Riu Jambo

Absolutely the gem of Zanzibar. From the resort itself to the staff and the locals. Simply the best vacation

We recently stayed at Jumbo Resort Zanzibar again for the 5th time after previously having such wonderful holidays there, and this time we even brought family along to experience what we always believed was one of our favourite destinations. Unfortunately, this visit was extremely disappointing and frustrating from start to finish. The biggest issue was the complete lack of organisation and professionalism from reception and housekeeping. Our room keys stopped working constantly — literally two to three times every single day. Instead of assisting us professionally, reception repeatedly blamed and accused us, saying it was because of my phone or that we had swapped room cards with other rooms, which was completely untrue and honestly very insulting. The housekeeping service was equally unacceptable. We repeatedly requested dry towels throughout the day and often never received them. There were multiple days where the towel station simply had no towels available at all, despite guests coming directly from the pool or beach. One morning, after returning from a swim and still waiting for towels, a staff member rudely approached us at the bar and told us we were “not allowed there without clothing,” despite the obvious situation and the fact that we had nowhere to properly dry off. The luggage staff also seemed extremely confused and disorganised. We were argued with over clearly marked suitcase numbers, and this is unfortunately not the first time we have experienced aggressive behaviour from luggage staff. During our December visit, another luggage employee actually shouted at me publicly, making the situation very uncomfortable and embarrassing. Our room itself was also disappointing. The air conditioning was incredibly noisy, making it difficult to sleep or relax properly. While there were a few friendly waiters and staff members who were genuinely kind and helpful, the overall experience was overshadowed by poor management, rude reception staff, terrible organisation, and unacceptable housekeeping standards. Even small things became frustrating — the Hakuna Matata pool bar played the same Miley Cyrus song (“Flowers”) repeatedly for hours. Many guests and children complained, yet nothing changed because staff claimed they could not control the music. This resort has so much potential and such a beautiful location, which makes this even sadder. We truly loved this place before, but after this experience, we left feeling disappointed, frustrated, and honestly shocked at how much the service and management standards have declined. I sincerely hope management takes these complaints seriously because loyal returning guests should never be treated this way.

Our stay at Hotel Jambo Hotel. The staff was friendly and always willing to assist. The hotel was clean and comfortable to stay in.

The staff at your hotel are all exceptionally friendly and welcoming! Although not all the restaurants were open during the evenings, the food was great when we could get in. I would recommend 2 pillows for each person on the beds instead of one.

Fantastic time hotel is brilliant beach bar is the best I've ever seen. Situated at a perfect place can walk for miles very safe.