On the beach, sun loungers, beach umbrellas, beach towels
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Reviews of The Sands Beach Resort Zanzibar

4 out of 5
The Sands Beach Resort Zanzibar
Dongwe Beach, Pingwe, Dongwe

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 69 out of 92 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 21 out of 92 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 92 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 92 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 92 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Shari

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The service was excellent. Everyone was very friendly and courteous. We really enjoyed our stay here
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2024
Response from Shadya Ahmed Frot Office and Reservation Manager on Apr 25, 2024
Dear Shari,I trust you are well,Thank you so much for your compliment on our services, the same has been shared with the team for the good work done.I'm looking forward to welcoming you again.Best and Kind Wishes,

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location was tranquil and just what we were looking for at the start of our Zanzibar holiday. All the staff were amazingly welcoming and friendly. The team led by Ally are a credit to the hotel. The dining experience was quite special and we very much enjoyed the fresh barbecued fish at night, especially the huge tuna that a slice and thickness of your liking was cooked there and then and served to your table….in fact the staff even do your toast for you in the morning ! Overall hotel was perfect for our family of 4 including teenagers - if staying I would recommend a rental car to explore the local area, good deals can be found on arrival at the airport, we paid $30 USD a day and rental car company collected from hotel anywhere on the island for $20 USD.
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2024
Response from Shadya Ahmed on Apr 25, 2024
Dear Mark, I hope this message finds you well. Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your valuable feedback. I appreciate the compliments you shared and will make sure to pass them on to the rest of the team. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed your experience with us. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit to the island. Best and kind Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Nasser

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
It's a great hotel, with great staff. Very simple, yet clean and well kept. No TV in the rooms which could be nice as the evenings are quiet with not much activity around the area
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2024
Response from The Sands Team on Mar 21, 2024
Dear Nasser,thank you so much for staying with us. We are thrilled to know you enjoyed you vacation at The Sands Beach Resort .We look forward to welcoming you back in your next vacation.

10/10 Excellent

Kelly

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a marvelous stay. Incredible beach staff went the extra mile always. We cant recommend this destination enough. 5 stars all the way.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2024
Response from The Sands Team on Mar 21, 2024
Dear Kelly,Thank you so much for taking your precious moments to leave this kind review .We are thrilled to know you loved your stay with us.Many thanks for rating us 5star.

10/10 Excellent

Philip

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We had a great stay at the Sands. The staff were amazing, from Mr. Ally the GM to the executive chef and the cooks like Thomas who took care of us. The food was first class - this goes for breakfast right through to dinner. Amazing food and fantastic service. The beach was beautiful, clean and safe. We could not have asked for more. Even the Masai security guards were great! We loved it. Would definitely recommend the Sands in Zanzibar. We'll be back.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Nov 11, 2023
Dear Philip,Warmest greetings from the sands.Thank you very much for such delightful feedback.On behalf of dedicated staff member including Mr. Ali our guest relation manager, the cooks and all other team are looking forward to hosting you in near future.Once again Asante sana!My best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Ernst

Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Nov 20, 2023
Dear Ernst,Thank you very much for such a wonderful feedback.We can't wait to host you in the near future.My best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Mavis

Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Oct 4, 2023
Dear Mavis,Thank you very much for your wonderful feedback.We can't wait to host you again.Asante sana

10/10 Excellent

Vincent

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The resort was 5 star! The staff was so helpful and attentive.. Ally the manager made sure everything was perfect! No only would I recommend this resort … we are going back! The perfect place to kick back a d get away from the hustle and bustle. Stone town is not far and a flight to Dar es Salaam was on 34 Dollars !!Just go and relax !
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Oct 5, 2023
Dear Vincent,Warmest greetings from the land of Hakuna matata and thank you very much for taking your precious time for your wonderful feedback. The entire dedicated team of the Sands are looking forward to hosting you soon.Once again a Bunch of thanks to you.With my kindest regards,

