Name: Zanzibar Serena Hotel
Address: Shangani Street, Stone Town, Zanzibar City, Tanzania, Shangani Street, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania
Price range: Prices for upcoming dates start at $345 per night (We Price Match)
Rating: 8.4

Info & prices
Facilities
House Rules
Guest Reviews (56)

Hotel Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Beach. This property is either next to the beach or will have its own private access. Airport shuttle. Airport shuttle available at an additional charge. You can request this in the next step.

Shangani Street, Stone Town, Zanzibar City, Tanzania –

*7.6* Old Fort of Zanzibar: only 6 minutes away! (1,350 feet by foot)

Lock in a great price for Zanzibar Serena Hotel – rated 8.4 by recent guests!

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The service was impeccable and staff was very attentive to my needs. The buffet breakfast in AM was excellent. Wide variety of local cuisine with traditional breakfast with eggs, bacon and lots of other choices to choose from. My room was well taken care of especially with the room cleaning in AM and turn down was nice too. The room is scented with jasmine, windows shutters are closed and the mosquito net is covered around the bed. Needless, to say, I slept well. The AC and WiFi was reliable and the view from my room was beautiful.

Ferah, Poland

Staff is very friendly and we had some nice conversations with everyone. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the options available to us. My wife had a massage and she loved it, breakfast buffet was perfect, and the food at the restaurant was very good. The location was perfect for venturing out to local bars and eateries for a change of scenery. The beach view from our room was perfect. Great hotel all in all.

Karol, Czech Republic

Location, hospitality, pool, sunset, dinner & lunch

Sulaiman, Kuwait

Great location, atmosphere, good building, well kept up, amazing staff, clean

Anonymous, Greece

Every thing about Serena is worth feeling and enjoying

Anonymous, Canada

The staff was amazing and gracious. The gentleman who took our specific request ( don’t remember his name, it started with ‘M’ was so wonderful and helpful and Amina was also so gracious.

Shirine, United States of America

Great location, lovely view from the swimming pool with beach just below although not private. Staff were friendly and helpful. Nice touch that we got a fruit basket and bottle of wine in the room.

Louise, United Arab Emirates

All staff were extremely friendly and welcoming from the moment I entered. They were very accommodating for my early check-in (before 10am) and was even provided a free upgrade. The view was spectacular from my room and would love to stay here once more next time I visit.

Ellington, United States of America

Stunning beachfront location, very well-run small hotel with only a half dozen rooms. Friendly staff. Good food at the hotel, usually a good deal to have their full-course dinner, since the area around does not offer many options. Perfect for those seeking peace and quiet.

Denis, France

The decor of the hotel truly captures the feel and spirit of Zanzibar - it's authentic and so charming and relaxing. There is also information about the art pieces all over the hotel. The location of the hotel is perfect for the city as you can walk to stone town and there are also modern restaurants like 2 minutes walk to the right of the hotel

Amutiso, Kenya

9.0

Excellent location!

What guests loved the most:
“The service was impeccable and staff was very attentive to my needs. The buffet breakfast in AM was excellent. ”

Ferah Poland
“Staff is very friendly and we had some nice conversations with everyone. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the options available to us. ”

Karol Czech Republic
“Location, hospitality, pool, sunset, dinner & lunch”

Sulaiman Kuwait
“Great location, atmosphere, good building, well kept up, amazing staff, clean”

Greece
“Every thing about Serena is worth feeling and enjoying”

Canada
“The staff was amazing and gracious. The gentleman who took our specific request ( don’t remember his name, it started with ‘M’ was so wonderful and helpful and Amina was also so gracious.”

Shirine United States of America
“Great location, lovely view from the swimming pool with beach just below although not private. Staff were friendly and helpful. Nice touch that we got a fruit basket and bottle of wine in the room.”

Louise United Arab Emirates
“All staff were extremely friendly and welcoming from the moment I entered. They were very accommodating for my early check-in (before 10am) and was even provided a free upgrade. ”

Ellington United States of America
“Stunning beachfront location, very well-run small hotel with only a half dozen rooms. Friendly staff. ”

Denis France
“The decor of the hotel truly captures the feel and spirit of Zanzibar - it's authentic and so charming and relaxing. There is also information about the art pieces all over the hotel. ”

Amutiso Kenya

Get the celebrity treatment with world-class service at Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Located on the sea-front of ancient Stone Town, Zanzibar Serena Inn offers 5-star accommodations with a view of the Indian Ocean. There is an outdoor pool with sun loungers, a café and 2 restaurants. Zanzibar Serena Inn offers free private parking.

All rooms are decorated with traditional furnishings and feature a satellite TV, mini bar and a tea and coffee maker. Each has a private bathroom with a bath and shower with free toiletries. There is 24-hour room service and free Wi-Fi.

