I found restaurant accidentally, and I have been pleasantly surprised. Service has been quick, meal has been tasteful, staff has been really warm and hospitality has been on high level. Great wine selection!

The reception was quite good , friendly and cheerful staff. Initially booked for 1 night having planned to change to another hotel for the rest of our stay in Zanzibar. We had to settle for Serena Hotel for the 4 nights.Stayed in the prime room 37. It was beautiful , had beautiful beach view and so clean.The staff like the duty manager, Mr Uledi, Mr Suluman and Mr Youseff made us so much feel at home.I dont mind staying again at your Hotel.

The first 5 star hotel in Zanzibar located at former Cable and Wireless ...ETC external tele communications!! Transformed by His Highness Aga Khan to Serena Inn , an amazing place to have a quiet peaceful holiday and listen to the waves of the sea watching a canopy of stars!!

The staff could show a bit more finesse. Interrupting you while I was speaking to tell me the cake had not settled and that it was not available. Even the pouring of the 90 000 Tsh wine the waiter had it dripping from the bottles mouth. Totally dissappointing. Food was ok. Honestly there was nothing like outstanding service. Being served biriyani at the Passing Show hotel near the port wss much more courteous. I did not find value for money for the $200 odd dollars my guests and I spent there.

Lovely hotel but the bathroom is a shambles . Very outdated with a cheap shower curtain and poor patch up work with chips on the bath tub , mismatched tiles and poor mastic around sink with mould behind the outdated shower system . Bathroom really lets this hotel down .

My experience is taxi driver in Zanzibar we can visit all Island together and I will show you all attention place and historical places please welcome Zanzibar

Smile and nice staff from reception to room service, fresh hibiscus juice on arrival, nice to have breakfast while facing the ocean

They are very good for me and my wife and I love to come back again

Nice hotel with big restaurant na nice food lovely food there workers are nice friendly try this hotel you will like it like me

Its a home away from home. Staff is very professional & helpful. Food & ambience is awesome.

Lovely little bar next to the sea, good place to stop for a drink while visiting stone town

Great location good prices and nice pool

Adorable people, good services, lovely place on beachfront = recommended !

A very nice place beautiful view good food

Amazing hotel in Zanzibar stone town clean food safari arrangement around stone Town perfect 👌

Beautiful place, amazing service, views to die for. Totally recommend.

A nice hotel, located close to the beach, with nice service

Beautiful place and there was a wedding taking place....so lovely

Such a pleasure & a comfort to be in a traditional & clean local house. Very nice sunset & great view! So well located into old city. Good value for money.

I stayed here for one night while on a group expedition trip leaving from the port for the Seychelles.Our rooms werent ready upon arrival due to a music festival in town so we had to wait for several hours despite 35+ hours of travel. So that stunk.They did bring us welcome drinks and cool towels and when the room was ready staff helped carry bags to the room. My room was in a completely different section of the hotel from the main area, no elevator, and about 4 flights of stairs. My bags were large and heavy so the guy was really struggling. There is no way I couldve gotten them to my room on my own with all those stairs.The room was basic with very few electrical plugs and standard accommodations. It wasnt fancy by any stretch. It is located in Stone Town and is an easy 5-minute walk to the Freddy Mercury Museum and several other sights. Its located just on the water so morning views from breakfast and lunch are lovely.Staff were all friendly and helpful and greeted you as you walked around and they have a very nice outdoor swimming pool area.

Excellent service, food and lovely view of the Ocean

Ome best thing I like from this hotel is the treatment of the waiters and servants here.Classic environmentA hotel to be

Very welcoming and friendly staff. Located on the beach.

I ended my 2 week trip through East Africa in this hotel and I can definitely say I ended it on a high. The hotel is simply stunning, with rooms hosting a garden or sea view. The swimming pool is gorgeous and just looking out on the Indian Ocean is enough to relax anyone. The staff were so friendly and most helpful. A stunning experience!

Very nice place for relax .

During our stay in Zanzibar we had two dinners at this hotel. Location is very nice. With a nice view over the beach. Special thanks to Mr Uledi and the chef of restaurant. They took special care of dietary needs. Thank you team. See you next time.

No words can describe how beautiful as this place is. Just visit and you will know what I mean

Beautiful location at the beach, nice pool, make sure to get a room with balcony, not all have one! Prices are high.