10/10 Excellent

Shaarik

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The Sands is a terrific resort, located on a beautiful beach, with incredible facilities, terrific food, and an amazing staff. Highly recommended. Go Deeper: The Sands Zanzibar Beach Resort is amazing. We stayed here with our two daughters in July 2023 and had an incredible time. This followed a safari on the mainland and then two nights in Stone Town at which point we were ready to relax and enjoy the beach. The Sands was exactly what we needed
Response from Yasinta Marco on Jul 20, 2023
Dear Shaarik,Greetings from The Sands Beach Resort,Many thanks for taking your precious time to write us a detailed feedback.I'm glad to know you had an overall good vacation at the Sands.On behalf of the entire team, we cant wait to hosting you in near future.With my kindest regards,Front Office Manager

10/10 Excellent

Meagan

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The Sands was amazing! It was an oasis of beautiful beaches, a large pool, and great food. Highly recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Jul 9, 2023
Dear Meagan,Jambo from the Sands Beach Resort.Thank you very much for your positive feedback. On behalf of the entire team, we cant wait to hosting you in the near future.My best regards,

8/10 Good

Amanda

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We recently spent 10 days at The Sands Beach resort. If you want entertainment, night life and things to do this isn’t the place for you. There doesn’t appear to be much on the main road leading to the hotel and the nearest town of any note is Paje a 15 min drive away (taxi $25 return) Here there are lots of bars and restaurants. There was a slight mix up with the transfer the hotel arranged but this was quickly sorted out. We were met with drinks on our arrival and cold towels. Much appreciated as we had 2 long flights. We arrived at the hotel early 10am and were shown straight to our room by Ally, the guest relations manager who goes out of his way to ensure that you have a great stay. The hotel was very quiet probably no more than 5-6 rooms occupancy out of 20 rooms for most of our stay. Our room had been upgraded to a sea view. The rooms themselves are basic but huge. The bedroom consists of a comfortable king size bed with mosquito nets and crisp white sheets, a chair, desk and luggage storage bench. A separate area had a wardrobe, shelf space and a safe. The bathroom was huge, with shower and one sink. There is a water heater but this only sufficient for one shower. The soft furnishings in the rooms need updating they are dingy and old fashioned, plain brown curtains and brown light shades with tassels on. This could easily be improved with some bright colours. Outside you have 2 chairs and a table on the veranda. The rooms are cleaned daily to a good standard. Isaya a
Stayed 10 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Jul 9, 2023
Dear Amanda,Jambo from Zanzibar.We are thrilled to read this wonderful and detailed feedback. Thanks so much for choosing your vacation at the sands beach resort, we are proud to hear that every service provided to our team met your expectations . The entire team of the Sands are looking forward to hosting you in near future.Once again Asante sana!see you soon.My best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Daniel, Chicago

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
We visited Sands Beach resort in mid-June for three nights. On the plus side, the staff (including Ally, guest relations manager) was consistently friendly, welcoming, and aimed to please. They were VERY accommodating, allowing a very late checkout with no additional charge, since our unit was not booked the evening of our checkout. The grounds of the resort were quite beautiful too. As was the beautiful pool area. Also the villas were very spacious. The meals were great and the servers were very attentive. They "hovered" a bit too much, but I'm sure they were trained this way. Americans may not appreciate "hovering" quite as much as Europeans. Not sure. Beach bartenders were also wonderful: Hassan and Isaya. Even the massage therapist was terrific! On the negative side: Our villa (and most others, we were told) had no WiFi. This was only available at the pool, restaurant or beach. The villa had very low lighting. Ally did offer to change to brighter bulbs but we opted not to bother them. Also the cabinet doors in the kitchen were all broken. We didn't need these cabinets but this issue was easy to spot by routine housekeeping, so they may have a limited repair budget. Finally, the resort would occasionally have power issues. They have their own generator when the local utility goes out, but if it ran too long, they might need to shut down ALL the WiFi. This happened just once or twice. Normally, the WiFi in the public areas was great.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco. on Jun 20, 2023
Dear Daniel,Warmest greetings from the Sands beach resort.Thank you very much for taking your time to write us your positive review. we are proud to hear that every service provided to you by our team met and exceeded your expectations . Regarding the WIFI service, its clearly written on our hotel platforms that our rooms does not have WIFI . Otherwise you can always be connected in all public areas. Thank you once again for analyzing all the negative side this help us to improve our service and make sure that the fix action can be done immediately. On behalf of the entire team ,We cant wait to welcome you back as a growing family of the Sands beach resort. Karibu Tena! My best regards, Yasinta Marco Front Office Manage

