Our stay at Smiles was overall comfortable and would stay there again!Pros+ Staff: All the staff are attentive and responsive to your needs - for example, Rizwan was extremely helpful giving local suggestions for restaurants and cab fares (which require negotiating). We got to know a trustworthy driver (Said) who took us around and really appreciated.+ location: it’s a 8-10 min walk to the main sights in Stone Town (it’s a small area for tourists) so it was convenient for sureThings to note:+ breakfast: they include breakfast but it was very simple (fruit, maybe pancakes). If you want something more then you should grab while outside!+ rooms/hotel: have hot water, good AC, and really nice swahili style house. Room and it’s furnishings are simple but this makes sense for the price we paid.

A lovely old building, well priced, friendly staff. The air conditioning, fan, hot water and wifi all worked well. There is no bar and breakfast looked pretty basic - better to walk two minutes to Zenji cafe. The hotel is within walking distance to all sights but is situated on a very very busy junction in front of the port. The traffic & noise start at 05:00 and continue till after dark. Request a room as far from the port entrance as possible.

My earrings were stolen by someone who cleaned our room. The man at reception didnt try to hide the fact that he didnt care. Every time I went to ask about an update he would say that they were lost, and I had to repeatedly correct him and say that they were STOLEN. He seemed to not believe me, which was extremely frustrating and Im not sure why I didnt even get an apology. If they had been apologetic I wouldnt be leaving a bad review, but the attitude I received was not acceptable from hotel staff.The breakfast is very disappointing so dont expect much. Also, there are no lifts so please consider that before booking a room at this hotel.

Rizwan the Hotel Manager is so very helpful and polite, and is always there to help you with anything you need. The property is Well Maintained and the rooms are spacious and clean. The breakfast is a let down in so many ways. Its like a soup kitchen but in a horrible way. No elevators, so god save those who stay on second floor. The steps are steep and wooden....

Absolutely horrible place to stay... It was the downside of my trip...Rooms were smelly and the bathroom was cramped.. Not a place to stay..Breakfast was verz very poor.. Not worth the money...I dont recommend this hotel to anyone..

One of the best hotels in Stone Town and the ambience within the property is amazing. I like the setup and how classy it is.The owner of the property is amazing and very welcoming. He goes beyond his way to make us feel welcomed and even gave a city tour at his expense.For those coming by ferry its just a three minutes walk from the port and within the city.

Very nice and accommodating staff, very convenient location but extremely loud area. Dont expect to get any sleep after 5am, noise from the port, the mosque and the busy road are very loud.

Staff are very kind and helpful. Hotel is clean and rooms contain a TV, Refrigerator, kettle, hair dryer, hot water all the time. It is not easy to find all of this in any hotel room in zanzibar.

A good place in stone Town. Great rooms great service and lots to do near Forodhani

Cozy, clean rooms. Breakfast options are limited yet traditional meals.

Amazing Boutique Hotel, Right across the ferry. You cant miss it. We had a pleasant impromptu over night stay. Will be back soon ☺️

Best location just near the ferry and is at the heart of stone town. All places are within walking distance. The airport is just 7mins drive.The staffs were super friendly, the services were great. Great bargain for the stay. WiFi available, breakfast was amazing and a lot of other facilities like excursions, car/bike rent can be arranged at reasonable price. I am frequent traveller especially in stone town , Zanzibar, all I can say is the services offered here are amazing to the price offered.Highly recommended for frequent travellers, business trips, holiday trips, you wont get disappointed in staying here.

Friendly staff and very clean hotel. Amazing location for tourists with a lot of activities and information available at hand. We had an amazing stay and will definitely recommend to everyone.

Very convenient to walk to ferry especially early departure...nice old time vibe on 3rd floor walk up.

We stayed in Smiles Stone Town Hotel for one week and can highly recommend it to everyone travelling to Zanzibar. The atmosphere in the hotel is very welcoming and the Staff makes sure you feel comfortable at all time. Especially the owner Rizwan is a very friendly person, who continuously guaranteed that we enjoy our stay.The interior Design and the look of the hotel are both modern and typical for the Zanzibar Culture, which makes it look very elegant and fancy. The rooms are very clean so we felt really cozy staying there.The location of the Hotel right in the centre of Stone Town allows you to visit everything by foot, which is a very big plus in my opinion.The famous attractions, restaurants and the beach are all nearby and easy to reach also in the evening. The staff always gave us a helping hand when we asked about information concerning Restaurant Tipps, transportation or the Tours.So overall we really enjoyed our stay in this hotel and had a memorable time.

