We stayed at Royal Mandarin Hotel & resort in Zanzibar for 11 nights, with two standard rooms booked for our family. From the moment we arrived, we were made to feel very welcome.
At check in, we were given rooms in the newly opened block, which had lovely garden and pool views. The following day, we went to reception and politely asked Marcia if there was any possibility of upgrading our rooms to sea view rooms without any additional charge. Marcia was very helpful. She explained that there was nothing available that particular day, but asked us to come back the following day and said she would see what she could do.
When we returned the next day, Marcia managed to arrange the upgrade for us, and we were moved into sea view room at no additional cost. We really appreciated her effort and willingness to help. It was a great start to our stay.
The hotel itself is a beautiful beachfront property and fairly new, so you can see that everyone is genuinely trying their best to establish the hotel and provide guests with the best possible experience. What really stood out to us was the attitude of the staff. From the waitresses and restaurant team to the supervisors and general manager, every single person was friendly, helpful and genuinely interested in making sure guests were comfortable and enjoying their holiday.
We interacted with the Food & Beverage Manager almost every day, particularly at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Every time we sat down, he would come over to our table and ask if everything was okay, whether anything was missing, or whether there was anything he could do for us. The best part was that we never actually needed to ask for anything because everything was already spot on.
In the evenings, we also got to know the General Manager, Jack, who would often come and sit with us at the bar for a chat. It wasn’t anything formal just friendly conversation and general chat but those little personal touches made the stay feel much more welcoming and enjoyable.
There were so many members of staff we met during our 11 nights that I unfortunately can’t remember everyone’s names, but I would like to mention a few people who particularly stood out.
Godfrey at the reception/bar was fantastic, especially with his special cocktails & mocktails. He always made the drinks feel a little more special.
Fatma in the kitchen/restaurant was an amazingly kind person and looked after us extremely well. One day, I asked her about a fruit I had never seen before, called bungo fruit. She cut some up for us to try. It was extremely sour 😂, but it was a completely new experience for us.
On our last day, when we checked out, Fatma even packed two of the fruits for me to take home so that my family could try them. That was such a lovely and thoughtful gesture, and it’s these small moments that you remember long after the holiday is over.
Honestly, every single person at the resort deserves recognition from the reception team and restaurant staff to the pool attendants and animation team. Everyone was incredibly helpful, friendly and always seemed to be making an effort to ensure guests were enjoying themselves.
The evening entertainment was another highlight. Every evening there was something different, and the animation team made a real effort to involve everyone. Whether you wanted to get up and dance, join in with the activities, or simply sit back and watch, there was always something happening.
Overall, we had a fantastic 11 night stay and would happily recommend royal Mandarin Hotel to almost anyone families, couples, groups of friends, younger travellers or even retired couples looking for a relaxing beachfront holiday.
One recommendation for the hotel
The only area where I feel the hotel could improve is accessibility.
During our stay, we noticed a few guests using wheelchairs. To get down to the beach restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner, they appeared to struggle because someone had to physically help/lift the wheelchair down to the restaurant.
It would be fantastic if the hotel could consider installing a lift, ramp or another suitable accessibility solution to make access to the beach restaurant easier for wheelchair users and guests with mobility difficulties.
Thank you to the entire team at royal Mandarin Hotel for making our 11 night stay such a memorable experience. The hotel may be relatively new, but the warmth, effort and hospitality shown by the staff made a huge difference.
We would definitely recommend royal Mandarin and would happily return in the future. 🌴🏖️🍹
Narendra P2026-08-31