10/10 Excellent

Ramon

Stayed 4 nights in May 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Jun 8, 2023
Dear Ramon,Thank you very much for your positive feedback.On behalf of the entire team, We cant wait to hosting you in near future.Asante sana!!!!!

8/10 Good

Melinda

Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco. on Apr 21, 2023
Dear Melinda,Thank you very much for taking your precious time to write us a very good feedback. On behalf of the entire team, we are looking forward to hosting you soon.My kindest regards,

10/10 Excellent

Felicia Denise

Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on May 3, 2023
Dear Felicia,Jambo from the Land of Hakuna Matata.We are very delighted to read your positive feedback about your stays with us.On behalf of the entire team, We are looking forward to hosting you in near future.Once again again Thank you for staying with us.With my kindest regards,

10/10 Excellent

Marcus

Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Amos on Mar 16, 2023
Dear Guest,Thank you for taking your precious moments to write a review.It was great honour to host you and a great thrill to hear you loved and enjoyed your vacation at The Sands Beach Resort.kind regards.

10/10 Excellent

Wayne

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Outstanding staff and spacious accommodations
Outstanding resort in Nungwi. From the time I arrived until my departure the service was top notch. If there was an issue it was resolved quickly to ensure you had the best possible time at The Sands resort. The gentleman named Ally was like having a vacation angel watching over you to make sure you were enjoying your time there. He constantly checked on us and other guest. We appreciate him for doing so. The food was delicious and each day a different selection of items. There were 2 chefs and both visited out table after dinner on various days. They did a great job. On separate days there was the whole tuna carving station one day and dorado carving stations another day, delicious as well. One of the chefs tried out his recipe for American pancakes on us Sunday morning and this recipe definitely needs to be a permanent part of Sunday breakfast, they were so good. The wait staff was great we had one gentleman a few times and he was great at anticipating our need’s and making dinner a pleasant experience. The beach bartenders were funny and great with the drinks and food service for lunch. The housekeeping staff was also excellent. I had to do some work one day and observed them cleaning the room. I doubt there was a spot missed as they were very focused on making sure the room was refreshed properly. When I return to Zanzibar I’ll split my time between Nungwi and Kendwa. I will definitely revisit The Sands resort in Nungwi. I wish all the staff the very best.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2023
Response from Yasinta on Mar 9, 2023
Dear Wayne, Jambo from Zanzibar. It was real nice hosting you in our hotel, we are very delighted to hear that you all had a great stay with us. Thank you once for the wonderful feedback, this means a lot to us and we hope to host you again in near future. My Best regards, Yasinta Marco Front office Manager.

10/10 Excellent

Benjamin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing!!! All was perfect!!!
All more perfect and better than we can expected! Thanks a lot for making our honeymoon a reality!
Stayed 6 nights in Oct 2022

10/10 Excellent

Geert

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Good place to stay it is great
Nothing to say. It was just great especially after the negative experience at konokono beach
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great people and ambiance
This hotel had the best staff we had the pleasure of meeting! The service was amazing, the beach was great (very low tide until afternoon though), room was fine also. The only bad thing to mention is the food, wasn’t the best, but we also had worse.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022