The Terrace Seafood Restaurant features an open-air rooftop terrace and has ocean views. International and Swahili dishes are available at the Baharia Restaurant. The Pool Terrace Bar and coffee shop serve a wide selection of drinks, snacks and traditional pastries.

Guests can relax and sunbathe poolside or on the beach. Other local activities include swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and diving. House of Wonders is a 5-minute drive away.

Zanzibar International Airport and Zanzibar Ferry Terminal are within a 10-minute drive away.

This is our guests' favorite part of Zanzibar City, according to independent reviews.

This property also has one of the top-rated locations in Zanzibar City! Guests are happier about it compared to other properties in the area.

Couples in particular like the location – they rated it 9.1 for a two-person trip.

We speak your language!

Your stay will include:

Free WiFi Terrace Outdoor pool Shops (on site)

Zanzibar Serena Hotel has been welcoming Booking.com guests since May 21, 2012

Hotel Chain: Serena

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Most Popular Facilities

Free WiFi

Beachfront

Swimming pool

Airport shuttle

Outdoor pool

Family rooms

Bar

Good for couples – they rated the facilities 8.2 for two-person stays.

Currency Exchange: Need local currency? This property has currency exchange on site.

Guests love...

“stone town”
4 related reviews

“staff were extremely friendly”
4 related reviews

“lovely view”
3 related reviews

Located in the best-rated area in Zanzibar City, this hotel has an excellent location score of 9

Breakfast Info

Buffet

Free WiFi
Guests consistently rate the WiFi as excellent

Free private parking available at the hotel

Checkin day

Checkin month

Checkout day

Checkout month

Availability

When would you like to stay at Zanzibar Serena Hotel?

Check-in Date

Check-out Date

Rooms

Adults

Children

Just booked in Zanzibar City 1 hotel like Zanzibar Serena Hotel was just booked

4 reasons to choose Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Why book with us?

Manage your bookings online

The staff speaks English

Booking is safe

Hotel surroundings – Guests loved walking around the neighborhood!

Closest Landmarks

Freddie Mercurie House
0.1 miles
St Joseph's Roman Catholic Cathedral
0.2 miles
Old Fort of Zanzibar
0.3 miles
House of Wonders
0.3 miles
House of Wonders
0.3 miles
The Zanzibar Curio shop
0.3 miles
Sultan's Palace, Zanzibar
0.4 miles
Peace Memorial Museum
0.4 miles
Old Dispensary
0.6 miles
Hamamni Persian Baths
0.6 miles

Restaurants & Markets

Forodhani Gardens Market
0.3 miles

Closest Airports

Kisauni Airport
4.2 miles
Julius Nyerere Airport
49.8 miles

What Travelers Love About This Location

“The location is perfect if you're visiting Stone Town. Bang at the centre with pubs/cafes etc all nearby (Walking distance). The hotel by itself is by...”

Ashishk

Australia

7.5

“Serena Hotel is such a lovely choice. The location is amazing, its right on the water and you have front row seats to the sunset! I had a hammock on my waterfro...”

Uzma

United Arab Emirates

9.1

“good location probably if you. ees to stay in this town.”

Traveler99911

Estonia

7.9

Are you missing any information about this area?

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2 Restaurants On Site

Baharia restaurant

Food: African, American, British, French, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Nepalese, Seafood, Steakhouse, Local, International, European, Grill/BBQ

Menu: Buffet & À La Carte
Terrace Restaurant

Food: Seafood

Menu: À la carte

House Rules Zanzibar Serena Hotel takes special requests – add in the next step!

Check-in

From 2:00 PM

Check-out

Until 11:00 AM

Cancellation/
prepayment

Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to accommodations type. Please enter the dates of your stay and check what conditions apply to your preferred room.

Children and Extra Beds

Children older than 5 years are welcome.

One child from 5 to 14 years is charged 50 % of the room stay per night and person in an extra bed.

One child from 15 to 17 years is charged 75 % of the room stay per night and person in an extra bed.

The maximum number of extra beds in a room is 1.

Any type of extra bed is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.

Additional fees are not calculated automatically in the total cost and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

No age restriction

There's no age requirement for check-in

Pets

Pets are not allowed.

Zanzibar Serena Hotel accepts these cards and reserves the right to temporarily hold an amount prior to arrival.

“The service was impeccable and staff was very attentive to my needs. The buffet breakfast in AM was excellent. Wide variety of local cuisine with traditional breakfast with eggs, bacon and lots of other choices to choose from. My room was well taken care of especially with the room cleaning in AM and turn down was nice too. The room is scented with jasmine, windows shutters are closed and the mosquito net is covered around the bed. Needless, to say, I slept well. The AC and WiFi was reliable and the view from my room was beautiful.”

