Meliá Zanzibar

Valmik

Meliá Zanzibar is a beautiful resort in a stunning location, with expansive grounds and genuinely warm, always-smiling staff. There’s plenty to enjoy — from exploring the gardens to relaxing by the pool or beach. We also attended a wedding here, which was flawlessly executed and set against a picture-perfect backdrop. But despite the lovely setting, our stay had its disappointments. The rooms are tired and in need of serious refurbishment — paint marks, lingering odours, broken switches, and recurring issues with water pressure and hot water. An iron even stained my shirt before an event. Some staff ignored basic housekeeping etiquette. To be fair, the manager was attentive, acknowledged some challenges (like infrastructure issues), and made amends — which we appreciated. But it’s hard to accept that while new villas are being built in the premium area (The Level), the rest of the hotel is left behind. There’s a clear divide in service and standards — and it shows. Food was generally excellent, though breakfast became repetitive after a few days. Ultimately, unless you’re staying in The Level, the resort doesn’t offer great value for money. And while it’s marketed as all-inclusive, be aware — many items incur extra charges, from certain dishes and premium drinks to, surprisingly, coconuts. A truly vast, expansive and beautiful hotel, but one that needs to invest more in uplifting the entire experience — not just the VIP section.

Janice Adrah

Meliá Zanzibar delivered everything I hoped for in a luxury resort – relaxation, excellent food, and outstanding hospitality. Whether you’re looking for a romantic getaway or just a peaceful retreat, this place ticks all the boxes. I will definitely return!

Paula Cornejo

I'm giving it 1 star because I love animals, and it really upset me to see that the hotel had donkeys tied up in a very small area. In the morning, with temperatures over 35°C (95°F), they were made to work on the beach pulling carts full of seaweed and carrying heavy loads. It was the same every morning, and it made me want to cry every time I saw them. When I was leaving, I told the hotel manager, and his response was, "They're fine, we rescued them from animal abuse." But honestly, what they were doing also seemed like animal abuse to me. Everything else was fine: the staff was very friendly, the breakfast was generous, and the hotel was nice and clean.

Adi Dagan

We spent here 4 nights We are a couple with a 4-year-old. This is a big resort, like a very big resort you can find here a donkey farm, beehives, a mineral cave... The beach- it is on the edge of the resort that means you need to take a buggy to get there or you can walk for like 15 minutes. But it wasn't a big issue because the minute you get to the beach you just want to spend your entire day there, and this is what we did because it had everything you needed from games to a very good beach restaurant, a volleyball court, Frisbee and darts... Whatever you need to just relax. And of course don't forget the beautiful views. Food - they have one main restaurant where they serve breakfast and dinner. The breakfast buffet is very nice and has whatever you need to start the day. We preferred eating every night at The jetty restaurant which is a seafood restaurant that we loved. You have to order in advance a place at The jetty restaurant. The main restaurant has every evening a different kind of buffet, but because we are pescatarians we preferred to to eat seafood every evening. Kids - we did come with our 4-year-old not during a vacation time so that means they weren't a lot of kids around. They do have kids menu in each restaurant at the resort mostly the basic of chicken nuggets, pasta/pizza. The activities for kids are pretty nice and chill lake feeding the turtles or the donkeys. The kids club is cute but not something to admire but listen you're in Zanzibar so you have to be outside and not cooked up in an air condition room. I do have to admire that the entire staff was very nice to our little one and wave to her all the time and everybody remembered her name and the resorts which was pretty cool. Rooms - first I have to say that the simple room is pretty big, compared to other resort where you ‏get a rather small room here you get a very huge room, ‏but i must say the setting of The room was kind of strange because you have a huge shower area. We did have some problems in our room but the hotel helped us move to a different kind of room very quick and efficient. All rooms are towards the ocean that you can see which is cool. We did not spend a lot of time in the room so it was just a place to get organized and sleep which is for us great but probably if you like to spend time in the room you should maybe upgraded it. Staff - first of all I must say ‏there are a lot of guards the secure which is a big plus, even at the beach they try to make it more chill when it comes to the sellers that come to you at all the beaches in Zanzibar. The staff was very nice and attentive; we had great conversation with the staff about their life and they were very open and friendly. The gym- how's everything you need even a sauna. It is right next to the adult pool which looks great but we didn't use it because we were with our little one. The main pool area - we were a bit disappointed by the pool and the kids area at the pool which was very basic, should definitely go through renovation and make it a much better looking pool area. They do have a restaurant there that has everything you need food and drink wise. If you have the option to use the adult pool I will definitely go to that area which looks much more elegant and peaceful.

Thuraya Al Harthy

My experience at Melia Zanzibar was fantastic. The beautiful beaches, friendly staff, and breathtaking views of nature and the clear blue water made my stay incredibly enjoyable. I opted for an all-inclusive room, and the restaurants were excellent. I mainly ate seafood, and I truly loved my time there.