10/10 Excellent

JEANETTE Shari

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The best resort I’ve ever stayed at. The staff were so friendly and my bungalow was absolutely beautiful. I am so sad now that I am home because I want to go back!
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2022
Response from AW on Feb 3, 2022
Dear Jeanette, Thanks so much for awesome feedback.It was great pleasure to host you. I look forward to welcome you again at The Sands Beach Resort. kind regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Had an amazing experience at this hotel. The villas were spacious and clean. The food at the restaurant was delicious. The staff and management were able to take care of all of our needs with no hesitation. Would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2021
Response from Shadia Ahmed on Jul 13, 2021
Dear Valued Guest, Hope you are keeping well, We are thrilled to hear that you had an amazing stay with us. Let me share your kind and sweet words with the rest of the team. We are more than ready to welcome you again. On behalf of the entire team at The Sands, Shadya Ahmed Front Office and Reservation Manager.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
mazing stay
Very good service, excellent food offered as well. Highly recommend villa with private pool, as you can relax even more than in the general area. Beach bar is very nice as well.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2021
Response from Shadia Ahmed on Apr 29, 2021
Dear Valued Guest, Hope you are keeping well, Thank you for the time you took to write us your feedback. We are thrilled to hear that you had a wonderful holiday with us. We are looking forward to hosting you again on your next visit to the island. Come as a Guest Leave as a Friend return as a Family Best wishes, Shadia Ahmed.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I liked everything about the hotel. I stayed for only 6 days but i wish i would have stayed longer. The villas are very private with no interaction or noise from other guests. The staff are also amazing, very attentive on the guest’s needs. The hotel is right at the beach with white sand and very good to go swim, though it’s not possible to swim during low tide. I also loved the menu, there’s a great variety of foods on all meals which are mostly buffets and a la carte menus on some nights. I would definitely come back here whebever i visit Zanzibar
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2021
Response from Shadia Ahmed on Mar 26, 2021
Dear Valued Guest Greetings from The Sands Beach Resort. Firstly may I take this opportunity to thank you for choosing to stay with us during your recent holiday. We are thrilled to get a First Class 5 star rating on our services. I am happy you liked our services and the value attached by our staff, big thanks. I will pass these great and kind words to the team and am sure they will get motivated to give even more. I look forward to meeting you again in the near future. Most gratified to get feedback that confirms our motto: come as a guest, leave as a friend and return as a family member, Stay safe kind regards.

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A must stay location in Zanzibar
I had a wonderful time staying at the Sands the lovely team of staff worked so hard to make the stay so enjoyable I was sad to leave. From catering to our every needs in the kitchen to helping us get a local mobile SIM card we were so well looked after. Special thanks to Semeni, Hassan, Milka, Hamida, Alfred, Ziada and Lucas
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2021
Response from Shadia Ahmed on Mar 26, 2021
Dear Daniel, Greetings from The SANDS, Many thanks for your stay with us and for this wonderful feedback. am delighted to hear you loved your vacation at the sands. I will share your compliments with all our staff. Thanks once more for choosing the Sands Beach resort for your vacation. hope to welcome you again in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Daniel

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing place, amazing staff, worth every penny
Amazing stay, the staff were all so helpful and friendly. Thank you to Semeni, Milka, Hamida, Alfred, Lucas, Hassan, Edgar and Ziada for making our stay so comfortable and enjoyable
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2021

10/10 Excellent

thomas

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2020
Response from Shadia Ahmed on Jul 22, 2020
Dear Thomas. Greetings from the Sands. Thank you for the time you took to review our hotel, We are thrilled to see that you had such a great time during your stay with us despite of the ongoing pandemic period. Feedbacks like this gives us the strength to continue offering the best services to all our clients. Again thank you and we love to see you back as the Sands family anytime. Stay Safe Regards, Shadia Ahmed Front Office and Reservation Manager

10/10 Excellent

Lise

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 8 nights in Feb 2020
Response from Shadia Ahmed on Feb 24, 2020
Dear Lise We are pleased to see that you had a wonderful stay with us and thank you for the time you took to review and star rate our hotel and services. This means alot to us and l will share with all our staff for the great job did and we hope to host you again.

