Absolutely stunning. Service beyond amazing. Quiet with gorgeous gardens and beach. Easy access for SCuBA diving. Incredibly friendly staff and felt completely safe with masai warriors guarding the hotel. Food was phenomenal. Hard to describe the soft perfectly fine sand. Lovely clear water. Fantastic diving and very reasonably priced.
Would absolutely go back.
The resort is beautiful, the room was comfortable, the food is great and the beach is lovely. The whole vibe of the resort is laid back and relaxing. The staff is amazing, offering up whatever may be needed and they helped to organize activities and reservations- even at the last minute. Piter was an excellent beach bartender and the pina colada was amazing.
We had a wonderful experience here with our family for three nights. The food was outstanding, especially the fresh fruit and the fish. Staff was attentive and professional and always pleasant and kind. Waiting for drinks at the beach bar was not a problem for us as we were enjoying the scenery and the ocean breeze while we relaxed. Great time of year to go. Weather hot but pool was perfect. Excursions to Jozani Forest and to snorkel were lovely. Tidepools were fun to explore, with tons of amazing shells (which we had to leave behind). Thank you Ally and all your staff for a vacation we will never forget!
We were in Zanzibar at the end of April/beginning of May and really enjoyed the "rainy season". The entire hotel and the beautiful beach belonged to us for the first few days because the tourists avoid this time. The whole staff was practically there just for us, we were more than spoiled every day. We would like to mention the most important points for people who have not yet been to The Sands Resort:
-All public areas were very well maintained and CLEAN (despite low season)
-The staff - from hotel manager, guest relations, housekeeping and everyone we met were 5* friendly (compared to 5* hotels in Switzerland)
-The guys at the bar were our highlight - they do the job more than well and we were happy to see them every morning and evening!
-Security - the traditional Masais have the whole resort and beach under control. Day and night they keep an eye on the guests and make sure they are safe and not harassed by the locals on the beach
-Food & drink - high quality, varied and international, foreigners have no problems.
Many thanks to the entire team who looked after us! There are many resorts to choose from but the friendliness and service of The Sands won!
We stayed at the resort for 9 nights. The facilities are good, and as expected for a 4*. The staff are excellent on the whole, very friendly and welcoming, very accommodating. The hotel team are quick to address any concerns and attempt to rectify. Mr Ally (guest relations manager) is especially outstanding in his role and really elevates the experience. His service to the guests is 5* and he ensures you have the best possible stay that you can. Having stayed across lots of 4* and 5* hotels around the world, he is hands down the best guest relations manager I have met. He made our stay really special and really comfortable, he was quick to resolve any issues we had. Very much a huge asset to the hotel. Mkamwi (head waiter) was very accommodating and ensured we have a lovely dining experience every day. The food at the hotel is outstanding especially for a 4* resort, every dish is tasty and fresh and nutritious. The head chef is talented and serves fresh delicious food every day without fail. I had a massage from Denise who I highly recommend, one of the better massages I’ve had from any resort or spa around the world. We had issues with our flight, and a lady in reception, whose name I didn’t catch amongst the panic of our flight problems, helped us to change our flight and really saved the day.
Pros:
The amazing staff, they really made the stay
Roomy villas
Great massage
Food was superb
Cons:
Location - quite far out from the better beaches and stone town (although near to Jozani Forest), beach here is quite polluted
The pool wasn’t very clean and the towels are small so don’t cover the sun bed cushion
No indoor area for dining so you have to just accept there will be flies in your dinner at all meals
