The Residence Zanzibar

One of the most incredible experiences of my life, highly recommended. We live a dream come true. The villas are spacious, incredibly comfortable, and incredibly quiet. The hotel organizes excursions throughout the island with complete assurance. The food is amazing, and they change it every day. A 10/10

We booked the Luxury Villa Garden view with a private pool for 3 nights and we really enjoyed our stay. PROS: - Service was awesome. Room was getting cleaned twice a day, our mini fridge wasn’t working well so they brought a new one right away…we requested a screen for privacy around the pool area and they put it for us at no additional cost. Waiters and waitresses were extremely helpful and tended to all our needs (Farida and Clement were excellent). - ⁠The villa was huge and the bathroom also with a big shower and excellent water pressure and nice hot water. There’s a beautiful outdoor shower right outside the main shower area which was great. - ⁠Very clean villa, clean pools and beautiful eco-friendly resort. CONS: - the food: we weren’t very impressed with the food quality and taste. There was a variety of food at the buffet but food seemed very bland. We have been to other 5* resorts in Zanzibar and comparatively, the food was like a 4/10 for The residence. All in all, we would come back only because of the private pool and villa.

We staying in a garden villa, all inclusive package, 2 adults and 1 child (8yrs old). the room was well set up for the 3 of us! beautiful room with gorgeous outdoor area and lovely clean pool that we all very much enjoyed! The grounds were huge and we used bikes to get to and from the main building where there was the main pool and the restaurant and bar.||We were all inclusive which was great as very little not included in this, mini bar also stocked daily with whatever we wanted! ||when i say though that then staff made this trip, that is not an understatement! from checkin & out at reception with Mercy, Marco and Johanes, it was seamless! very kind, professional and helpful!|||the restaurant staff were amazing! morning and lunch we had Farida who not only was a friendly face but became our swahili teacher, we had a real passion for the language and learnt so much in 5 days! Farida really made this trip extra special! Mary, Justina and Helen were also fabulous at breakfast/lunch!||Dinner was a different theme every night, but saturday is a real treat as dinner is on the beach with a show! was beautiful! special thanks also to Nico and Asia for taking good care of us each evening! ||Lastly, we did the safari blue excursion and just wow!! snorkeling was 10/10 …i highly recommend! ||thanks so much to everyone at this hotel, our trip was spectacular and we hope to come back soon :)

All the staff are very friendly and happy to help. The bikes they give you to rides round the property elevates the experience and gives a happy feeling to getting around the property with all the greenery and flowers. The private pools for each villa really make it a worthwhile experience even with the massive infinity pool overlooking the ocean.

From the moment we arrived until the day we left, everything was pure enjoyment. It started with an upgrade to a 2-bedroom villa, which meant our son had his own room with a private bathroom. The villa is huge, the bathroom very spacious and equipped with everything you could need. You can relax all day on your terrace with a private pool.||The breakfast isn’t extensive, but everything is freshly prepared, and the chef will make special dishes upon request. The service is excellent — everyone is genuinely friendly and does their very best to make your stay as pleasant as possible.||At one point, my dress had torn, and when I mentioned this, I was directed to the in-house tailor, who repaired it the very same day — free of charge! The service truly goes the extra mile; nothing is too much for them.||Every morning and afternoon we enjoyed walking through the beautifully landscaped park, filled with stunning flowers, plants, and various animals you encounter along the way. So peaceful and relaxing. November is still low season, so at times it felt as if we had the place to ourselves: no crowds at the pool, no crowds in the restaurant — perfect!||Don’t expect white sandy beaches here; for that, you need to go to the north of the island. But The Residence is definitely a place I would recommend if you love lush gardens and tranquility.||A special thanks to chef Satish, Farida from the service team, the housekeeping staff and the gardeners - the local unsung heroes who keep the resort's gardens a little piece of heaven! ||Asante Sana ❤️

An amazing stay at the Residence ! Everything was perfect - the staff was very kind, the villa was amazing, and we loved watching the sunset in the pool/beach area every night. Thanks a lot to Lukman for his yoga classes, a great teacher in a very peaceful spot of the hotel !

We spent our beach holiday at this hotel in Zanzibar and were absolutely delighted. The staff were incredibly friendly and always helpful. Our room was spacious, very clean, and offered every comfort we could have asked for. The food was excellent, with a generous variety every day. The entire hotel complex is beautifully designed and perfect for relaxing. We especially appreciated that the team was very attentive to our needs, for example by offering us a complimentary late check-out without any hassle. We can highly recommend this hotel and would love to come back!

This is our fifth stay at the hotel. The lodge is beautiful and the staff are very friendly. However, I am giving one star because the management does not pay enough attention to safety issues, especially regarding their transfer supplier.||||We always travel with our child. In previous stays, a child seat was not provided at all, even though a 5-star resort should automatically arrange a proper child seat for guest safety during airport transfers — especially considering that the drive from the airport is about 1.5 hours each way.||||This time, we requested a child seat in advance and even called to remind them. When we arrived, the car did have a seat inside, but it was not installed. The driver didn’t know how to secure it and asked us how to do it. The seat itself was very poor quality, and the car did not have proper anchor points, so it was impossible to install.||||When we arrived on 14 November, I reported this issue to the front desk. They promised to talk to the supplier and fix it. Later, the customer care manager called during our stay to ask if everything was fine. I said yes, except for the transfer and baby seat problem.||||A few days before departure, I contacted reception again, reminded them about the baby seat, and we discussed it once more.||||But on 22 November, the car arrived with the same unsafe seat, and again the car had no anchor points to install it. The seat was moving about 50 cm in all directions, which makes it completely unsafe. In an accident, this seat would even cause more harm to the child instead of protecting them.||||I have lived in Tanzania for 11 years and see road accidents almost weekly. Considering this, I am surprised that the management continues to ignore such a serious safety issue with their transfer vehicles.||||I understand that lodges in Zanzibar are not allowed to operate their own transfers due to government regulations. However, if you choose a supplier, you are responsible for making sure that the drivers meet The Residence’s standards — including verifying that the supplier has proper public-liability insurance, checking the drivers’ training level, ensuring they have the required safety equipment (child seats, first-aid kits, etc.), and monitoring how their vehicles are maintained. That is how responsible businesses operate.||||While I truly like The Residence property and its staff, I advise families travelling with children to reconsider this property until the management properly addresses these safety concerns.