8/10 Good

Kp, Milan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a very nice property. Staff are exceptional. The beach is still on the northern side of the island where there is alot of coral so many not the best for yound kids who want to swim. I would aome back. Very pleasant and relaxing
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2020
Response from Reservation and Front Office Manager on Feb 17, 2020
Dear Kp, Thank you so much for this wonderful feedback. It has been a delight having you as our valued guest and you are mostly welcome any time as part of the sands family. From the entire team we say Asante sana and Karibu tena. Regards, Mary M Front Office and Reservation Manager

10/10 Excellent

Yousef

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This is the best hotel to stay in Zanzibar, I cannot believe that this hotel was super, we are very happy, the staff is helpful, the food was delicious and perfect , I love it
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2019
Response from Front Office and Reservation Manager on Dec 23, 2019
Dear Yousef, Jambo from Zanzibar, Thank you so much for taking your time to write such a wonderful feedback after your stay at the Sands. We are thrilled to hear that our hospitality made an impact in your holiday and the whole team is happy to welcome you back any time. From All of us here at the sands we say Asante Sana and Karibu Tena. Regards, Mary M

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
In a Lovely quiet position in spacious grounds the resort has large comfortable rooms. The food choice was pretty good and always well presented but needs better coffee with breakfast! The staff were brilliant always helpful an charming although sometimes a little slow at the beach bar
Stayed 7 nights in Nov 2019
Response from Front Office and Reservation Manager on Nov 22, 2019
Dear Esteemed guest, Thank you for sharing your experience of your stay with us. We are happy to hear that you had a wonderful holiday. We will work on your suggestions and hopeful you will notice improvement during your next visit. From everyone here at the Sands we say Asante sana and Karibu tena. Regards, Mary M Front Office and Reservation Manager

10/10 Excellent

Chad

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing beach resort
Great little resort on a beautiful beach. Stayed in a multi room house with a private pool. Very comfortable. Helpful at planning activities. Staff was all so friendly, especially the ones at the beach bar and at the restaurant. Very clean and the AC worked great
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2019
Response from The Sands Beach Resort Team on Aug 3, 2019
Dear Chad, Thank you so Much for your wonderful feedback. Its our delight to hear that you were able to enjoy our hospitality and you had a wonderful stay with us. On behalf of the whole team we say asante sana and Karibu tena. Warm Regards, Mary M Front Office and Reservation Manager

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Staff were amazing. Property felt safe. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our time there.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2019
Response from Mary M on Jul 19, 2019
Dear Valued Guest, Thank you for your positive feedback. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed your vacation with us. We welcome you back anytime Warm Regards

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from The Sands Team on Jun 19, 2019
Dear Guest, Thank you for giving us a perfect score. Our team welcomes you back any time. Warm Regards,

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wonderful, relaxing place to just chill out. The staff were amazingly friendly and helpful. Our ocean view villa was spacious and immaculately clean and the food was also very good indeed. Really fantastic all round and we were so sad to leave. Not much more I can add, really.
Stayed 7 nights in Feb 2019
Response from General Manager on Mar 10, 2019
Thank you so much for taking the time to write your kind review. It was truly a pleasure hosting you and we would love to welcome you back as our valued guest. Best Regards, Sara Hemed General Manager

10/10 Excellent

shaz, London , UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fantastic beach front hotel
My 7 year old daughter and I travelled to Zanzibar for the first time. What a fantastic and warm welcome we received from the staff who simply were marvellous throughout our stay. The hotel was is on the sea front with a beautiful white sandy beach and can only be described as a tropical paradise with colourful well maintained gardens and a large pool. The accommodation is in bungalows which gives lots of privacy and is quiet which is ideal for families and couples. The only thing i would say is the bed is a little too firm. Dinner and breakfast is included which is great as I rarely needed lunch alough my daughter did as dinner is served at 7:30 pm . The food was super, mostly a buffets with lots of choices and options. The chef was great and came to meet guests during their first meal. I am definitely planning to return to the hotel.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2018

