The Star Hotel & Sports Bar Zanzibar

Definitely not a hotel, but rather an upmarket backpackers. Rooms very clean but small and cramped. Bathroom is tiny. Shower cubicle is 0.5m x 1m and not very clean. It still had the previous guests’ soap scum on the taps. I had no space to put my vanity bag. Rooms are basic: no fridge, no kettle, no glasses, no TV, no place to hang clothes. Aircon very slow and takes a long time to cool the room. They supply 750ml drinking water per day, but it’s warm due to no fridge! Breakfast very bland and basic: bread, fruit & eggs. I booked the “hotel” because of the “sports bar”, but yet to see any sports showing on the TV’s in the bar area.Staff having coffee and cigarettes in the restaurant area while we're having our breakfast. Property is new and in development stage. Steffie and her staff are very friendly and helpful. Wifi is great.

Excellent séjour Tony et son équipe sont aux petits soins des vacanciers. Services au top !!! Propreté impeccable Cocktails au bar délicieux Chambre avec climatisation (très utile sur Zanzibar)

This place is great... Ended up staying for 3 nights instead of the original one.. The staff is so kind and the owners are very accommodating. I would definitely recommend this place. The only things that I wish were better... was the proximity to the beach, it's a short walk but... And even though the room I had had 3 fans... The Zanzibar summer is brutal. Overall I loved it.

This is the perfect place for a relaxing holiday. The hotel only has availability for a limited number of guests, which means the bar, the pool and the restaurant are never crowded and you can simply enjoy the peace of the place. The staff is superbly professional and friendly, often reaching out for a chat, happy to teach some Swahili and share the local culture. Cleanliness is impressive, with the rooms completely tidied every day (new clean sheets and towels). In the evenings expect a mosquito net being prepared and sprayed for your safe sleep. Important thing to mention about the room: it is equipped with air con. Having met other tourists in Jambiani who stayed at two different hotels by the beach, we realised this is something that should not be taken for granted although essential to sleep properly, because their rooms didn't have it and were so hot that they couldn't sleep. The bar has an exceptional selection of drinks (both alcoholic and alcohol-free) and, as the name suggests, three TVs broadcasting every kind of sport event, but also Netflix. The beach is a 5-minute walk from the hotel, which allows some exploration of the village and the chance to interact with the locals. Considering the high temperatures and strong sun of the area, we enjoyed a lot spending the hottest hours by the pool in the shade of the beautifully crafted straw parasols. The manager often went the extra mile with us and we wish his business the best, which is fully deserved.

Location is actually not close to the beach, so unless you have a car/take many taxis, getting around can be difficult. Also, beds/bedding/pillows in the dorms also extremely uncomfortable. Just pay a little more and stay at someplace on the beach instead.