Kiwengwa Beach Resort

Recent Reviews: 2167

• User:Ashleigh F

  Trip type: Couples

  Heavily Italian, at best a 3 star

  03 Dec 2025

  3 star for 5 star prices, false advertising. Only Italian, guests and workers. When I read reviews about it being only Italian I didn't believe it, but trust me, no other nationality!! Plus we were the ONLY people of colour. The resort looks good from the outside, but the rooms are extremely outdated and stuffy. Towels are brown colour and bed is hard. Food is 2 star, only pasta and pizza and one type of fish. All inclusive is NOT worth it! The all inclusive menu is extremely limited! Barely any activities and ALL entertainment during the day and evenings are strictly in Italian. We participated in nothing as we could not understand of course. Beach boys will harass you to no end, there is security on the beach but they are no help. Also the shore is full of seaweed, not good for swimming. See pictures attached VOI Kiwengwa Resort Reputation, Owner at VOI Kiwengwa Resort, responded to this review Dear Ashleigh,Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback.We would like to address one point in particular. The diversity of our guests changes constantly throughout the year, and we welcome people from many different countries, cultures and backgrounds. For this reason, we believe that personal characteristics such as origin or skin colour should never be used as part of an evaluation of a hotel experience, as they do not reflect either our values or our reality.As for the rest of your comments, we regret that the stay did not meet your expectations. Our all–inclusive offer follows the standard for the destination, and entertainment is organised in different languages: English, Italian, French. Natural elements such as seaweed may appear depending on tides and seasonal conditions and cannot be controlled.Your remarks have been shared with our team, and we remain committed to improving wherever possible.best regards

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• User:PawMig

  Trip type: Family

  beautiful resort with great food and friendly service

  22 Oct 2025

  The resort makes a very good first impression – it’s large, beautifully maintained, with a spacious tropical garden and authentic African atmosphere. The rooms are designed in African style, which gives them a lot of charm. The food is excellent, with plenty of variety and great taste, both local and international dishes. The restaurant and beach staff are friendly, polite, and always helpful.Another pleasant surprise was the WiFi, which worked quite well not only in the room, but also on the beach and at the reception. A big plus for original Coca-Cola drinks and bottled beers – a small detail, but it really makes a difference.However, there are also some downsides. The hotel is very much focused on Italian guests. All entertainment and animation programs are only in Italian, with no translations into English, even though there were many guests from Poland and other countries. The general staff sometimes tried to speak a few words in Polish, but the animators completely ignored non-Italian guests.While the rooms have a nice local style, they definitely need some maintenance and repairs – in my case, the shower sprayed water onto the ceiling, and the bathroom door didn’t open freely.One uncomfortable situation was when a cleaning lady entered our room despite being asked to come later, and said she would just wait inside – which was not appropriate.Another issue, though not the hotel’s fault, is the presence of very persistent Masai sellers on the beach. They can be extremely pushy and even guilt-trip you into giving them money. Luckily, the hotel security keeps them away from the sunbeds, which is much appreciated.Overall, VOI Kiwengwa is a beautiful resort with great food and friendly service, but it’s clearly designed mainly for Italian tourists. If you don’t mind the lack of English-speaking entertainment and a few room issues, it’s still a great place to relax and enjoy the exotic atmosphere of Zanzibar.⭐️ Overall rating: 4/5 VOI Kiwengwa Resort Reputation, Owner at VOI Kiwengwa Resort, responded to this review Dear Pawel, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We’re truly happy to know that your stay left you with such a positive impression, and we’re also grateful for the thoughtful feedback you’ve shared, it’s always valuable in helping us grow. It means a lot to our team to know you enjoyed your time here, and we hope to welcome you back again for another wonderful stay in Zanzibar.Best Regards

