Reviews of Marafiki Beach Hotel & SPA

Marafiki was amazing, the food, staff and location were wonderful

Nothing :)

It was perfect in every way

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Friendly staff, delicious breakfast, great support with booking tours, lots of small activities from the hotel (reef and village walk, cooking class, etc.).

We had the impression that the pool discolors the swimwear a bit (preferably not to wear white) The beach vendors are quite pushy and annoying. This is unfortunately a general problem on Zanzibar and not the hotel's fault.

Great place for holidays, thanks for the entire team for making this place so special.

Great service and the staff had a genuine smile every day!

Great location and the staff is very lovely. We stayed at the bungalow right at the beach. There is not much to do in Matemwe but the hotel organises walks, a cooking class, yoga classes, all free of charge. Also the massage was really nice so definitely recommend that. All in all an amazing place to stay!

A lot of dampness in the bungalow and some mold in the bathrooms.

Area is big enough for everyone. It was very clean and very close to beach

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I recently had the pleasure of staying at this stunning beach hotel and spa, and it truly exceeded all my expectations. The beach villa was perfectly located, offering breathtaking views of the sea that made every moment there feel like a dream. The food was absolutely sensational—each dish crafted from fresh, locally sourced ingredients that highlighted the vibrant flavors of the region. What truly set this experience apart, however, was the exceptional service from the staff. They consistently went above and beyond to ensure every need was met with genuine warmth and attention to detail. Their dedication to outstanding customer care made the stay unforgettable. I can’t recommend this hotel highly enough for anyone seeking a luxurious, relaxing getaway with impeccable service. A special mention goes to Baton, truly a TikTok star in his own right, as well as Hemedi and Samira, whose smiles never faded throughout our entire stay.

Absolutely nothing. It was a wonderful stay

Really nicely decorated

Great breakfast, big portions with a nice variety.. in general food was excellent in this hotel

Wifi need to be better..

Asked I there was a chess board and they send someone to the market to buy one so we could use it. Great service.

Absolutely loved the warm and friendly staff! The hotel looked exactly like the photos—stylish, clean, and comfortable. Perfect location, fully equipped with everything we needed, and the food was delicious. A fantastic stay overall!

Marafiki is a hidden gem on the north east coast of Zanzibar where we were lucky enough to spend 9 glorious nights. It’s an authentic, rustic boutique type hotel situated directly on a peaceful stretch of beach with miles upon miles of pure white sand. From the moment we arrived we were treated like friends (‘Marafiki’ means friend in Swahili) and nothing was too much trouble for the attentive, friendly and kind staff. The accommodation was spotlessly clean, as was the pool, bar and restaurant area. The food was absolutely delicious; we tried many different dishes on the menu including the Swahili dinner, and were always really impressed by the high quality, especially the avocado toast with poached egg for breakfast which was absolutely amazing. The hotel provides free drinking water in your room in refillable glass bottles which you can then take to the bar and refill yourself from the water cooler or wait for it to be replenished daily by the housekeeper, and we really appreciated this, especially as it eliminates the need for single use plastic. The beds were incredibly comfortable and the complementary toiletries (lime and coconut) were beautiful. It was the end of the rainy season when we visited so the hotel would spray our rooms in the evening whilst we were at dinner to prevent mosquitoes. The hotel supplies both bathroom and beach / pool towels and can also provide a hairdryer and plug adapters too if needed. They also have a good selection of beach shoes available for guests to borrow. The hotel provides a selection of free activities for guests such as a guided reef walk, cooking lessons, yoga, and a walk into the local village. My husband visited the SPA for a massage several times during our stay and was very impressed. We had a truly relaxing time at Marafiki and will take home wonderful memories of a magical place with the most amazing people.

We had a wonderful stay at the hotel. Everything was perfectly organized and the staff was extremely kind, helpful and always ready to assist whenever needed. I truly felt at home. Our room had a stunning ocean view that made the experience even more special. This place offers pure relaxation, a perfect detox, and a great opportunity to explore and learn about the rich local culture, which is truly fascinating. Asante to all the staff for the warm and genuine hospitality!

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Very relaxing, great facilities and really friendly staff

We lived in 9 different hotels in 18 days, and this was our define favorite. At first our room were upgraded at arrival, and told us that our departure day, we could keep the room for free all day, as we had a late flight. The staff was so sweet, they helped and served us all we needed, but in a too much way. The hotel is the coziest place where you feel welcome and home. There is activities every day, but still very quiet, which we found perfect. And finally, the food was so nice. And there was cold water to fill all day.

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Τhe location was great, next to a splendid beach. The atmosphere in the hotel was very friendly and the support by its staff continuous and efficient (we didn't have any concern that all would nicely settled, such as the excursion for snorkeling, or the arrangement from/to the airport. The room was as shown in the images in the web site, and the view from the balcony exceptional. The breakfast as well as the dinner (we didn't have lunch) were very good, although some of the dishes were far more tasty than others. The hotel is quiet and allows a relaxing stay either at the beach or the swimming pool. We loved to watch the tides and their impact to the size and look of the beach. Massage service was great, while the nearby (hotel) bar was very pleasant. Before arriving we were concerned by some statements by previous visitors regarding the beach and swimming. Fortunately their statements did not correspond to realtiy. We went swimming all days of our stay and we did enjoy it.

Minimal issues. Some of the facilities - especially in the room - need to be upgraded. The hotel offers sea shoes, yet they need to be cleaned on a daily basis, which was not the case. Theoretically the hotel offered yoga classes; in practice there were no yoga classes. Finally, the interior design of the king suite should also include a sink in the toilet, instead of going round the whole room to reach the sink.

The owners, managers and staff have created a space that is welcoming, relaxed, charming and simply a joy to be in. Staff are all fantastic and super helpful. The room upgrade and small special touches were very much appreciated. The proximity to the beach is perfect the kayak and selection of sea shoes very thoughtful. Nothing is too much trouble. Toiletries lovely. Coffee pods in the room nicest we've ever had.

There were tiny things we would have preferred in the room but this is really is about personal preference rather than a flaw. The only disappointment with the location was the sea being quite shallow with lots of seaweed and urchins which made swimming a little challenging.

Thank you for a wonderful and memorable holiday.

Beautiful and quiet property by the beach. The king suite was well designed and spacious