We spent 14 nights at Essque Zalu Zanzibar Hotel in August 2024, and we must admit it was one of our most beautiful holidays. The hotel is stunning, with its impressive main structure and nice, comfortable, and very clean villas hidden in an amazing garden. The food served in the two restaurants is truly excellent! The giant pool is ideally located near turquoise waters and a beach that you can use to walk to Nungwi village when the tide is low. Due to the hotel's layout and capacity, it never feels crowded. The staff is very kind, thoughtful, discreet, and professional, always happy to help with a smile. Each and every one of them made us feel at home while being well taken care of. Lastly, in case it helps some of you, as a couple of two men, we had some concerns before going to Zanzibar based on what we had read online. At no time during our stay did we feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. We always felt welcome, both during our Stone Town tour, safari trip, and, of course, during our stay at the hotel. We highly recommend Essque Zalu Hotel for a nice and relaxing stay in Zanzibar.

We had an amazing time at this resort. It was so peaceful and relaxing. The staff were very kind and helpful too. Sophia from housekeeping is an asset to your company. Despite the many times that we called her, never once was she stroppy or unkind. Was always smiling and happy to help! Thank you to Lucy and Deborah at the market kitchen restaurant who bought me some chocolate cake for my dessert despite it not being on the menu! Come back home with memories to last a lifetime! 😍 The only downside of the place is (as nothing in life is perfect) the resort doesn’t have a beach due to the tide going high and low. This didn’t bother us as we already had plenty of beach days in Paje. Also, drinks are not included in the HB option (fizzy drinks and water) and we had to pay $31 when checking out.

We had a really enjoyable stay at Essque. The small boutique feel was exactly what we were looking for. The views were incredible and the grounds and property was well kept, clean and secure.

Just go during the day for the views, but DO NOT STAY HERE. The hotel was built well and the service was good, however it was just so absurdly priced for any room service, bar or food. And I don’t mean vacation-margin priced within reason, I mean like they just threw out random ludacris numbers and decided to go with it. $20 for one glass of lowest quality wine, etc. Ended up paying more for food and drinks than the stay itself. The surcharges and “exchange rate” they use are a total scam. I don’t even mind paying the highest price for the best experience, but paying Las Vegas prices in a relatively average estate without any degree of luxury was too far from reality to justify the cost, and I don’t like getting scammed. But subpar room and amenity was just not worth it. Breakfast and dinner were included but buffet style and comparable to holiday inn, with a slightly extra sprinkle of class. Also the WiFi was completely unusable, so slow, overloads from too many people using it most peak hours of the day, and you can’t even load instagram videos without it stopping to buffer. Also you can’t click 0 on the phone to go to an operator, you have to go to call log or recently dialed for it to work. Also the night operator is running some scam and tried to charge for free water bottles and I asked for the bill then they retracted and said they’ll give it for “free.“ — I have also seen many reviews of this hotel scamming, first with surcharges, and there are at least 10 reviews I saw where money was stolen from the safe, and in very large amounts. Take your money with you everywhere you go, and don’t leave ANY valuables in the room. Looks like this hotel has some serious and dangerous issues. Good: -the views -close to the turtles tour attraction -great pool, enormous -poolside service -pool table although mini size so not really good -darts, ping-pong (table tennis) -pier and restaurant is really cool, lights up at night for good instagram pictures -architecture is nice, gardens are done well and maintained -staff has high level of service, trained well -staff is also fun and creates a good vibe Bad: -Total scamming in every way they can -Night manager scamming money for free items -Too many reports of thousands of euro stolen money from safes -be prepared to get a bill higher than your hotel cost in surcharges fees and utter nonsense -cleaners came at 7pm during dinner time to clean??? Luckily we were there, I’m almost POSITIVE they just came to see if we were in the room so they can steal something! So suspicious and sketchy.

I recently arranged a stay at Essque Zalu Zanzibar Resort for some of my VIP clients, and I couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. From the very first interaction, the team was incredibly responsive and attentive to every detail, which made coordinating the trip so much easier. The villas were absolutely stunning—my clients couldn’t stop raving about the incredible views and how luxurious everything was. The setting really added something special to their experience. I also want to give a big shoutout to the manager, Aditya. He was genuinely welcoming and went out of his way to ensure that my clients were well taken care of. His personal touch made all the difference and left a lasting impression. Essque Zalu has definitely become a go-to for my business when it comes to recommending top-notch accommodations in Zanzibar. The combination of beautiful surroundings, excellent service, and thoughtful attention to detail made this experience truly outstanding. Thank you to Aditya and the entire team for making my clients' stay unforgettable! Regards, Nasriya - RIYA Concierge