Riu Palace Swahili

An amazing stay from start to finish! A huge thank you to the entire hotel team for your kindness, professionalism, and warm welcome. A very special thank you to Aminda for your exceptional hospitality, your attention to detail, and the care you show to your guests. Your dedication truly makes a difference. Also, a big thank you to the wonderful bar staff for their amazing service and great energy. We had an unforgettable experience and hope to come back soon!

We had a wonderful experience at the bar. A special thank you to Aminda for his outstanding service, kindness, and warm hospitality. He was always friendly, attentive, and professional, making every visit enjoyable. His positive attitude truly made our stay even more memorable. We highly recommend him and look forward to coming back. Thank you, Aminda!

For a 5 star hotel the alcohol selection could be better then red label,food extremely greasy,red meat quality bad,music at the bar area extremely loud till can hear in the bedrooms ...great venue on the whole

We had an absolutely wonderful stay at RIU Swahili and would return without hesitation. The hotel exceeded all our expectations. Everything was spotless, well maintained, and beautifully designed. As the hotel is still quite new, everything feels fresh and in excellent condition. The staff truly made our holiday special. Every single member of the team was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and genuinely service-minded. We have stayed in many hotels, and this was some of the best service we have ever experienced. The food was excellent, with plenty of variety, and there was always something delicious to choose from. The pools, gardens, and the entire resort were beautiful and created a relaxing atmosphere. If medical assistance is ever needed, there is a doctor available at the neighbouring RIU Jambo, which is just next door. The two RIU hotels are side by side, and guests can also enjoy some of the evening entertainment there, which was a nice bonus. The only small issue in our room was a slight damp smell when we first arrived. However, we got used to it very quickly, it caused us no problems at all, and it certainly didn’t affect our holiday. The reservation app could be improved. We weren’t able to book tables at some of the à la carte restaurants because they always appeared fully booked, and the spa app showed available appointment times even though the spa staff told us they were actually fully booked all day. It would be great if the app reflected the real availability more accurately. One thing future guests should know is that this isn’t the hotel’s fault, but on the beach it is almost impossible to relax without being approached constantly by beach vendors and Maasai sellers. It would be wonderful if there were somehow a way to allow guests to enjoy the beach a little more peacefully. Overall, RIU Swahili is a fantastic resort in a beautiful tropical setting. We had an unforgettable holiday and would happily stay here again. We highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Zanzibar!

Lovely Hotel, nice place to relax after a busy few days in the Safari. It’s very clean and everyone are friendly. Food is somewhat disappointing and the Specialists Restaurants are too hard to book that was a very bad experience. The highlight are the Staff - they’re all so friendly and kind. One member of staff in Particular was Dhahira was amazing. She worked Pool Side, she looked after us all day 10/10 - She’s a great example of how well the staff are here. She was Great.