Great ambiance and scenery.Located at the beach front. Good food,and variety of drinks to chose from.

The staff is fantastic. They were extremely helpful when a local bank ATM stole my card. The manager, Charles, helped mediate with the bank to resolve the issue and stayed with us at the bank until my card was returned. He went above and beyond. The entire staff was genuinely nice and extremely courteous. The room had an amazing view and the hotel sits directly on the beach. I would definitely stay with them again.

A lovely hotel, which was once the postal building in Zanzibar. The staff is wonderful and the Concierge is a delightful chap. The breakfast served is not very extensive, but is still quite nice. Take a seat near the corner window, and you can enjoy the sea lapping right next ro you.The only downside is that the hotel has no elevator, so be prepared to walk if your room is on the upper floors.

From far my favorite hotel in ZanzibarAmazing location, in between cute streets of Stone Town and on the beach facing Prison Island and Nakupenda IslandPerfect service, very nice food, confortable beds

Just returned from this fantastic hotel. The moment we arrived the staff could not do enough to make this stay a wonderful experience. Our room was overlooking the Indian ocean and we were able to hear the sea and watch the sunset from our balcony. The room was immaculate with plenty of toiletries and clean towels daily. There was a mini bar, tea and coffee, bottled water which were all replaced daily. The bed was very comfortable and turned down every evening and mosquito nets put in place. The pool had plenty of sunbeds and clean towels, and access to the beach for a dip in the ocean. The food was very good and eating on rooftop terrace is a must with an extensive seafood menu. Breakfast and dinner were also excellent in the restaurant with fantastic staff who could not make your stay more pleasurable. We will be back. Steve and Denise.

The location and the view of the hotel is amazing, the room are so tidy and big . The place is so quite .its just like 2 minutes walk to the forofhani . A place where u can buy fresh all type of see food u know. The food and customer service as well were beyond my expectations. Highly recommended

It has good scenery, excellent hospitality and they provide best services

Super fair prices on beer for a high end restaurant! 6,000 shillings for the 500ml bottle of Kilimanjaro / Safari. If youre a broke backpacker wanting to treat yourself, this is a great price of admission!

Best Place to stay in Zanzibar. They have good entertainment and enjoyment

Small historic hotel within Stone Town. On beach, facing islands. Very attentive staff. Not fully intl with English and currency handling. We enjoyed balcony room facing pool and sea. Breakfast was very comprehensive buffet. Drink prices very reasonable, better than lower tier restaurants in area.

Great location, an amazing experience

Hotel is still nice, well maintained but somehow struggling while trying to compete with Park Hyatt next door. And this is shame, I remember the place 15 years ago when it had its own identity, own charm. Service is still good, attentive, place is clean, polished, but property feels heartless. Not as it used to be. And how property is presenting and marketing itself is another story. Wish it was again this old, nice Serena like years ago.

Situated right at the shore of Zanzibar, a little distance from where the passenger vessels dock... Serena Zanzibar presents an oasis on the Island.If arriving through the Islands international airport, youll need a cab to drop you off.Wonderful receptionists and a fairly smooth check-in process. A lot of fortune must have gone into setting up this haven.Excellent housekeeping, sparkling clean rooms and on-point room service. Arrived past official catering hours, but they had a delicious dinner whooped up and delivered in no time.Sparkling clean swimming pool and easy access to the beach

I had breakfast and lunch at this place, while on an excursion to Zanzibar.

Incredible hotel, one of only three hotels on the beach in Stone Town. The food is amazing and the views make the meal all the more enjoyable. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. They do need to do a better job of policing people that smoke in crowded public areas. Make sure youre there to see the sunset!

Very nice ambience. Perfect location. Professional staff. Delicious red wine! Nice view. The beach is a bit small, but clean and protected.

A lovely hotel with a rustic feel to it, upon greeting the entrance is lovely and when you look down the hall you can see the ocean view. Reception staff are very helpful and quick to respond to requests. The upper floor common areas are pretty nice with an area to view the ocean from day beds. Good spot to read and relax.From here, you can just about walk anywhere within Stonetown and youll find your way back pretty easily.

Honestly I was not such a fan. Didnt think the bathrooms were luxurious, though not wanting, and the beds werent so comfortable. A/C could be stronger. Attached to a public beach. Views were beautiful. Nice breakfast.

