Sometimes the people make a place and this is very true at the Zanzibar Queen hotel. The staff went above and beyond to ensure that we were comfortable. Anitha got ginger tea for my husband when he was sick, Darek managed to find an English book for us to read and even checked all the pages were there, Mohamed was full of great advice and an exceptional bar manager, Buena and Abdul are always smiling and Sengeti is a true gentleman and an exceptional hotelier. We would return just to see them. Sure the hotel needs a bit of tarting up but you can forgive the cracks when the people that work there are so lovely. Stay in a beach bungalow and if you see a black and white cat, he likes sausages. Please feed him.

The food was great, the location is excellent if you like snorkeling scuba diving or swimming with dolphins. There are rooms with a private pool and private access to the beach.

They sell you tours for a very expensive price. For example we took from the hotel a snorkeling tour with a picture of dolphins for 110$ for a couple, with a group of 12 people. We didn't see dolphins. The next day we booked not from the hotel, a private tour to see dolphins and snorkeling for 65$ for both of us. That was really upsetting.

I highly recommend this hotel. The hotel is extremely well-kept, clean and pleasant . The rooms are cleaned twice a day. The breakfast buffet was really excellent. The choice of food is huge and the food is tasty and fresh. The area around the hotel is quiet and safe. A huge advantage of this place is the cultured and nice but non-intrusive staff. It didn't personally bother me, but the beach (like most beaches in Zanzibar) with a lot of seaweed and at low tide it is not possible to swim in the ocean. On my next visit to Zanzibar I would definitely choose this hotel again.

After a week long safari on the mainland, we relaxed and rested for a few days in the Zanzibar Queen Hotel and it was a perfect decision. The managing staff (Regina, Darek) were exceptionally welcoming and dedicated a lot of their time to make us feel at home, sharing some interesting info about the island. The reception/restaurant/cleaning staff were great too. The hotel has a big and deep pool surrounded by a beautiful garden with plenty of places to rest on sunbeds and comfy armchairs. There is a row of sunbeds at the beach and, while we have not used them, it seemed that the locals are asked not to bother people using the hotel sunbeds. And the beach... super wide (at low tide) with totally white sand, absolutely gorgeous. Sea urchins make it a bit difficult to enjoy the water but the hotel provides rubber shoes for the guests so at high tide it's just fine to swim near the shore. Breakfast is a buffet with tonnes of options including great coffee. Lunch can be ordered a la carte but there is also a daily special menu for those who want something extra. Dinner menu changes daily as well but there is the possibility to order something else from the regular menu. All food we tried was very very good! The hotel organises some free activities for the guests every day. Yoga in the mornings, reef walks at low tide, some singing and dancing performances in the evenings. You can also get bikes with relatively wide tyres which are great for biking down the beach. Overall, we had excellent vacation and can strongly recommend the hotel!

This is not about the hotel but take note that the sun rises around 6:30am and sets around 6:30pm all year round on Zanzibar due to the proximity to the equator. So those who like to sleep late (like us!) will have relatively short days. But not to worry, there is plenty to do after the sunset: dedicated performances organised by the hotel, small but good enough for a full body workout gym, a small library, darts.

We had the most incredible experience at the Zanzibar Queen Hotel! Our bungalow, complete with a private pool and direct access to the beautiful Indian Ocean, was more than amazing. It truly was the perfect ending for our perfect honeymoon. From the moment we arrived, we always felt taken care of. The property itself is extremely beautiful and spotlessly clean, a true paradise on earth. What stood out the most was the extraordinary service and the kindness of the staff. Everyone went above and beyond to ensure our stay was perfect in every way. This hotel exceeded all our expectations and created memories we will cherish forever. We cannot recommend it highly enough!

The resort is an excellent place full of great people, beautiful atmosphere, reasonable price, quiet location, great hospitality, full of green, save and secure place. We liked every single thing about the hotel. Food was very delicious, service is excellent, rooms are comfortable, beach is unforgettable, peace of mind. Thank you Derek and team, especially to Anitha for your friendly behavior. We had an amazing time at your resort and sure we will meet again soon.

Amazing staff went out of their way to welcome us and assist us at all times. A manager made sure we had a romantic dinner for our anniversary. Lovely new pool and spots to sit around the pool. Loved the restaurant menu, not so much the specific dinner ones but the standard menu was great.

The beach wasn’t as nice and swimmable as we hoped, not like the other side of the island. Lots of seaweed and water isn’t clear. The beach is also covered in locals who hassle you to buy souviners and tours from them. Everytime we went to the beach they would call out to us or come over, sometimes we just wanted to relax on the beach but left to avoid them. Waterfall shower head was broken, didn’t work at all and we told staff but it wasn’t fixed during our 7 night stay.

Has lots for everyone - sports (badminton, beach volleyball, biking), relaxation (beach and pool), music and culture, and great food, especially the many veggie dishes. Fantastic restaurant and bar staff. Friendly and accommodating. We had a private bungalow with own pool.

Mountain bikes needed repair. Too close to too many sellers on the beach, but that is not isolated to this hotel.

We had a really great stay in Zanzibar Queen. Staff were really friendly and provided amazing service. The food was great and it was exciting having the different themed nights to look forward to. Loved all the activities available too such as badminton, Yoga, snorkelling, spice tour etc. The hotel surprised us with an amazing room upgrade, fruit and bubbly for our honeymoon which was such a nice welcomed surprise! Thank you so much Zanzibar Queen!!

Only slight complaint is that depending on the staff working at the time behind the bar, the cocktails / coffee frappes were not always consistently great. Sometimes the cocktails would be very weak / the coffee not made great (got one frappe half full for example). Probably just a training gap with some staff members.

We absolutely love Queen and we’re very happy we picked this hotel in Zanzibar! We spent many days reading reviews, pros and cons, trying to decide where to stay. We wanted a property with infrastructure and personality, not too commercial -and Queen Hotel was exactly what we had in mind. In fact it overcame our expectations. -The rooms are simple, but very clean and well maintained. Comfortable bed, good shower and lovely balcony. -The property is very cute, with hammocks, volleyball court, spa, nice pool area, and a station with water shoes that can be borrowed for free. -Our favorite part was the restaurant, which has a new menu every night with delicious food and different entertainment attractions. The barbecue night was really fun. The prices are fair, around $6 for a cocktail or starter, main courses ranging from $12-$20. -They offer shuttle from/to the airport and a huge variety of tours. The hotel is right next to a diving center and we had one of the most amazing experiences while scuba diving. We didn’t have the certification, so they provided a lesson at the pool and organized everything for us. -They have water dispensers throughout the property, so guests can refill their bottles anytime. -The staff is very friendly and helpful. It was perfect! 10/10 would recommend

The beach in front of the hotel (Matemwe) is very beautiful, but not the heavenly-turquoise-sea we tend to imagine when we think of Zanzibar. It wasn’t really a downside for us, because we didn’t stay at the hotel the whole time and went on a bunch of different tours. The beach at the property is great for morning/afternoon walks or a quick dip in the sea.