Mizingani Seafront Hotel

Mizingani Seafront Hotel is perfectly located right on the waterfront in the heart of Stone Town, just steps from the ferry terminal, Forodhani Gardens, and major historic landmarks. The building itself is a beautifully restored former sultan’s residence, featuring high ceilings, traditional Zanzibari furniture, and lovely details like mosaic-tiled bathrooms. The staff were very friendly and attentive, and breakfast on the terrace overlooking the ocean was a real highlight. The small courtyard pool was also a refreshing escape from the heat.

The location is perfect – very close (opposite) to the promenade and the ferry, yet just outside the old town, so you’re not woken up by early morning calls to prayer from nearby mosques. I stayed in the "Tatu" room, which was HUGE and offered an ocean view (even from the washroom :) ). Despite the central location, the windows did a great job blocking outside noise. Complimentary bottled water and tea were provided. Breakfast was very rich and served with a lovely view. The staff were extremely helpful and available 24/7.

We were close to everything. The beach, restaurants and the markets. Everything was in walking distances. We experienced the fordahani night market, which I felt safe walking through. Also the breakfast was really delicious!

The hotel was a beautiful heritage building and in a fantastic location right on the waterfront. The breakfast buffet was great too, with lots of fresh tropical fruits on offer, and the breakfast balcony overlooked the sea and beach promenade - a great place to watch the world go by. I got upgraded to a sea view room and the balcony was incredible.

The Mizingani Seafront Hotel was built in 1865 as a Royal Honeymoon Palace. The building became the Customs House in 1928, later falling into disrepair. It was restored and reopened as a hotel in September 2014. It's a beautiful Olde Worlde building that oozes charm and character. Our room was on the third floor, and it was quite a climb up three flights of steep wooden stairs, in all, some 54 steps. The room was large and spacious with good, quiet air conditioning and a ceiling fan. The bed was firm but comfortable, with firm pillows too. There was a small fridge with a large, complimentary bottle of water. Lighting was adequate, but not bright. The small, modern bathroom had a large, proper shower cubicle with a rain and hand shower. There was a swish, modern hairdryer with razor adapter plugs. There were a reasonable array of toiletries. Our room was serviced daily, and the water and toiletries were replenished. The inclusive breakfast was very good, with a wide variety of choices. There was plenty of freshly brewed filter coffee. The view of the bay from our breakfast table was stunning. The central swimming pool was magnificent, with clear blue water, and nice and warm too. We fell upon this hotel by luck, using booking.com. It's the best hotel we've used in Tanzania. We definitely enjoyed our two-night stay, which increased to seven nights.