A beautiful 5-star experience! The atmosphere is perfectly calm, and the staff anticipates your every need to make your stay as easy as possible. A huge thank you to Juma for his amazing hospitality. The only minor suggestion would be to add a bit more everyday variety to the dining options to make the experience absolutely flawless. Overall, a fantastic and highly recommended stay!

We stayed at Essque Zalu during our Zanzibar trip in May 2026 and came away with mixed feelings. The positives first - our Garden View Suite was exceptionally spacious, comfortable and one of the largest rooms we stayed in during our three weeks exploring Zanzibar. The WiFi was excellent, the staff were friendly, professional and service was good. Unfortunately, the property itself is very different to the photos. While the rooms were generally well maintained, the common areas are tired and in need of renovation. The resort has incredible bones, with beautiful architecture and a stunning location, but it didn’t feel very luxury. The breakfast was also disappointing. After travelling around Zanzibar and experiencing incredible fresh local produce at other properties, we were surprised at the lack of variety and quality. I wouldn’t tell people not to stay here, but I would suggest arriving with realistic expectations.

Wonderful Stay with Exceptional Staff at zalu Hotel (Zanzibar) We really enjoyed our stay at Zalu Hotel in Zanzibar. The absolute highlight was the staff — incredibly kind, attentive, and welcoming. They remembered our names and even our preferred seating areas, which made the experience feel very personal. Breakfasts were buffet-style and included, with lots of variety. There were chefs making eggs, crepes, and pancakes to order, along with cereals, breads, and other options. Dinner was also buffet-style, with a different theme each night (Swahili night, pasta bar, and other rotating menus). We found dinner to be a bit hit or miss depending on personal taste, but overall the quality was good. Nightly entertainment was another highlight — lively, fun, and something we really enjoyed, especially having great seats to watch the performances. In terms of value, pricing felt more in line with U.S. standards than budget travel (buffet dinners were around $40 USD per person plus tip), which seems fairly standard for Zanzibar overall. That said, the service, atmosphere, and experience made it a great stay, and we would definitely recommend it. Huge shoutout to all of the people who made this trip extra special! Moreen at the front desk, Juma with concierge service, and all of the wait staff - Mahmoud, Joffrey, Islam, Flora and the others!

If you are used to staying in 5 star hotels then don’t expect the same quality or standards. The buffet is minimal to say the least. The room layout is nice but the pillows and mattress are cheap, don’t expect it to be comfortable like in a proper 5 star hotels. The power keeps going out and we had to wrestle with the door every time and call for assistance. The crows wait for each table to finish the breakfast then all come flying. Snails everywhere. The worst stinger, they told us we have 20 dollars each credit in the overpriced restaurant so we tried to use it. Then on checkout they charged us saying it wasn’t within the time restriction. They never told us we could only use the credit at certain times! They just said 20 each! Its a 5 star price but not a 5 star service.

Everything good. Room / bed is big. The view of pool is Amazing The view sunset/ sunrise of restaurant is Stunny. Staffs are Good. Food is okay .