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• User:Compass67629728537

  Trip type: Family

  Good hotel but service could be improved

  30 Jul 2025

  We stayed for a week on an all-inclusive package. When we arrived, they gave us a room outside the main hotel grounds, quite far from the beach and pool and very close to where the evening shows take place. Upon seeing the room situation, we requested a room change and paid the difference. They told us it wasn't possible because there were no vacancies. When I told them it was possible to book a comfort room on their website, they said they would speak to the manager, but we didn't get a response. In addition to the room's location, the bed was quite uncomfortable and made a lot of noise when moving. The shower broke on the second day, and for the first few days, the shower drain had a rather unpleasant odor. The Wi-Fi was quite erratic. It is a good hotel but it needs to improve the treatment of all the people who stay at the hotel. VOI Kiwengwa Resort Reputation, Owner at VOI Kiwengwa Resort, responded to this review Dear Compass,Thank you for sharing your feedback. We are sorry to hear that your stay did not fully meet your expectations. Our team always strives to ensure our guests enjoy a pleasant holiday, and we regret that we were unable to accommodate your request for a room change due to full occupancy during that period.Please rest assured that your comments regarding the room comfort, maintenance and Wi-Fi have been shared with the relevant departments to improve our services.We thank you for your review and hope to welcome you again to demonstrate our commitment to providing high-quality service. Best regards

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• User:Anca2785

  Trip type: Solo travel

  Very much enjoyed

  19 Jul 2025

  I have enjoyed my 7 day stay at this resort, the food was very good, beautiful beach, and had wonderful weather. I like the way the resort is spread with all the bungalows and gardens. The furniture in the room is very rustic, but I didn’t mind it. VOI Kiwengwa Resort Reputation, Owner at VOI Kiwengwa Resort, responded to this review Dear Anca,Thank you so much for your kind words, we’re truly happy you had such an enjoyable stay with us.It’s always rewarding to hear when guests appreciate the unique atmosphere of the resort and feel at ease with its natural layout and character.We hope your memories of Zanzibar stay with you for a long time, and it would be a pleasure to welcome you back.Best regards

