Essque Zalu Zanzibar

Great hotel, excellent service from all the staff, very friendly and happy to help all the time. Only downside is there no beach, but the hotel provides a shuttle to a nearby resort in Kendwa beach.

My overall experience at Hotel Essque was good. The staff were humble, polite, and very helpful. However, there are two major areas the management should consider improving: cleanliness and food variety. Regarding cleanliness, the towels, bed sheets, and mosquito nets had stains and appeared worn out. As for the food, the breakfast and dinner buffet lacked international options and did not meet the standards expected from a 5-star hotel. I truly hope the hotel will address these aspects, especially since most guests book half-board or full-board packages.

This is a wonderful hotel on a beautiful beach… the staff are extremely helpful and very friendly… they are always checking that everything is perfect for you. The hotel has plenty of private space and at no time did it feel crowded. Food is of high quality and is plentiful… just beautiful! Rooms spacious and very comfortable. It is close to Nungwi beach and some other local attractions… but is about 1 hr 45 mins from the airport on a good day.. if traffic is heavy it can take longer… still there is plenty to see on the journey which gives you a feel of the real Zanzibar not the tourist version… I liked the journey but others may not…. I think it is the price you pay for a perfect destination

Everything was perfect friendly staff and i will visit this hotel next time really am so happy also the view was great thanks

Stayed in the hotel for 11 nights perfect perfect location great service very friendly and full of local hospitality. We have used steps to Zanzibar desk hotel to organise for us seven multi destination activities. All went to plan extremely well organised and I would like to particularly mention Patrick who has prepared every trip with great diligence and thoughtful preparation. I would also like to mention Dhulkifli our Driver and the person who accompanied us on tours exceptionally efficient and extremely polite highly recommend steps to Zanzibar tours and safari operator and Essque Zalu hotel

Such an amazing experience! The hospitality was superb and the staff was very welcoming and accommodating. I loved that they had a themed night everyday with different dishes from all over the world. I loved my room. Very comfy and spacious, and very clean. I had turn down service every night. I would definitely stay here again!

The hotel is a bit dated. The food is mediocre. If you want a beach to swim in they do not have one. You will need to be transported to another beach where you will have to pay for seats. For the price you are better off staying in a hotel with a beach you can swim in. There are much better options in more convenient areas. This hotel is out of the way and not close to anything. Everything is at least an hour away or more. I would not stay at the hotel.

“I really enjoyed the cooking class! Learning local recipes and tasting everything we made was so fun What impressed me most was the attention to detail and genuine care from the team — they truly make you feel valued as a guest. I highly recommend Essque Zalu for anyone looking for a luxurious and relaxing stay in Zanzibar!

I loved staying in the villa! It was spacious, private, and the views were absolutely stunning.❤️❤️ I will come again next year, Inshallah

We planned a 3 night stop over, after our intense 7 day safari in northern Tanzania, at Essque Zalu (Zanzibar) for a fun filled relaxing time before our journey home to the UK. The good points of this hotel are its location , decor and general communal facilities, like the pool . The rooms were well equipped and the gardens were well looked after . The place is very picturesque . Everything changes once you include the human element , particularly the management team and sadly some staff . We had booked half board but were told categorically we were on full board . We asked for confirmation of this change and were reassured that we were on full board . Only to find out at check out we were charged around $ 400 for lunch’s over the period of our stay We disputed this charge as we had lunch only on one occasion and were happy to pay around $ 80. After some to and fro conversation exchanges it was agreed , they had charged this in error. In addition we were also asked to pay government tax $10 per person per night , we again disputed this charge as our booking agent had confirmed this was prepaid . It took some convincing and proof of email exchanges to verify the prepayment . They also charged us for the taxi transfer to the airport $70 , which was prepaid at the time of booking . Again this was disputed and needed convincing on our part to remove this charge . On the first night one of our cottage entry door wouldn’t lock , we had to get support to resolve this issue . The internet was down in the same cottage and we had to call out support to resolve this issue . The toiletries ( small sealed shower gel , shampoo & conditioner )which they provided in the shower were part used and had to call house keeping for replacement. The mosquito nets in one of the rooms was littered with holes we had to ask for replacement House keeping staff used her master key to enter whist we were in the cottage , it’s normal practice for the staff to knock on the door in case we are in before using their master key . This is concerning that they could just walk in any time using the master key . We were discussing our interest in visiting ‘stone town’ and were approached by a staff member to arrange this with him and not the hotel as they will charge double . He also mentioned to keep this amongst ourselves . Alas we didn’t go with his recommendation as he couldn’t accommodate our preferred time for the visit , so we asked the hotel to arrange this for us . It seems that the staff are always looking to earn some extra cash , it appears that there is a lack of harmony between staff and the managment . The general staff don’t seem happy in their jobs or with their bosses . This does not negatively reflect in their attitude towards us , they were nothing but courteous , friendly and warm at all times . Several members of serving staff mentioned also not to tip them on the receipts eg bar drinks , this was because they said the management keeps the tips and they don’t receive any of this. I was astounded , no wonder their moral is low . It appears the reception team / management do not seem to communicate nor use their internal operating systems to input correctly or rectify information. We spoke to the manger Maureen and her team several times during the day time regarding Government tax’s , airport transfer and lunch charge , it’s evident our conversations as agreed weren’t elaborated on their check out system . This is a fundamental area of data input which needs regular maintenance with accuracy. A total failure in my view . In a sceptical world I would think that the hotel management is trying to scam their Client : absolutely abhorrent . ( assumed they had upgraded us