Kivuli Beach Resort Paje

The staff tried hard to accomodate

Besides the staff, everything! We had 4 rooms, none of them ever had everything…no drinking water, not enough towels ever, some lacked furniture and resort generally dirty - this is no 4-Star hotel…perhaps 1

Prachtige ligging van het resort, mooie rustige plek, toch centraal gelegen.

Zwembad was gesloten. Erg matig dat dit niet is aangegeven, nu een dure prijs betaald voor iets waarbij geen zwembad was.

It’s a newer property that hasn’t been completely finished

It’s a newer property that hasn’t been completely finished

We spent a month here and had the most wonderful stay. The rooms are very spacious, with large, comfortable beds and high-quality furnishings. Each room comes with a safe, fridge, and tea-making facilities, and the bathrooms are big, modern, and work perfectly. Easy access to a beautiful beach. The staff are outstanding—friendly, cheerful, and always ready to help. From the waiting staff and chefs to the Maasai guards, everyone went out of their way to make sure we enjoyed every single day. Juan, the manager, is incredibly welcoming, helpful, and kind, and he brings great energy and fun to the hotel. We did come across a review suggesting otherwise, but that hasn’t been our experience at all. Of course, we never expected his duties to include removing a gecko from our room at 4 a.m.—what he does provide is genuine generosity and attentiveness throughout the day and evening, far beyond what you could reasonably ask for. Breakfasts are generous and high-quality, and the meals are delicious and well prepared. The chefs are always happy to prepare local dishes or their own specialties on request, which made dining a real pleasure. No wifi in rooms but we saw this as a positive. Disconnect properly and enjoy the Pole Pole lifestyle of Zanzibar. Overall, this is a great hotel with excellent staff, comfortable rooms, and a welcoming atmosphere. We would happily return. Thanks Guys. B+J

If we had to be picky, the music could be better—unless William is in charge! 😜Also, be mindful with sides: chips are $8, so you’re better off going for the whole burger/sandwich.!

Unfortunately Kivuli has an amazing staff, an amazing food, with a manager that doesn’t know how to keep basic things in the hotel working: like hot water in the shower!

Kivuli has everything to be a great hotel, but I can say that my experience was terrible! Hotel staff is amazing, friendly and very kind, food is amazing, but manager does a terrible job! Basic stuff doesn’t work: No hot water in the shower, we needed to ask thousand times to correct that, and when they corrected, after ONLY ONE shower, shower water started to be cold again! They allowed us to take a shower in another room, and the shower water was also cold!! In a certain moment, they asked us to move for another room with our stuffs, and in the following morning, during my tour, manager called me saying that I must back to the previous room (the one that the hot water in shower was not working), and after a fight by phone and after I say that I didn’t allow nobody touch my stuff without me, during my tour, he said that I could stay the in new room, “solving my issue”, acting like a superman!!! After the bother me during my tour! I planed this vacation to relax and have good moments, and with Kivuli manager I had exactly the opposite! He needs first to know how to manage a hotel! And know that hot water in the shower is a basic thing, mainly for Kivuli price!!! Issues like that can happen but they need to be solved quickly and efficiently, and not keep the issue repeating. And there is no internet in the rooms, just in the reception!!

Beach location was fine. On the end of the Paje area and less beach traffic than the central section was a plus.

While staff was extremely pleasant, the communication for breakfast was lacking. Specific items and quantity understanding was lacking. It appeared that areas, such as around the pool, had construction halted. Construction debris should be cleaned up as well as other debris in areas west of the villas. Shrubbery along the entrance lane from the road should be trimmed.

Kivuli is a boutique-style resort that truly stands out in Zanzibar for those living kitesurfing, seeking nature, privacy, and an escape from the crowds. The villas are nicely spaced, surrounded by trees which gives a wonderful sense of intimacy. The beach bar is fantastic, and the kitesurfing school and team is friendly, and highly professional The staff overall is exceptional: warm, attentive, and always going the extra mile. Big kudos to William. The General Manager personally takes care to ensure guests feel looked after, and the owner clearly has a strong vision for creating something unique here. Small details like the evening bed preparation and mosquito spraying add to the comfort. A brand-new central pool has just opened, making the experience even better.

The villas themselves are quite basic. They are new, modern, and functional, but if you’re looking for cozy interiors and detailed room décor, you may find them a little bare and minimalistic. The resort is still under development – with the main restaurant and reception near the pool under construction – but this doesn’t interfere with the stay, as the works are well separated from the villas. This is not a typical resort with animations, which actually for us this was an advantage.

Kivuli is strategically positioned to be close enough to Paje but far enough away that it provides whatever you feel like between quiet, nature and chill to beach bars and kitesurfing classes (amazing school on premises). the terrace with the restaurant is super nice, just on the beach

some small improvements could make the stay even better (consistency in the room cleaning / refilling of water and towels, a "do not disturb" sign)