Outdoor pool, pool umbrellas, sun loungers
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Reviews of Pongwe Beach Hotel

3 out of 5
Pongwe Beach Hotel
Pongwe Beach, PO BOX 297, Pongwe

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 96 out of 116 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 17 out of 116 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 116 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 116 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 116 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Staff & service

9.2/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.0/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Thomas

Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

mark

Travelled with family, Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We just left after spending 6 night at this wonderful resort. My family and our travel friends had a wonderful time, and were sad to leave. The staff are super amazing, the resort was a wonderful place to relax, the food very delicious, I can’t really say enough great things about this resort. Without a doubt, I would highly recommend the Pongwe Beach Hotel!
Stayed 6 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

James

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The staff and management were all very friendly and professional. Our room was delightful and had everything we could wish for and more. The beach was beautiful, clean and private. The food was of a high standard with a menu that changed daily. Would recommend Pongwe Beach to anyone wishing for a relaxing holiday in the sun.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Marcos

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Excellent location, beautiful views, great customer service. Shower water pressure can be definitely improved but overall great experience!
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Sabrine

Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Wambura

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities
Amazing resort. Excellent staff. Beautiful hotel. Very clean.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

CECILE

Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023

8/10 Good

James

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jon

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2023
Response from Dave - General Manager on Apr 18, 2023
Thanks For the Great Review

10/10 Excellent

Alan

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2023
Response from Dave - General Manager on Apr 18, 2023
Thanks For the Great Review

10/10 Excellent

sarah

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Overall we had a wonderful stay at Pongwe Beach Hotel. The property is very unique in Zanzibar in that it has its own almost private beach pretty much immediately near bungalows and its very beautiful and quiet, the sea is very clean with less seaweed than others we visited. Beautiful swimming pool overlooking the sea. The resort facilities and bedrooms could be improved in that the decor feels a little dated in terms of interior design, but generally very comfortable and very well serviced by the ever cheerful and kind staff working at every level. Food is very good, the menus are changed daily and offer two options plus two vegetarian options at lunch, and others at dinner. The rooms could be improved by offering air conditioning in every room. Some rooms only offer a fan with a bed-cooling air con system which we didn’t enjoy.
Response from JV Villamin FOH | Reservations Manager on Dec 31, 2022
Dear Sarah, Thank you for your wonderful comments. we are delighted you had a comfortable and pleasant holiday stay at Pongwe Beach Hotel. :) Your comments is worth sharing to the team for give them more motivation. It will be a pleasure to have you with us again in the future. Regards, JV Villamin FOH & Reservations Manager

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Awesome weekend - staff were great and food was excellent
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from JV on Jul 18, 2022
Thank you for your wonderful comments. We are delighted you had a comfortable and pleasant holiday stay at Pongwe Beach Hotel. :) It will be a pleasure to have you with us again in the future. Regards, JV Villamin FOH & Reservations Manager

10/10 Excellent

Sylvain

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2021

8/10 Good

Logan

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing boutique hotel
Really amazing boutique hotel. Would highly recommend & certainly recommend staying here again.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2021

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great staff ! very nice and welcoming. Very helpful front desk especially Martin. The pool and beach are great, be aware of the tide but in my opinion this added to the charm of the hotel, allowing us to walk on the beach alone :)
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Ramon

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 8 nights in Mar 2020
Response from Tracey on Mar 24, 2020
Thank you, Wow what a stunning view.

10/10 Excellent

Stu, Hastings on Hudson , NY

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We visited Pongwe Beach after a week bumping around on safari, like most visitors. The hotel was the perfect place to slow down, relax and enjoy the beautiful beach, pool and ocean. The small beach was perfectly lovely and private, with lounge chairs always available and just the right amount of sun and shade for the hot days of summer. Service was great and the folks made themselves available on just the right frequency. Happy hour drinks were beautiful and delicious. Breakfast was a highlight, with perfect omelets, a buffet full of fruit and delicious morning coffee. Oh, and speaking of coffee, the early morning delivery of coffee and tea to the bungalow patios was an unexpected treat. Up with the sunrise, enjoying a cup of delicious Tanzanian coffee on the beach was an absolute joy. We did enjoy lunch and dinner as well, with the menus changing daily. Food was good, but not over the top excellent, but no real complaints. The hotel is slightly out of the way, so be prepared to pay a lot for transportation should you want to visit other parts of Zanzibar, like Stonetown, or eat at other restaurants on the Island (we do recommend The Rock, if just for the experience). As with most visitors here, we were sad to leave and were wondering how we can find an excuse to return someday in the not too distant future.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2019
Response from Cara on Dec 10, 2019
Hi Stu Thanks so much for a great and detailed review! Awesome that you appreciated the little touches. It would be great to host you again and hopefully impress you properly with our food time. Karibu Tena

8/10 Good

patricia

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2019
Response from Cara on Jan 2, 2020
Thanks very much for the great feedback Patricia! Karibu Tena

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2019
Response from Manager on Jun 30, 2019
Thank you we are happy you had a really good stay with us and look forward to welcoming you back again some time in the not too distant future

