Bella Vista Resort Zanzibar

The room in this resort was spacious, very clean, and quiet. The personnel were nice and available at all times. They accept credit cards (not to be taken for granted on the island), the location is nice and right next to the beach. To have more towels and pillows was easy to arrange. They clean the room every day and in the evening they spray something against the mosquitos. The bedroom was large and comfortable, the pillows less so we asked for more. There is AC, the walls are well insulated as the neighbors couldn't hear our baby crying. We had breakfast included, which was good and had several fresh choices. The meals at the restaurants are also very good, even if more expensive than in other places on the island, still good value for money. Nice swimming pool. We had our taxi driver for the whole stay in Zanzibar but when we were offered the airport transfer the price, 40USD, was in line with the good prices; appreciated since sometimes accommodations overcharge such a service.

There was no mini fridge in the room and in a resort we would expect to have it. The room was quiet, unless the housekeeping personnel would decide to stop and chat loudly right in front of your door in the early morning as it happened to us! The room was spacious yet lacked space to hang clothes. The mosquito net door was not easy to open as there was no proper handle. Communication in English can be difficult as its level is not advanced as almost everywhere on the island; they never had change for dollars, resulting in waiting each time for the change even of smaller bills. There was a smaller pool for children we didn't use as it was not as clean as the big one. The information about available excursions was always very vague, not only the tour descriptions but even the prices were not clear and varied each time we asked. They should really take care of the beach next to the hotel, being the village beach and used by fishermen it is full of rubbish and it is a real pity especially considering it is almost everywhere the same; the farthest corner of the beach is cleaner as it seems the other hotel takes a better care of their part... small effort for a better global perception of your stay!

The best part about this resort was the head of GUest Relations, Julie, who went 200% out of her way to do anything she could to make my stay the best! She is a superstar!

Air conditioning was quite weak.

Beautiful place relax and cozy ! I can only recommand this hotel. The restaurant is delicious and meals are prepared with great taste. The room was great and comfy. They take care of everything for a fair price

Not even close to what you can expect from a 4-star resort. We left after one night and stayed elsewhere for the remaining 2 nights. Good things: - By the sea, nice sunset views - Free SUP to use - The food was flavourful To be improved: - The AC did not work till midnight. Apparently that is a known problem because of limited infrastructure, but when paying extra for it, at least be honest about it from the start. Instead we spent hours waiting for mechanical staff to ‘fix it’, when it cannot be fixed. - I have never seen such a dirty swimming pool in my life! No circulation whatsoever, just still water at 35+ degrees. It was full of chlorine, so they must’ve been aware of the issue. - No pool towels available. Even when requesting them and being promised they’ll be brought: nothing. Also, no towels next morning and the dirty ones still laying by the pool. - Expect to pay $30+ for a meal (just one dish & soda). Way above average for Zanzibar. Smaller annoyances: - Only one tiny towel for drying hands, no mat or something for the bathroom, which gets soaked because it lacks a shower screen or curtain. - The bathroom has no windows, just mesh. So there is no humidity or temperature control. That means no dry towels. - Restaurant service was just sufficient, but nothing close to friendly. Imagine having to ask for glasses when ordering water and being given just a 1,5L bottle… - For dinner, we were there at 18:15 or so, and already beef had been sold out… I can understand that when we are late, but not at the start of dinner service and when lots of dishes have beef in them… - In the morning they were out of pancake batter. How can you be out of flour, milk & eggs?! Oh, but we could get an omelette. Overall, we did not have an enjoyable experience and decided to end our stay earlier. Staff was all but accommodating, leaving us waiting for hours on end before coming up with a new ‘solution’. They even wanted us to pay their commission to booking.com for the remaining nights. They have not issued a single apology or gave any verbal recognition to the problems we pointed out. The resort has so much potential and I sincerely hope they work on utilising it.

Everything was perfect

The food was great but I would recommend they add a buffet for dinner or breakfast.

Sunset and low tide was good there. Room was clean.

Restaurant is not good at all. And there's no other option. Be ready to stay hungry 🤭