Really nice place: airy rooms with great views, tasty food, super awesome staff! They made a great show for us. Also it’s close to sea and main spots in Stone Town. Great place!

Its such a wonderful place

We stayed here for one night because we wanted to be in Stone Town. This is an awesome hotel. It is a member of the prestigious list of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and no doubt it is one. The ocean view from the rooms and the dining area was beautiful. Truly an amazing experience.

Great place to stay in Zanzibar. Friendly staff, great food and beautiful hotel in the old town. The location is perfect if you want to discover Zanzibar city and have some fun in outstanding excursions in the numerous islands around.

We had 2 overpriced small dark ground floor rooms which were very noisey in the morning being close to reception. Probably the worst breakfast we have ever had in any hotel we have stayed around the world. Fortunately just stayed 1 night

A very pretty hotel with excellent service. I was surprised that the hotel is in the heart of bustling Stone Town, yet the rooms (which face the water) were incredibly quiet. It’s a great place to stay for exploring the rest of Zanzibar.

Cozy rooms but insects and reptiles can b found in the room. My case i had a lizard/ gecko in my room n had to call the hotel to kill it. Otherwise good breakfast esp the local food is excellent!

Wonderful hotel with cultureWe stayed for 2 nights in this wonderful and excellent luxury hotel Serena Zanzibar. The ambience and beach location is amazing with its local zanzibar culture. The service is great and also the food. There are two buildings each contains around 50 rooms. The facilities are decorated in traditional zanzibari (a mixture of arabic, indian and local)Great terrace restaurant which on tuesday nights you enjoy swahili & seafood dinner listening to swahili taarab live music. Very soothing.Excellent swimming pool and bar overlooking the seaHowever1. the rooms are small and no lifts (understandable since the hotel was restored to retain original concept)2. Expensive (over usd 250 per night) but u get top notch service.But you pay and get a memorable stay. U can swim or walk at the beach or walk to nearby stone town attractions, restaurants and the charm of forodhani night food stalls.Highly recommend

Stayed at Zanzibar Serena during our African Tour with my family. Our stay was booked by the travel agency organizing our trip. Eveything had worked fine until our arrival at Serena. We were promised pick-up from the ferry upon arrival. That did not happen. After taking a taxi we arrived to Serena at 1500 hrs. We were then told our rooms was not ready. 1 hour later we got two rooms on different floors far apart despite the fact that we had requested our rooms to be close together since we are family. We had booked and payed for half-board. Still I had to argue repetedly in order to receive the service payed for (and confirmed in my voucher) The hotel staff referred to mis-communication between them and the travel agent. Not really my problem one would say!We travelled for over 3 weeks in Kenya and Tanzania/Zanzibar and had a wonderful time. Sorry to say Serene Hotel in Zanzibar was the absolut low-point. I find the service level poor and the staff ignorant and unqualified to provide the service expected at an hotel claiming 5-star standard. I cannot recomend Serena Hotel in Zanzibar.Mr. P Palmqvist

Amazing location, beautiful views and gorgeous architecture. The food leaves a bit to be desired but the location is such that you can dine at a different location every meal in the famous stone town centre.

I stayed here several years ago . It was the most beautiful and romantic place I have ever stayed. The bed was a piece of art, and the view was amazing. I was looking to inquire if it was still there. I am so pleased as I am thinking of travelling back there.

Serena is a home away from home. Its got a calm environment, good service and kind staff. If you are in Stone town, this is one of the best places to stay!

This hotel is one of the best in Unguja. The location is close to Stone Town and Forodhani Gardens. The beach is not the greatest but the view during sunset makes up for that. Service is good overall - cant complain.

Wonderful experience! The staff was extremely attentive and friendly, the food at the restaurant was great, and the location cant be beat. Easily one of the best hotels in Stone Town.

Beach view, very close to main town and most historical places, walkable distance to the port.The hotel standard is okay.

Best location if staying in stone town. In every way a superb colonial hotel : a must if interested in history. @marco k. : why on earth would you kill a gecko : they eat all the Moskitos!

One of the best places to be in Zanzibar the staff is so awesome but also the view of the ocean will take you somewhere else the rooms are so nice and its easier to take a tour of the city cz its very close to all the sites in stone town .food excellent,

Nice room and sea view swimmimg pool,staff are freindly , but food is very poor,will come again , DO NOT USE THEIR PICK UP OR DROP OFF SERVICE , THEY CHARGE 25 USD FOR FERRY PORT PICK UP(2 km) AND 40 USD FOR AIRPORT PICK UP(7 KM). WHILE YOU CAN EASILY GET 2 USD FOR FERRY PORT TAXI AND USD FOR AIRPORT TAXI . 20 times more!