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Just the nicest staff and environment, perfect place
Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019
Response from Pongwe on Apr 19, 2019
Thank you we look forward to welcoming you back

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019
Response from pongwe on Apr 19, 2019
Thanks for staying with us. We work hard to make our guests happy and appreciate your feedback!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 4 nights in Mar 2019
Response from pongwe on Apr 19, 2019
Thanks for staying with us. We work hard to make our guests happy and appreciate your feedback!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 9 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

LisaD, Portland, OR, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
loved the pool, the beach, the staff, the food, the very comfy and unique robes in the rooms
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2019

10/10 Excellent

marco

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
One of the best
Second time, always the best! Rooms are great, people fantastic and great food! Unique atmosphere
Stayed 4 nights in Jan 2019

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 6 nights in Jan 2019

10/10 Excellent

Annette

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The best hotel I have ever stayed in
I have never stayed anywhere quite like this and would advise that you install another option that is higher than "exceptional". Cannot rate the hotel high enough, for quality, location, scenery, facilities, food, drink, flag and best of all, the staff.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Oct 22, 2018
Hi Annette Thank you so much for your review. We are thrilled to know we managed to make your stay memorable and you enjoyed our warm hospitality. We are looking forward to hosting you again soon!

6/10 Okay

Not Provided

Good not great beach hotel
Pongwe Beach Hotel was a much-needed detox from our 7-day mt Kilimanjaro climb. Location was good not great. It’s located in a lesser developed region of the eastern coast without easy access to Nungwi to the north or Jambiani/Paje to the south—both would have been >30 min cab rides amounting to >$50 USD. The beach/pool and the food were definitely highlights. I would have gone with the full board option instead of just breakfast included had I known the lack of alternative options in the area. Our first night the AC broke and the management graciously spent an hour from 3-4 am repairing it. However, when they relocated us the next day to another room, the water pressure on the shower was minimal. All in all, it was a nice hotel with extremely friendly staff, but we’d likely stay in nungwi or paje next time around.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Sep 12, 2018
Many thanks for your review and it was indeed a great honor hosting you at Pongwe Beach Hotel. Apologize for all inconveniences encountered during your stay with us and given another chance we would be happy to rectify where we went wrong. However we are glad you had a great time and you loved our location as it is one of the things we do take pride in. We hope to host you again in the near future.

10/10 Excellent

Ian

Great hotel with lovely staff
We have never stayed in a tropical beach hotel before and we found the whole place wonderful. The facilities are great (we had a room with plunge pool), the staff are amazing and the location is beautiful. The food was also delicious and we highly recommend this hotel.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Aug 21, 2018
Many thanks for your review. We are thrilled you enjoyed your stay with us. We look forward to hosting you again in the near future.

8/10 Good

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fabulous resort and staff but a couple of points
The stay was amazing. Staff, food, beach, and the beachfront room with private plunge pool was very spacious. Two things to note:- 1) our room (20) was great but right next door to the Tulia resort just a few metres away and right next to their evening entertainment area. Quite loud but very pleasant music some nights. Earplugs are provided in the room but we didn't use them a) music was good, and b) stopped at 10pm so not a problem. 2) We tried to reduce our stay from 5 nights to 4 in the free cancellation period but 'system doesn't allow' !! We were offered the 5 night refund and a new booking elsewhere - not at all what we wanted. The hotel would clearly have preferred to sell the 5 nights to someone else rather tha to us and maybe not sell the one cancelled night. Disappointing but Hotels.com did help us out.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Aug 21, 2018
Thank you for your stay with us. We appreciate your feedback and that you enjoyed your stay with us. Apologies for any inconveniences caused on highlighted issue as we thrive to give you the best service.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Aug 7, 2018
Many thanks for your review. We really thankful for your support. We look forward to hosting you again soon!

10/10 Excellent

AVML

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent hotel in a very quiet area which is what we wanted. Food very good. The beach is just incredible.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Aug 7, 2018
Many thanks for your review. We are glad you had a wonderful time with us. We look forward to hosting you again.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great staff, excellent service. Restaurant is really good
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Aug 7, 2018
Thank you for your review, we are happy you enjoyed our service and you had a great time with us. We look forward to hosting you again.

10/10 Excellent

Ann

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Idyllic vacation
Our stay was all that we hoped for. The site is beautiful and the service is impeccable. We found the staff to be gracious, welcoming, and all helped make our stay a vacation we will always remember.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Jun 12, 2018
Hi Ann Many thanks for your review and we are happy you loved and enjoyed your stay with us. We are looking forward to hosting you again soon.

10/10 Excellent

Angela

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
very pleased with the beach and staff,excellent food.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2018
Response from Pongwe Beach Hotel on Jun 10, 2018
Hi Angela Many thanks for your review. We are very happy you enjoyed your stay with us. We are looking forward to hosting you again soon. Regards Natasha

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great beach and superb hotel and staff
Food on half board was great with a change of 3 course menu every day. Superb happy hour cocktails and very safe location. Beach is to die for, dont hesitate book it, im glad we did.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2018
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Mar 25, 2018
Thank you very much for your comments. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us and very happy with the half board option!! Warmest wishes from the Pongwe Team.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A truly beautiful spot with nice facilities and kind, hospitable staff and management! The only possible downside is the fairly firm mattress, but this was overshadowed by the beuaty of the surroundings!
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Mar 25, 2018
Thank you very much for your comments. We are thrilled that you had an enjoyable stay with us!!

