Reef & Beach Resort + Safari

Two week stay here at Reef & Beach. We booked at ocean front beach bungalow, on arrival we were taken to a room in the main building, was told we had been given a free upgrade! I asked if I could see what we had actually booked…as on the website the bungalow was the more premium option. We saw the bungalow (was not premium) rustic and African charm is what I’d hoped for but it was tired and run down but I thought let’s give it a go. Management said to have some food and think about it! On reflection my husband wanted the free upgrade as it was more modern! Management then refused and said we had to have our original booking! Not a problem! We moved to the bungalow, what a shock we had! The smell in there was awful , the shower was intermittent, hardly any hot water at all. Broken unstable toilet, 4 clothes hangers between the two of us for two weeks ( requested more) TV didn’t work, we reported it numerous times with no joy. The bed although looks great is very high. I just about managed but if you have any mobility issues or just sore knees you’d struggle…saying that I slept amazingly well as it’s a hard mattress. After a few complaints ( which we don’t like doing) we were moved to the said free upgrade. The ocean swim up room is your best option, sun all afternoon. You also get access to sun loungers out the front of these rooms solely for the swim up rooms. Our room was fair, lovely very comfortable huge bed. Working TV, a sofa and a more modern feel although the smell was just awful, it smelt as if someone had been smoking in our room but I just didn’t have it in me to complain again. I felt awful doing so and the staff were so helpful but we decided to just crack on. Cleaning staff do an amazing job! Room is turned down on an evening, sprayed with bug mosquito spray and nets covering the bed. The grounds are gorgeous! The place is kept immaculate, hotel staff working round the clock keeping it tip top. Beware of the gardener, he will offer you a coconut! But he will want paying. We had no cash on us and explained we’d pay him once we got some…he kept hanging around daily till we paid him. I would say do get one, and it’s fair to pay but make sure you are aware you need some tips. The resort has various places to relax. The jetty is lovely, peaceful and perfect to have a dip in the sea. The lounger cushions are very tired and felt a bit grubby. The natural spring pool is so nice, it looks a bit green but it’s not and it felt amazing swimming in it. Beach towels you can change daily but almost every time we wanted fresh ones there was a wait, towels a bit shabby too. The small pool by the mango bar is a bit more lively, we only used once. Animation team are around that area and do a great job. There is an evening entertainment show every night 9-10pm then that’s it, you then only have the choice of the jetty bar which will stay open 24/7 this is a very quiet resort, not lively! Suited to couples/ family but could be boring for younger people. Bar staff in all bars are great! Very friendly, engaging and work so hard! The drinks are of a good quality, no need to upgrade. The cocktails are made fresh…the Zanzibar mojitos are lovely and refreshing…. You will see the Colobus monkeys daily, they are sweet and very entertaining! Food- Plentiful choice but just not great! We are not fussy eaters at all, almost nothing I wouldn’t eat or try but this buffet style food was almost always cold even when we arrived at the start of meals, some odd choices but I would say plenty of choice. The salad area though is super with loads of choice too. Fresh cooking daily, your best bet to get something hot. There is also an Indian restaurant and an Italian, which you have to book. Both a buffet style again. Again food was cold and just a bit disappointing. The staff work tirelessly though making sure the food halls are kept clean and tidy through service, they are a super super team. The maasai boys on the beach are harmless, but they will approach you every time you step on the beach at low tide. They just want tips, have a chat with them, let them show you the star fish and go see their little shops at the side of the hotel. A tip for their time and friendliness goes along way. My top tip, outside the resort is a little shop called Fatima’s, she is great! She gave us the Best massage at a very fair price, 20 dollars each for an hours massage and it was super! Top to toe and very well done. We had facials in the spa on resort and a much higher cost, it was good but pricey. Fatima’s also do gifts cheaper and her husband is a taxi driver, we used her a few times. We did various excursions, stone town, spice tour, and prison island, booked via Fatima. Very cheap! We booked a safari but did that via get your guide, it was amazing! The highlight of my trip! We did the blue safari , I didn’t enjoy this one bit but each to their own. Go to paje, it’s great. It’s very lively and has so much to see. You will be approached a lot by children and young people but it is what it is, have a look around their shops and market, tip the beach performers and enjoy. We liked bento bar, sky bar and Shanga, food was delicious there! 30 dollars round trip to paje, just use Fatima or the taxi guys outside the hotel. The taxi booked via the hotels are way more expensive. These taxi guys will literally sit and wait for you, even if your there for hours so we always tipped over the asking price for the taxi- still cheap compared to home! We also went to the rock, twice. It was a nice experience, great food and atmosphere. All in all we have had a wonderful holiday here in Zanzibar but I wouldn’t return to this hotel, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend! I’m sure you will have a great time if you come with fantastic staff.