Ferah

Poland

“Staff is very friendly and we had some nice conversations with everyone. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the options available to us. My wife had a massage and she loved it, breakfast buffet was perfect, and the food at the restaurant was very good. The location was perfect for venturing out to local bars and eateries for a change of scenery. The beach view from our room was perfect. Great hotel all in all.”

Karol

Czech Republic

“The staff was amazing and gracious. The gentleman who took our specific request ( don’t remember his name, it started with ‘M’ was so wonderful and helpful and Amina was also so gracious.”

Shirine

United States of America

“Great location, lovely view from the swimming pool with beach just below although not private. Staff were friendly and helpful. Nice touch that we got a fruit basket and bottle of wine in the room.”

Louise

“All staff were extremely friendly and welcoming from the moment I entered. They were very accommodating for my early check-in (before 10am) and was even provided a free upgrade. The view was spectacular from my room and would love to stay here once more next time I visit.”

Ellington

“Stunning beachfront location, very well-run small hotel with only a half dozen rooms. Friendly staff. Good food at the hotel, usually a good deal to have their full-course dinner, since the area around does not offer many options. Perfect for those seeking peace and quiet.”

Denis

France

“The decor of the hotel truly captures the feel and spirit of Zanzibar - it's authentic and so charming and relaxing. There is also information about the art pieces all over the hotel. The location of the hotel is perfect for the city as you can walk to stone town and there are also modern restaurants like 2 minutes walk to the right of the hotel”

Amutiso

Kenya

See all guest reviews for Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Newest Reviews for Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Reviewed: January 7, 2019

Anonymous
Greece
9.6

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Great location, atmosphere, good building, well kept up, amazing staff, clean

Stayed in January 2019
Reviewed: January 6, 2019

Monica
Kenya
8.3

“GOOD”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 7 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
BED WAS GREAT

Stayed in December 2018
Reviewed: December 1, 2018

Anonymous
Norway
9.6

“Very Nice stay”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveler
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Expencive
I GOT an upgraded room. Very Nice

Stayed in November 2018
Reviewed: November 14, 2018

Shirine
United States of America
10

“Exquisite”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Nothing, we loved it.
The staff was amazing and gracious. The gentleman who took our specific request ( don’t remember his name, it started with ‘M’ was so wonderful and helpful and Amina was also so gracious.

Stayed in November 2018
Reviewed: October 9, 2018

Lilian shija
Kenya
10

“Absolutely beautiful.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Nothing
Amazing experience.

Stayed in October 2018
Reviewed: October 6, 2018

Ferah
Poland

2 helpful votes
9.2

“Excellent but with limited beach”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveler
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 4 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
I did not like how close the ocean is to the hotel. There is hardly any beach real estate left. The beach is very busy with locals so it isn’t as quiet as say the other side of the island. I ate once in the evening and ordered shrimp. It was tasty but the evening menu needs to be revamped. It’s too limited. I did sample a variety of desserts and this really needs to be worked on. For example, the mousse was too powdery and lacked consistency. The coffee bar isn’t inviting. It’s very sparse with limited cake menu that isn’t appealing. I did not order any hot drinks.
The service was impeccable and staff was very attentive to my needs. The buffet breakfast in AM was excellent. Wide variety of local cuisine with traditional breakfast with eggs, bacon and lots of other choices to choose from. My room was well taken care of especially with the room cleaning in AM and turn down was nice too. The room is scented with jasmine, windows shutters are closed and the mosquito net is covered around the bed. Needless, to say, I slept well. The AC and WiFi was reliable and the view from my room was beautiful.

Stayed in October 2018
Reviewed: September 24, 2018

Hasnein
Tanzania
10

“Staff reflected ZanIbari culture truly”
- • Leisure trip
- • Group of friends
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Liked everything
Staff friendliness

Stayed in August 2018
Reviewed: September 16, 2018

Louise
United Arab Emirates
5.4

Fair
- • Leisure trip
- • Group of friends
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
The single beds in the twin room were very small and rock hard, was like sleeping on a wooden plank, needless to say I didn't sleep very well. Definitely not a 5* hotel, not worth the $445 we paid for 1 night, I would have expected a lot more.
Great location, lovely view from the swimming pool with beach just below although not private. Staff were friendly and helpful. Nice touch that we got a fruit basket and bottle of wine in the room.

Stayed in September 2018
Reviewed: September 14, 2018

Satisfied
Kenya
9.6

“Excellent”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 7 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Lack of big garden. Lack of gym.
Everything.