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• User:Francoise B

  Trip type: Couples

  It's a NO from us

  08 Feb 2025

  We booked this hotel for a 10 day stay after much deliberation because of it's location in Kiwengwa. We take windsurfing equipment and need proximity to the beach and this was the best placed hotel. We knew from reviews that it was aimed predominantly at the Italian market but what we hadn't realised until just before leaving is that it used to be the Bravo Kiwengwa and is used by Bravo tours for their customers. As such Bravo customers get an orange band and anyone else gets dark blue. As such Bravo customer get a welcome drink on arrival and others get nothing! The Bravo buses arrive regularly full of new travellers who it would seem do get priority. However this is not really why we have marked down the hotel. the review is as follows:1: rooms- Large basic rooms with a balcony and very uncomfortable balcony chairs.1 basic storage area for clothes etc.. The rooms was made available early as we arrived early but it wasn't particularly clean but that may be because they rushed for it to be available. -We had requested a ground floor room as we need to transport windsurfing equipment to the beach but were given an upper level room and told that the hotel was full, which it was but members from the Bravo bus seemed to get allocated ground floor rooms on the same day of our arrival... just an observation2- Cleaning. This was done everyday and was sufficient, nothing special ... what we could a lick and a spit in the UK. ie: bed made and floor moped. towels only replaced if asked3- The beach. Loads of beautiful handmade loungers under the palm trees to which very diligent attendants would add mattresses each day. It's crowded when the hotel is full but there's always a sunbed available. There is a demarcation line drawn between the 'upper beach' and lower beach that is patrolled and prevents the many, many Masai and African vendors from selling their wares to you. At times their are so many that the beach resembles the M6 motorway! All are very respectful mostly young men but they are persistent. Watching people trying to get to the water's edge is a bit like a game of chicken. 4. The Sea. dominated of course by tides, it goes far out at times during the day. it's incredibly warm and the sand is so fine it's almost like clay underfoot. Lots of seaweed but staff do try and clear that up occasionally5- Bravo entertainment. So I've been home 3 days now and the Bravo jingle still rings in my ears!!!! The chap is charge of compering the entertainment is very good and speaks in Italian, French and English. The problem is that the beach is involved in this entertainment , there is no escape from the noise. Perhaps I should have done more research as I like peace and quiet and appreciate my surroundings. Coming from Scotland, we say that if there are more than 6 people on a beach is crowded.. well this one had many more plus constant music at times from the speakers, the aquarobics etc... it was too much and I had to leave the beach area.6- The grounds and gardens. These are beautifully kept with a huge team of gardeners but there's not a bench to be seen. There are some stone benches near the entrance gate but not within the gardens. Why not? I would have loved to sit amongst those beautiful plants and fauna7 - Food- Aaah... what can I say/ breakfast is Ok, the usual so can't really go wrong except for those awful breakfast juices. They taste like they've been made from those chemical powders and have never seen a fruit. why? they're loads of fruit on the island so why no decent fruit juice. Cost??? Lunch and dinner are the same everyday despite having so called African days etc.. There is pasta everyday, badly cooked meat overcooked potatoes, and mashed potatoes made from a packet. Vegetables came from a tin. Although it's a buffet, it is served to you at the counter and the portion control is laughable. Miniscule portions handed out. I assume that is all to control costs. The only thing that is fresh and plentifully available is the pizza. You can book the pizza restaurant on the beach and that is good. What's left over from breakfast and lunch is available at the Baobab restaurant during the day... not particularly appetising. The fruit is good and plentiful. Alcohol. we drank red wine with dinner which was Ok, the red wine in the lobby bar was awful??? and the cocktails included in the AI are just pure syrup. Any 'normal' cocktails such as Pine colada cost €7 and the staff at the bar seemed shocked when we asked for one and took ages to make it. Obviously no-one buys cocktails! I believe that expressos have to bought too.8. Evening entertainment. the singer in the lobby bar is good. There is also additional entertainment such as African dancers, a huge market one evening. Masai warriors dancing, all goodLastly money is king. This is Africa and everyone wants money. The gardeners offers fresh coconuts and then want money. The beach boys want money , the bar tenders will make your drinks cheaper for money rather than add it to your room, even the doctor and yes we both fell ill in our last few days, could be food or water who knows, anyway even the doctor was happy to accept cash rather than bill it through the hotel!We did enjoy our holiday, we always do. We are fortunate enough to travel the world and make the most of out trips but this hotel was not for me. The Italians seemed to love it and all the staff are polite and helpful but it is a BRAVO hotel when all's said and done. VOI Kiwengwa Resort Reputation, Owner at VOI Kiwengwa Resort, responded to this review Dear Fracoise ,Thank you for taking the time to share such a detailed review. While we regret to hear that your stay did not fully meet your expectations, we appreciate the opportunity to clarify some aspects.Regarding room allocation, all requests for specific room types (such as a ground-floor room) must be made in advance, as assignments are planned beforehand. We always do our best to accommodate preferences, but availability plays a key role. That being said, we did provide you with an early check-in and sent to your room, as we couldn’t change your room : fruit plate, ethnic gift and bottle of wine as a courtesy.On the topic of housekeeping, towels are replaced upon request, as indicated upon arrival. If towels are left on the floor, they are changed automatically. This policy is in place to support both guest comfort and environmental sustainability.As for the welcome drink, it is available at a specific location and time. We do provide it for all our arrivals without distinction of operator, nationality or anything else. However, we regret any misunderstanding regarding this.Concerning the atmosphere, a beachfront hotel with over 200 rooms will naturally have a lively ambiance. While we strive to create a balance between relaxation and entertainment, some guests may find certain areas more active than others. For those preferring a quieter experience, our staff is always happy to suggest the best spots within the resort and we thank you for the comment about benches in the garden and we will try our best to put them.With regard to food and beverages, all meals are freshly prepared in-house. While we use high-quality ingredients that comply with international food safety standards, not all juices are freshly squeezed, as consistency and hygiene are key factors when catering to a large number of guests. Additionally, our buffet always includes a variety of options beyond pasta, such as rice, soups, fish, meat, salads, and local specialties.Finally, we understand that cultural differences may influence how certain services are perceived. Our goal is to provide a warm and welcoming experience to all guests, regardless of nationality or background.We do appreciate your feedback and hope you were still able to make the most of your time here. Should you decide to visit again, our team would be happy to assist in tailoring your stay to better match your expectations.Best regards,

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