Absolutely GORGEOUS! The grounds, pools, restaurants and rooms are all immaculate and beautifully decorated. It's also perfectly located for both sunrise and sunset pics! The staff are all friendly and helpful and made us feel right at home. The food is excellent, with plenty of options to please any and everyone. Our favorites were rhe Swahili dishes! The location is unbeatable and there are even endangered monkeys in the trees! The water is crystal clear and perfect for swimming when the tide is in. When the tide is out, you can walk out on the sand to find starfish and see the seaweed harvesters! Make sure to check out the Maasai stores just down the coast too!

An absolutely fantastic hotel. I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. The rooms are fantastic, and the food is delicious. Plus, it is close to the ocean and the local Maasai people, who are very friendly and helpful. There is water aerobics every morning, volleyball in the afternoon, and a performance every evening. The island is a true paradise. Thank you to the entire hotel staff for their help and for making our stay so enjoyable. We will certainly be back...

If you are looking for peace and quiet, and the luxury island escape that was advertised to you, this is definitely NOT the place to stay. This was, without question, the worst hotel experience I have ever had. Where do I even begin? The food was incredibly disappointing and nowhere near the standard I would expect from an all-inclusive resort. Most meals were repetitive, bland and often cold, consisting of the same things night after night – rice, plain pasta, French fries and pizza. To make matters worse, there was little to no seafood available. At an island resort, this is something guests reasonably expect. The desserts were equally disappointing, with dry, flavourless cakes being the norm, and the cocktails were so watered down that they were barely drinkable. Unfortunately, the accommodation and overall experience only went downhill from there. The noise in our original room was terrible, and to top it off, our bed broke during our stay. While I appreciate the effort to move us to another room, the new room was somehow even worse. What was most unacceptable, however, was the constant construction taking place throughout the resort. There was absolutely no escaping it. The bar on the jetty was being reconstructed, meaning we had to listen to construction noise while trying to relax. We then moved to the pool area in search of some peace and quiet, only to find new shade structures being built there too. Finally, on our last day, we were subjected to loud drilling directly outside our room. We raised our concerns three days into our stay and complained multiple times thereafter. Yet nothing meaningful was done. Then, at 9pm on the evening before our departure, after my third complaint, we were finally contacted to discuss the issues. We were then told that had management known sooner, something could have been done. This response was frankly insulting. We had already raised our concerns days earlier. The reality is that nothing was done until it was far too late. After making virtually no effort to rectify our experience during our stay and offering very little in the way of an apology, and to add insult to injury, we were offered “$28 compensation” in bar credit. This amounted to four drinks. We had already paid for an all-inclusive package, meaning we could have had those drinks for free anyway. When we then went to order the drinks, some of the drinks we wanted weren’t even available. To make matters worse, this compensation was offered at 9pm when we were leaving the resort at 7am the following morning. It was a token gesture that felt less like compensation and more like an attempt to tick a box. While I appreciate Maggie’s efforts, the overall handling of this situation was poor from start to finish. The attempts to rectify our experience were simply too little, too late. This hotel falls far short of a four-star standard. The food, accommodation, service and overall guest experience leave A LOT to be desired. I cannot recommend this hotel and I will certainly not be returning. Save your money and stay elsewhere.

After trouble with our airline this was the most perfect hotel to end up at. The room was absolutely stunning, we paid extra for a sea view suite and it was definitely worth it! Housekeeping every day to turn down the room and help with bugs. The location was nice, on the sea, but it became awkward for some excursions due to activities being mostly at the top of the island, transfers were not included so this rendered slightly more expensive. Although taxi drivers were especially friendly so the drives were comfortable. The food and drinks were amazing, great options accommodating for all. The staff were also so helpful, everyone very friendly, we spoke to multiple members who offered services such as the spa manager and a lady who organises a trip to the local school every wednesday. As a couple we also want to thank Abuu, who worked on the bar as he really lightened our stay and was friendly and enthusiastic. Overall this hotel was brilliant and we would love to stay again.