Stayed in August 2018
Reviewed: June 23, 2018

Gabriel
Tanzania
10

“Excellent”
- • Leisure trip
- • Group of friends
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 2 nights
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Swimming
Privacy

Stayed in June 2018
Reviewed: June 4, 2018

Ellington
United States of America
9.6

Exceptional
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveler
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
All staff were extremely friendly and welcoming from the moment I entered. They were very accommodating for my early check-in (before 10am) and was even provided a free upgrade. The view was spectacular from my room and would love to stay here once more next time I visit.

Stayed in June 2018
Reviewed: May 2, 2018

Anonymous
Canada

1 helpful vote
9.6

“I will be back.....next time with family members.”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveler
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
Nothing.
Everything......literally everything.

Stayed in April 2018
Reviewed: April 9, 2018

Denis
France

2 helpful votes
9.6

“Bring good books and enjoy”
- • Leisure trip
- • Solo traveler
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 2 nights
Stunning beachfront location, very well-run small hotel with only a half dozen rooms. Friendly staff. Good food at the hotel, usually a good deal to have their full-course dinner, since the area around does not offer many options. Perfect for those seeking peace and quiet.

Stayed in March 2018
Reviewed: April 5, 2018

AMutiso
Kenya
Age group: 45 – 54

2 helpful votes
8.8

“Lovely Charming hotel with great helpful friendly staff”
- • Leisure trip
- • Couple
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 4 nights
The bathroom is very tiny and the water does not get hot. The management of the pool needs to be improved , add more sun umbrellas and as there is no pool attendant provide signage as to where the guests may get clean towels from and where to put away the dirty ones . Proper coordination of information regarding the tide times at the private beach owned by the hotel which is about an hours drive away as we got there mid morning ( on recommendation by the hotel staff and using Hotel transport ) only to find the tide was coming in much later in the afternoon so we could not swim and there is nothing else to do there even in the surrounding location.
The decor of the hotel truly captures the feel and spirit of Zanzibar - it's authentic and so charming and relaxing. There is also information about the art pieces all over the hotel. The location of the hotel is perfect for the city as you can walk to stone town and there are also modern restaurants like 2 minutes walk to the right of the hotel

Stayed in April 2018
Reviewed: March 1, 2018

Ahmad
United Arab Emirates
7.5

Good
- • Leisure trip
- • Group of friends
- • Standard Double Room
- • Stayed 1 night
- • Submitted from a mobile device
It is little bit expensive
Location is perfect

Stayed in February 2018

Sleeps	Room Type
	Standard Double Room 1 king bed	Show prices
Start of dialog content 댴 Private bathroom Each air-conditioned room is decorated with traditional Swahili-style furnishings and a blue-and-white color scheme. All come with a satellite TV, minibar, private safe and tea/coffee facilities. The private bathroom has a bathtub and shower. Room Facilities: • Minibar • Shower • Bathtub • TV • Air conditioning • Balcony • Fan • Toilet • Private Bathroom • Flat-screen TV • View • Wake-up service • Electric kettle • Mosquito net • Ocean view • Garden view • Terrace • Clothes rack • Fold-up bed Free WiFi! Select everything you want to know more about (Your response helps provide better info for travelers) Beds Bathroom Kitchen Breakfast Room capacity Room view Room facilities Parking Smoking Other What do you want to know about the options you selected? Enter your feedback Submit Cancel Thanks for your time! Your feedback will help us improve so you can book more easily next time. Close Sorry – there was an error submitting your response. Please try again. Retry Missing some information? Yes / No Great! Thanks for your response. Check-in Date / / Check-in Date Check-out Date / / Check-out Date Rooms Adults Children End of dialog content

Hotel Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Zanzibar Serena Hotel This rating is a reflection of how the property compares to the industry standard when it comes to price, facilities and services available. It's based on a self-evaluation by the property. Use this rating to help choose your stay!

Get the celebrity treatment with world-class service at Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Your stay will include:

Most Popular Facilities

Guests love...

Availability

4 reasons to choose Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Why book with us?

See availability Hotel surroundings – Excellent location – show map Guests loved walking around the neighborhood!

Closest Landmarks

Restaurants & Markets

Closest Airports

Most Popular Landmarks

What Travelers Love About This Location

Baharia restaurant

Terrace Restaurant

See availability Facilities of Zanzibar Serena Hotel Great facilities! Review score, 8.4

Most Popular Facilities

Outdoors

Pool and Spa

Pets

Activities

Food & Drink

Internet

Parking

Transportation

Front Desk Services

Entertainment & Family Services

Cleaning Services

Business Facilities

General

See availability House Rules Zanzibar Serena Hotel takes special requests – add in the next step!

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Zanzibar Serena Hotel

Hotel surroundings – Guests loved walking around the neighborhood!

Facilities of Zanzibar Serena Hotel Great facilities! Review score, 8.4

House Rules Zanzibar Serena Hotel takes special requests – add in the next step!