4/10 Poor

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Will not stay here again
Food was awful and very overpriced. Don't eat here. Go down the beach to a local place. The spa was awful. I had bruises after the massage and left bleeding from three fingers after a manicure. And it was very over priced. The only thing this place has is a nice beach.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018
Response from Sara H- General Manager on Feb 19, 2018
Dear Anonymous, Thank you for taking the time to write your candid review. I am so sorry to hear you had a less than stellar experience. I truly wish you had shared your experience with me and we could have worked to rectify any issues you may have felt you were having with the food and massage pavilion (it is not a spa) where we offer basic treatments. We have many satisfied customers who enjoy the food and the massage treatments, so I am very disappointed to hear your experience was not the same. The breakfast and dinner is included in your stay, so if you could have elaborated on what items on the menu you felt were overpriced, as other items are similarly priced in the area and other places it can help us work to improve on guest experiences.We hope you enjoyed your time in Zanzibar and will return again as a satisfied guest.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Peaceful and quiet hotel to relax in!
The hotel is clean and spacious and the staff are very warm and welcoming. We had 2 x sea view villas but they were set quite far back from the beach. As a result, although we could see the sea, it was not a front line view as we had expected. The dining experience was good and they staff in the restaurant were very attentive and friendly too. The food was good and varied - especially if you're a fan of sea food. The hotel has some day beds where all 4 of us could lounge around all day by the beach. Awesome! What was not so good: Although the bedrooms were nice, spacious and clean, the bathrooms had chipped tiles and grouting was coming away - but it was still acceptable. The hotel offers room service, but to order it you have to walk to reception as the rooms don't have phones! One final thing missing was that there were no staff taking orders for drinks or snacks around your sunbeds etc... You had to go and order from the beach bar and they would be delivered to you. Overall, would I go back? Yes! The personal attention from the staff of this small hotel (max around 54'ish guests) and the peace and quiet made it an excellent place to go and recharge. Would be even better if they sorted out the few issues mentioned above.
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2018
Response from Sara Hemed- Gemeral Manager on Jan 31, 2018
Thank you for choosing The Sands Beach Resort for your holiday destination! We are humbled that you admired the level of service we provide our guests, the culinary team is thrilled that you have enjoyed our varied food offerings, team are happy to hear that you had a nice experience. We are working to phones in all of the rooms, and redo the rooms tiling in the near future. It is our goal to continuously deliver authentic, gracious Zanzibar hospitality and create the magic of a unique experience.

10/10 Excellent

Javier

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great place to enjoy a nice beach. Very helpful staff. Great food at the restaurant.
Stayed 4 nights in Nov 2017
Response from Sara Hemed- General Manager-The Sands Beach Resort on Jan 11, 2018
Dear Javier, Thank you so much for taking the time to review us. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed your stay and our helpful staff as well as our beach. It was a pleasure having you. Please visit us again soon.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friendly spacious beach side hotel
The Sands has recently been renovated which might explain why it was quieter than other hotels on the Dongwe beach stretch. For me the quiet and serenity was blissful and the layout of the compound means even if the hotel is full you wouldn't be disturbed by your neighbours. Rooms are clean spacious and all have a sea view. Super friendly and helpful staff. Only tiny gripe is the lack of proactive waiter service at the beach beds or by the pool. Also lunch menu really poor and costly ($14 for a small margherita pizza) but on the plus side you have the excellent Fishers restaurant 2 mins walk down the beach. I feel this place will mature into a gem of a resort but meantime I recommend highly as a serene quiet special place to stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2017

8/10 Good

William Brad, Baton Rouge, Verenigde Staten van Amerika

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful, quiet hotel right on the beach.
We loved our stay. We were one of a few guests during our stay. We had a great staff that took care of us. We loved the size, the decor and the comfort of the two bedroom villa. The only hiccup was the hot water heater didn't work well or it wasn't big enough for the whole villa. Overall, we had a nice stay.