Amazing place to be at in the heart of Zanzibar Island.Topnotch customer service with excellent customer care provided.Staff knew exactly what you needed to be catered for.Thank you for having us and looking forward another holiday to spend at smiles stone town hotel

Nice and really typical hotel in the heart of Stone Town. Its a few steps from the harbour and the house of the wonders, in a fantastic position in the seaside.Really kind and friendly staff, help us with suggestions for our activities and places to seeFor me and my wife, was a fantastic experience, and we strongly suggest this place to all Zanzibar travelers.

Very nice and clean hotel, comfortable rooms. Only drawback is they dont have kitchen for lunch and dinner. All other is okey.

Verry simple verry traditional verry historical building. Wonderful and friendly workers and Also near by the port of zanzibar so is perfect if you travel to dar es salaam with boat. This is the perfect hotel to stay .thank you Smiles stown town hotel. Thank you zanzibar.

Very nice hotel. Optimal Price/quality balance + the people are very friendly. Well located, breakfast included. We strongly recommend the place.

Historical building with great Beds

Perfect for a muslim family as they dont sell alcohol.

I have been travelling for the past 6 monthsRound the world I find this hotel meets 100% requirementsVery clean bathrooms, room, very well presented, fridge AIR conditioning kettle and towel very fresh for the money best hotel I have stayed value for the money and not to forget ISSA the person who booked me and come up room explained how everything works

Lovely and comfortable hotel. Impressive historical architecture, modern and new equipment, furniture with super comfortable beds and pillows. Enjoyed it a lot there! Thanks!!

I have been there sometime, its nice place to be close to stone town heritage mark.Thanks to Mr Issa who gave me maximum support with other staffs in general.Am thinking of going back when opportunity arises.

Friendly people, but very loud neighborhood cant sleep afrer 5 AM

The hotel is nice and evrything is brandly new. Service was cery friendly but there was no sheet to cover in the night and to get one was somehow impossible..

Images are deceiving, not as it seemed online 👎

Very lovely place and stuff with great location at the heart of Stone Town, the beach and FORODHANI night food market. Definitely would recommend it.

A beautiful and enchanting place to stay..

For the value of money, it was great.

Felt welcomed, the management are friendly they take you as their own

Zanzibar culture like hotel

Best hotel service.

NC hotel

The buildings are to die for

Satisfied

Nice place

A beautiful historical inn

Zanzibar experience

Very noisy

Very nice staff

We spent a week in the hotel and thought it was great! Its central, the breakfast was delicious and the staff is very helpful! They even organized transport etc. to Nungwi for which nothing had to be paid. So recommendable :)

Friendly staff, good location. I had windows to a side street and a lovely ancient tower.The room had air conditioning, fan, kettle, hairdryer, refrigerator and TV. And a small balcony, which is especially nice.Cool atmospheric interiors. There are books on the tables in the lobby of the first floor and in the corridors, you can borrow if you want to read. Mostly in English, but also in Russian. And fiction, and travel guides to Tanzania ... And in the hall on the first floor there is a chess and dominoes. We played every night!Breakfasts are different, mostly vegetarian. Buffet (muesli / cereals, fruits and vegetables, pancakes / stews / beans / magic Indian chicken pieces, the name of which I have forgotten - different on different days) and an individual choice: omelet (different types), pancakes or pancakes with sausage. Since the dish is prepared especially for you, this is not always fast. Breakfast took me from half an hour to an hour.Nearby there is a bank, various cafes, a shop with only water, chips, sweets, household chemicals and beach slippers. The embankment is almost nearby. To the very good beach, which is around the corner, however, walk for a whole 20 minutes. But before the spice market about 5 minutes. Well, and the old town, in fact, right outside the hotel door.In general, if the vacation had not ended, I would have lived there with pleasure ...

Simple hotel for one night next to the ferry to Dar es Salaam (200m)Located in an old building.Small room.Nice new air conditioner, there is a fan.Bathroom with shower.The safe did not work.There is a refrigerator and a balcony.Comfortable large bed.The building in which the hotel is located is very old, over 200 years old.