10/10 Excellent

Cyndy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Mar 19, 2018
Thank you for your review. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Christo

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Experience of a lifetime
Amazing staff, plenty activities, beautiful beach. Food was fine, but nothing to rave about. Our room was amazing
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2018
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Mar 18, 2018
Thank you very much for your comments and feedback. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us! Kind regards from the Pongwe Team.

10/10 Excellent

Ant

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Wonderful beach experience
We stayed for a really magical two nights three days at Pongwe Beach Hotel. From our first contact with efficient and welcoming Heidi to our last drop off at airport by friendly driver All staff were kind smiling hospitable and genuinely helpful without being intrusive. The beach is lovely with about an 1/8th of a mile difference between low and high tide. The facilities are tasteful and comfortable. Food was delicious- especially anything with seafood. My only thought while writing this review is a selfishness that I don’t want to share this experience with anyone else as it was such a special holiday for me and my wife. But that wouldn’t be fair to the staff so please accept our thanks and this review of your special hotel.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2018
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Mar 13, 2018
Thank you very much for your comments. We are so happy that we were able to give you both an enjoyable stay with us!!! Your compliments will be passed on to the Team. Warmest wishes from everyone here at Pongwe.

10/10 Excellent

vicki, rickmansworth

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Paradise
A fantastic slice of paradise. The staff are amazing, so friendly and helpful, they really helped make our stay. The private beach is beautiful and the hotel is perfect. The rooms were clean and beautifully kept, ours overlooked the sea and had a balcony to sit on. The food was excellent, the chefs were absolutely amazing. Couldn’t fault it and can’t wait to go back again!!!!
Stayed 10 nights in Feb 2018
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Mar 7, 2018
Thank you very much for your comments. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us!! And we would love to have you back again!! Warmest wishes from all of us here at Pongwe.

10/10 Excellent

Julie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Everything was perfect. The pool was well maintained and the food was really above my expectations. Lots of vegetarian options as well.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2018
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Feb 20, 2018
Thank you very much for your comments. We are thrilled that you enjoyed your stay with us!!

10/10 Excellent

Hilmy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The best Place in pongwe
It was just perfect...
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2017
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Jan 16, 2018
Thank you very much for your feedback. We are so pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Jessica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017
Response from Val on Dec 22, 2017
Thank you for your rating. We are very pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us!

8/10 Good

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
No Worries
Breathtaking beach. Fantastic food. Unbelievably beautiful. No worries for the rest of your days.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2017
Response from Val on Nov 30, 2017
Thank you very much for your compliments!! We're really pleased that you enjoyed your stay with us!

10/10 Excellent

Stephen, Guildford UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A little bit of heaven
Pongwe Beach is a wonderful little boutique hotel, on a private beach that is possibly the most beautiful on the island. The room are hidden between the palm trees to maintain the idyllic situation and are built in traditional style - no concrete monstrosities here! The food is extremely good and always beautifully presented. The beach changes by the hour, as the most gorgeous expanse of sand opens up at low tide. But the greatest accolade must go to the staff; without exception, they are the friendliest, happiest and best bunch that we have ever met. They make the holiday.
Stayed 10 nights in Oct 2017
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Nov 6, 2017
Thank you very much for your kind comments! We are thrilled that you enjoyed your stay with us and your compliments will be passed on to the whole team.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Pongwe Hotel was amazing. Everything about the visit was as close to perfect as possible. The environment of the hotel and the bungalow style rooms helped you disconnect. Most of all, the staff was incredible! I have never had better customer service anywhere in the world.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2017
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Nov 3, 2017
We are so very pleased that you had an enjoyable and relaxing stay with us! Thank you very much for your feedback. Warmest regards from the Pongwe Team.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Extraordinary Establishment!!
Wonderful friendly Staff and guests! Location is beautiful - the best! 2nd visit for us! Fabulous food too! Very well managed and will be hard to beat! Hakuna Matata at Pongwe.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2017
Response from Val on Nov 3, 2017
So pleased to know that your return visit to Pongwe was a success! Thank you very much for your comments. Warmest wishes from everyone here at Pongwe.

10/10 Excellent

Sharon, Fox Island, Washington

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location to relax after a safari.
We enjoyed the beautiful relaxing location. The gorgeous turquoise Indian Ocean. The Iinfinity pool. The kayaks which were free to use as well as the bicycles. Beach walking and beach combing. We did not do any excursions from Pongwe as it is quite remote. We chose to fully enjoy this location. One must remember the sun is very intense and protect skin accordingly.
Stayed 6 nights in Sep 2017
Response from Management - Pongwe Beach Hotel on Nov 3, 2017
Thank you very much for your comments on your stay with us. We are very pleased to know that you enjoyed your time at Pongwe!