Maria2021年1月

Very unsatisfactory airbnb experience, limited value for that price. Do not recommend it! Detailed review bellow The villas We were looking for a property that can host a big group of 12 adults around Kendwa area, the options are close to none, so we were lucky to have found those two villas next to each other that could fit us all. The properties are spacious, can fit a big group comfortably, everyone will have privacy, there’re multiple lounge areas around the houses and in the garden, which is super nice and have plenty of natural shade. The villas are located right on the beach but it is not ideal for swimming, even when the tide is high, but this is expected in this area of the island. The location of the villas is also good, it is secluded but close to Kendwa and Nungwi (appx 30 mins drive on a bumpy road). But unfortunately both properties do not look at all like they appear on Airbnb, the pictures must have been either dated or modified for the listing. Both villas look old, not taken care of and abandoned. Most of the indoor spaces are in desperate need of a renovation or an upgrade and definitely a thorough cleaning. The bulky furniture sets the exotic vibe of the space and relevant for the location, but most of items are not clean, have visible signs of time and not in a cute vintage way. The rooms are ascetic with zero attention to detail. The layouts are not too well though out, e.g. family room for a couple with a child was arranged in one of the bedrooms with levels and child’s bed was put up the high stairs. Hot water and electricity must be an issue almost everywhere on the island, but in the case of those properties, some guests haven’t had hot shower throughout the whole stay, the water pressure in the showers is another issue as well as the state of bathroom appliances. The mattresses and pillow quality are inconsistent across bedrooms. And the time has definitely come to upgrade the bed sheets and towels! A separate note should be made about questionable solution for maintaining both swimming pools, the pool system that normally circulate water doesn’t work or not used as it’s meant to be. The staff daily release some water and add some fresh water which means the water stays in for the whole day not moving, once in 2-3 days some chemical are added and the pool can’t be used for several hours. The service First, I have to mention that Zanzibar is not known for amazing hospitality service, so overall service at the villas was consistent with what we’ve experienced throughout 3 weeks on the island, with some surprising exceptions. But given we’ve booked both properties for 11 nights during most expensive season we’ve had different expectations. The villas are serviced, they come with a manager, a chef and a lot of people at your service 24/7. Key comment about he service that was so unsatisfactory is that it was incredibly slow and inconsistent. On day one the breakfast was served quite quickly, with decent selection of fruits, apart from individual orders the table was set with choice of jam, toast butter etc. On day 7 we’ve had to spend 2 hours at the table to get all the orders, e.g. the hard boiled eggs were delivered to the table 1.5 hours after order and boiled soft. On a simple request to add bananas or mango to the fruit plate, the response was that none are available. On another day after dinner at 9pm all staff disappeared without any notice, none of their numbers were responsive and the intercom system was also silent. Intercom is something that the villas advertise on Instagram but our impression was that the staff is not using it. The water bottles were not refreshed that night so the whole group stayed without potable water for a night. Those are only few examples. After giving a very direct feedback to the manager we were offered a bbq for our last night at the villa. This was arranged nicely and was really the best experience on the villa for all of us. The team was trying hard, we are really thankful for the efforts, kudos to the chef and the whole team! Which only proves that the team is either poorly managed, not trained properly or have some miscommunications. Manager of the villa was not always present and rarely available on the phone. Even settling the final bill took forever. Another thing is the housekeeping, which is daily but most of the surfaces remain untouched and covered in layers of dust. Food and drinks Guests do not have access to the kitchen, so self-catering is not an option, with getting drinks we also have had to rely on the staff. Which is not the best solution for a group of 12 adults spread around the spacious property. The quality of food is basic, nothing special but again quite consistent with what you can get almost anywhere on the island. Zanzibar is not a destination for a foodie. Same for the drinks - a choice of local beers and couple of wines from South Africa, don’t expect anything fancy. I guess you can try to request something special in advance. Couple of days in the row the quality of fruit plate was unacceptable, pineapple was rotten and papaya too ripe to consume fresh. Communication On airbnb the property is advertised though a real estate manager, i was communicating with Graziella in advance of our arrival. This was also a very challenging experience, i have to chase her for answers to most of my questions. At the beginning Graziella was offering extra services without giving specifics what those services comprise of. Obviously those required advance payments on top of what we’ve already paid through Airbnb. It took us several days to agree on the price

Krzysztof2020年1月

Everything ok thanks

Alreem2019年8月

I enjoyed my stay - recommended

Okan2018年2月

Graziella was in every details with her best effort to help us.We are highly satisfied about her quick answers and creative solutions.Had a great holiday in lovely place, really appreciated.

Alexander2017年2月

Beautiful place, fantastic service, highly recommended