So, Smiles Stone Town Hotel 2 *.Rested in January 2021.City hotel, well located in the center of Stone Town (CT Delay), opposite the city port. It stands along a busy street (hence the constant traffic) and a 2-minute walk from the port (thats why we often woke up early in the morning from the rumble of overloaded containers), so it is not suitable for lovers of silence.The plus is that it is only five minutes to the ST embankment (turn left from the hotel entrance). And if you turn right, and then after 20 meters right again, in 7-8 minutes you can walk to the bus station, from where buses leave and gave to the beaches of Nungwi and Kengwa (route 116, to Nungwi 2,300 shillings). Also opposite this bus station is a lively local market: during the day they sell everything that is possible, from cowards to TVs. But in the evening, a real Zanzibar food court unfolds there. True, this is not a sight for the squeamish)), because there is no question at all about observing sanitary standards when cooking. But on the other hand, you can taste the food consumed by the locals for a not very expensive price. These are smoked shrimp, octopus and squid, a variety of barbecue - chicken, beef (on skewers). Worthy of special attention is the so-called. Zanzibar pizza. This is when a very thin dough is stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, onions, carrots, tomatoes, soft cheese, herbs and fried on both sides on a strange device that vaguely resembles a flat wok. By the way, on the embankment you can also try all this, it is much cleaner there, but the cost is twice as expensive and there is definitely no local flavor). Therefore, if you want to plunge headlong into the life of the capital of Zanzibar, it is worth visiting the local market at least once in all the time.Ill go back to the hotel. We did not have any particular complaints during our stay. Yes, sometimes there were minor difficulties, such as a temporary power outage or hot water disappeared, but the hotel staff solved all this very quickly. We did not take all this into account, since this is Zanzibar (you need to make an amendment to this) and the hotel is not 5 *. The room is small but decent. There is air conditioning and ceiling fan. Shower, traditionally in Asia and Africa, without partitions. But the flow was normal, the water was leaving quickly. A pleasant bonus (I definitely did not expect this from Zanzibar) were toiletries - shampoo, gel, soap, which were left in the room after cleaning. Bed linen and towels were changed for us once, after 5 days of stay. But towels can be replaced earlier at your request, just leave them on the floor.Breakfast at the hotel lasts from 7 am to 10:30 am. You can choose one dish from the menu. If you want extra - the cost is $ 5. The breakfast menu is more of a continental type: different types of omelet, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, potato pancakes (they call it English breakfast), pancakes (rather our pancakes), oatmeal with milk or water, toast. In general, vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers), toppings, coffee and tea, breakfast cereals and milk are available. Fruit is also served daily for breakfast - mini banana, papaya, pineapple or watermelon in an assortment. A very nice and sincere chef - Ali, was always ready to help, give a couple of extra toasts)). The disadvantage is that he works alone, and functionally must not only cook, but also wash the dishes, and clear the tables. Therefore, when the influx of guests at the hotel, you had to wait a long time for your order. Once even about an hour. But, we always slept for a long time and went out late, closer to 10 oclock. Perhaps if you come to breakfast earlier, then there will be no such problems.A separate topic is mosquitoes. Before the trip, we read a lot of horror stories about malaria, stocked up with a huge number of repellents. In fact, nothing was needed. Yes, there are mosquitoes, but none have bitten, even without skin treatment. According to local staff, there are no molar mosquitoes in Zanzibar, they are found only on the mainland. Therefore, if you are planning a trip to the mainland, repellents will not be superfluous. By the way, for those who are especially anxious, in local pharmacies for 15 thousand shillings you can buy a medicine against malaria right away.

The location is very good. The cleanliness is average and the breakfast is very modest

Very good hotel in the city center for its stars, welcome drink, varied breakfasts, TV, air conditioning, fan, water, cleaning every day

Excellent location very close to the port where the ferry arrives. Hotel with more than 200 years of history, very well preserved, clean and with super friendly staff. The very friendly owner helped us in everything we asked for.

The hotel is pretty, there is air conditioning, a little far from the beach, but close to the city market.

Excellent place! The owner is very present very kind help in everything that one needs. Very clean and beautiful atmosphere. With 200 years old, retaining its history at the doors.

Good hotel and staff, a bit noisy as it is located in an expensive and near the port entrance.

They tried to charge us twice as much as the price in the booking, arguing that this was the last room.

Bad there are cockroaches a lot of noise from the city there is no tranquility

Very cozy, friendly service.Worth a visit