- customer service was fantastic. From Sulaiman greeting us at the front door with such positive energy, to Soija upgrading our room at reception, to Youssef giving us an insightful tour of the historical hotel. - the breakfast and dinner were both INCREDIBLE each day. High quality. - location was placed perfectly. Close to both the airport and boats for Prison Island, and walking around Stone Town was pretty cool. - more police presence and cameras made us feel really safe. We did not experience any danger at all during our visit. The people were actually very welcoming and friendly.

- an inclusion of a gym may be a good addition for facilities. - the Park Hyatt next door is a hotel that ticks all the boxes with higher levels of luxury. So Serena hotel will need to make sure they hold the high levels of standards at the better price point.

Great location, very picturesque and close to some good restaurants and bars. Lovely park/square in front of Hotel. Great pool with good lookout. Old colonial feel about the place.

The restaurant staff in the evening could have been a bit more accommodating. We had one or two staff that had real difficulty serving customers with a smile and showing some courtesy. We consequently had dinner elsewhere. Pity, because the rest of our experience there was great. The room was quite small with a TV you could not really watch comfortably because of its positioning. But we did have a very large balcony with some great views.There is no lift in the hotel, so if you need some assistance in this regard (stairs) you can get some help from reception.

Lovely staff who were very helpful and friendly, greeting you every time you entered the premises. Housekeeping was always done to a great level and any further requests we made, was actioned promptly. One of the places in Tanzania where wi-fi was actually good. Our room was a superior double with a sea view and what a view it was. A fantastic view and a hammock to enjoy it in, although initially, it was a bit tricky to gather yourself on it! The room was spacious enough for 2 people and the bathroom was of a decent size. The location is convenient as you can walk to all the main sites within Stone Town from the hotel. Plenty of taxi’s outside to take you anyplace nearby or further away. The immediate area is quiet and the closest beach is the largest, but you can still enjoy some time there. It can get a bit crowded with locals playing beach soccer. The dining area also has a fantastic view of the sea and has great options (for breakfast anyway as that was the only meal I had at the hotel). Lots of seating area weather inside or outside.

There are no lifts, but I was told that one was being built soon.

The hotel is in a great spot. Our room had a wrap around balcony looking over the pool on one side and the sea on the other.

The beds are very old wooden bases with a hard mattress. Rooms are very tidy but could do with a freshen up and a brighten up. Restaurant food for breakfast and other meals was very hit and miss. Not.consistent. like butter and jams bought to the table quite sometime after your toast had been done. Shell in the omelettes. Then lunch ( club sandwich and chips) was lovely one day, then soggy the next. The one dinner we had there was ok but veges were all cold by the time it reached our table. The restaurant and the beds really let the place down. Also we used the hotel to organize a day trip up to Kendwa, but the driver couldn't speak much English, so was not a great day, and very expensive. Then you had to pay to even get onto the beach. Also expensive.

We stayed for one night in the hotel, we didn't have time to use any of the facilities. the staff were amazing, They would greet you with a beautiful smile every time you pass them. they were also very helpful and they will give you good recommendations, they recommended a good tour guide, also during the evening they fixed our room ( to what they call takedown) where they fix the bed with a mosquito net and spray the room with mosquito killer, which i found very thoughtful of them. Ofcourse we had food in the hotel, breakfast was authentic and very yummy, we also had diner which was grilled Fish and Shrimps, and it was heavenly. if you stay in stone town you need to eat in the roof top resturant of the hotel.

The best was the staff from the reception to cleaners to restaurant/bar/pool/spa and concierge and the driver. Attentive, kind, polite and professional. And very funny. The location was great and within easy reach of places of interest to us. A lovely hotel with old world charm. Fully enjoyed.

Still waiting for the room safe to be fixed (room 25). Returned home today and no need for the safe anymore but for the next guest.

Beautiful location overlooking the ocean. Fantastic service. Outstanding pool area. Excellent food and drink. Local music on the terrace in the evening. Easy access to central Stone Town, tours, restaurants, shopping, everything. Did I mention excellent service?

My room was a bit small but included a lovely balcony overlooking the pool and Indian Ocean with a hammock and seating that more than made up for it. There is a beach but it was not really recommended for hotel guests

Location and the old world vibe .. the staff were very friendly. Suleiman, the greeter, always welcoming .. and Hawa, housekeeper for our wing was so helpful and attentive.. the staff at the dining room were great too .. breakfast buffet offered a lot of choices and all were great .. dinning room menu could be a little more interesting Beds were very comfortable and linens crisp

Needs some updating - the air conditioning system in the room kept shutting down .. the breeze was so refreshing and cool, so this hiccup did not cause much hardship

Really liked it's location. We were right on the beach and easily able to walk to the Old Fort and the food market. Great location. Interior decor very much Zanzibar feel, ornate, intricate and beautiful. We also enjoyed our meals (the best food we had in Zanzibar). We had beef biryani, a penne pasta, a beef burger. Totally yummy! They were also quick to organise breakfast boxes for us and transport given that we had an early morning flight. The welcome drinks were divine and the staff were very friendly and polite.

The room was smaller than I expected, but having said that it was comfortable, very clean with lovely things like the fruit basket and complimentary wine on arrival (which we didn't drink...but was a lovely touch regardless).

This is an exquisite hotel, maintained at the highest standards. Beautiful rooms with balconies overlooking the sea as dhows pass by. Very comfortable beds, well decorated, exceptional service with the best food you can imagine.

Simply the best hotel in Stone Town. The service is unsurpassed, you are treated like royalty by friendly and professional staff that go out of their way to give you everything you need. The balconies are a very special feature. Located right on the sea you have a view of the ocean as far as they eye can see. Rich in tradition and culture this is an experience you should enjoy at least once in your lifetime. Ask for room 37, the most exquisite experience you will ever have. Prime room with wrap around balcony. I highly recommend spending a little extra for this room.