More frequent visits from staff to the pool area to take drink and snack orders. 4. The swimming pier could be a bit easier to access, especially when it's a bit wavy. But all in all, a very pleasant stay, extremely relaxing with complete peace and quiet, good Wi-Fi, which is not always guaranteed in Zanzibar, excellent food, outstanding service, and friendly staff. We also enjoyed several delightful treatments at the hotel's spa, which we highly recommend.

The beachfront location is nice. Feels very secluded, which was a welcome respite. Most of the staff were welcoming and the food / entertainment was enjoyable. We also really enjoyed the massage!

One of the waiters was a bit rude. We also didn’t like that it felt like the hotel was a little stingy when it came to supplying bottled (safe) water and coffee pods for our room’s espresso machine. After spending so much for a nice place to stay, it felt odd to have a “daily allotment” of 1 water bottle and 1 espresso pod per person.

Facility and staff kindness