Having dinner by the ocean when all you hear are ocean waves its the most relaxing thing one needs after a long day best food in fact they made me the food the way I love it no too much spices and they killed it with desert considering am a food lover 👌👌 thank you Serena you truely worth the visit

Excellent hotel must visitExcellent food,hospitalityAssistant manager Edwine very nice guyBeautiful beach swimming pool all in very reasonable price

A family dinner at The Terrace that should have been a highlight of our Zanzibar trip was one big disappointment. From food on the menu that was not available to being served the main course when the starter plates were not even removed, then wine that was never served with the main course and a digestive that had to be acquired from elsewhere.....need I say more??????? The restaurant management ....to put it mildly...leaves a lot to be desired

Amazing ocean view and great customer service

Amazing place for your dream holiday. Unfortunately I didnt stayed here while on vacation at Zanzibar, I only spent an afternoon while stranded because of flight cancellations. Nevertheless, what I had seen during those couple of hours made me feel sad that I spent same amount of money on different resort and didnt get to enjoy level of service, ambience and vibe as in Serena. At the end I will just say that if you are planning vacation to beautiful Zanzibar, plan it well, choose according to your budget and then compare it to the price of Serena, if Serena is 20% more expensive my advice is to go for it because it is definitely worth it.

Very nice hotel with great view. Service very good, high quality food. Highly recommend it

I would say food and customers care at Serena is excellent. I have been to other few hotels in Zanzibar, but Serena dishes are tasty and always wide range of choices.

Nice location, slow pace , great pool and view. We got upgraded to nice suite, friendly staff, a bit pushy for tours, but nothing annoying.

This is a repeated stay at the hotel and in future visits I plan to stay here. The staff make you feel at home. Service is excellent.

Better place for local and International conferences, The view are spectacular.

Nice hotel on the water with a nice pool. Just to the place to go and relax. Message was awesome too.

Dont trust them!! Never refund our money even though we cant travel due to the virus!! Said they would refund....but it never happened!! BEWARE

Never stayed.. only to spend a day relaxing at. A beautiful hotel on the beach.. serene, lush and wonderful service.

Wonderful hotel, the staff are very friendly, the food is nice. The whole hotel set up is nice with hotel bit of historical architecture in the building design.

A beautiful hotel with scenic views of the Indian Ocean and pool. The staff are wonderfully welcoming, friendly and professional.

A great place to stay in zanzibar.. good services especially the food.. friendly staff and walking distance to forodhani.Excellent view of the busy Indian Ocean

The place is so awesome, how sunsets looks pretty and nicely! Good services from staff smiles all the time I like so much

Fantastic spot for breakfast in Stone Town with excellent waterfront views. Would have liked an option of bacon, instead of macon.

The hotel is good, perfect for people with simplicity taste.

Nice hotel and bar but completely ridiculous that they still use plastic straws for all their drinks, when so many places in Zanzibar have paper straws.

Great location, Good Food and amazing staff

The hotel, the view, and the food is out of this world! The staff ere genuinely kind and attentive. It was such a blessing.

Its very nice and enjoyable place

Very nice place...

The staff, service, location and ambiance simply amazing. Great place to relax, close proximity to everything

Its da beutfly place in zanzibar

A little dated but still ok. Right on beach. Excellent views of Sunset. Walkable to most sights.

It was very quiet staff are super friendly and the beach front view beautiful

Hi! Good morning my name is khamis I m zanzibarian that I specialize in tourism management and Arline ticket on diploma course so I m sure I can share with your talent to push the development in your hotel plz sir I need your help I hope you will respond as I hope before thnx good job

Location is superStuff are amazingBreakfast is delicious also dinnerRecommend u to visit in June July August for best weather

Excellant in all areas and services

This location is great 👍

Had a coffee on the pool side deck over looking the ocean. Great Experience.Nice coffee, great view.

Inviting oasis, fab location, rooms and pool. Good base for exploring on foot and further afield

Brilliant services the waiters are really friendly and talkative, nice view with traditional music live show. A mazing

The most authentic hotel in stone town.very lovely place to spend your holiday.