10/10 Excellent

Claudio

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 9 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Linda

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wir hatten einen schönen Aufenthalt im The Sands Beach Resort. Die Villa war sehr großzügig und mit allem notwendigen ausgestattet. Jedoch waren die Fenster sehr undicht und nach den nächtlichen Gewittern stand häufig das Wasser im Zimmer. Außerdem funktionierte das WLAN auf dem Zimmer nicht und es kam häufig zu Stromausfällen auf der gesamten Anlage. Das Essen war gut, jedoch nicht sehr abwechslungsreich. Morgens gab es immer die gleiche, begrenzte Auswahl. Abends gab es frischen Fisch, der immer großartig geschmeckt hat. Die Strandanlage ist sehr schön und ruhig, jedoch benötigt man für das Meer aufgrund der Steine und Seeigel Badeschuhe, die man sich an der Rezeption ausleihen kann. Auch an diesem Strand wird man regelmäßig von "Beach Boys" angesprochen, jedoch deutlich weniger als an vielen anderen Stränden, wie bspw. in Paje. Das Personal ist in der Regel sehr nett und bemüht, insbesondere Head Waiter Kelvin hat uns stets sehr willkommen geheißen. Einige Putzfrauen hingegen wirkten schnell genervt, wenn sie nicht direkt ins Zimmer zur Reinigung konnten, weil wir uns noch dort aufgehalten haben. Die Lage des Resorts ist eher abgelegen und man benötigt eine Taxi um in den nächsten Ort zu gelangen. Jedoch liegen einige Sehenswürdigkeiten, wie bspw. The Rock Restaurant, Michamvi Sunset Beach, Maalum Cave und Paje in unmittelbarer Nähe.
Stayed 11 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Valton

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wunderschönes Ambiente und Service war excellent! Sehr empfehlenswert!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

EMILIO

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Regresaría definitivamente Es un hotel pequeño, estilo boutique, súper tranquilo y seguro. Nuestra habitación quedaba frente a la playa, la cual es preciosa. Lo mejor del hotel fue la atención personalizada y todo el Staff siempre tenía una sonrisa en su rostro, trasmitiendo el lema de la isla Hakuna Matata
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Sep 14, 2023
Dear Emilio,Warmest greetings from the Land of Hakuna Matata. The entire team of the Sands is very excited about your wonderful feedback and looking forward to hosting you soon.Once again a Bunch of thanks to you all .Karibu sana.My best regards,

10/10 Excellent

lorenzo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Abbiamo prenotato senza conoscere la struttura. Una bellissima sorpresa. Personale puntuale e preciso. Unica cosa, forse, la poca varietà nei cibi alla colazione. Grazie a tutti, da Ally ad Isaac!
Stayed 13 nights in Aug 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Sep 2, 2023
Dear Lorenzo,Thank you very much for taking your time to leave us a such a wonderful feedback about your stays . On behalf of the entire team we are looking forward to hosting you in near future.My best regards,

10/10 Excellent

Iman

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 9 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on Jun 20, 2023
Dear Iman,Thank you very much for your positive feed-back.We cant wait to hosting in the near future.Asante sana!!!!!

10/10 Excellent

Bernhard, Herrliberg

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
a wonderful place to relaxe. we stil had low season and allmost the whole place for us, fantastic. The best stuff on the island, helpfull, nice, allways trying to forfill every whish. The Sands and the whole team made our vacations to what it was, a dream. Looking forward to be back.
Stayed 18 nights in May 2023
Response from Yasinta on Jun 15, 2023
Dear Mr. Bernhard,Thank you once again for staying with us .The entire team of the sands has missed you and looking forward to host you soon. A bunch of thanks to you!!My kindest regards,Yasinta MarcoFront Office Manager.

10/10 Excellent

Esa

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent experience. Small boutique like hotel with super friendly staff. Thanks Ally & team!
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023
Response from Yasinta Marco on May 17, 2023
Dear Esa, Thank you very much for your positive feedback. On behalf of the entire team, we can't wait to host you in the near future.My kindest regards,

10/10 Excellent

Zimmermann

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Strandhotel zum weiterempfehlen
Unglaublich nettes Personal. So etwas haben wir noch nicht erlebt. Essen Top.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022
Response from Shadya Ahmed on Oct 11, 2022
Dear Zimmermann,Trust this finds you well,It is with the greatest honor that you took your precious time to write us positive feedback.Customer feedbacks are important to us and we appreciate your candid review.We warmly look forward to hosting you again in the near future.Best and kind regards,Shadya Ahmed