I had changed my plans to experience Stone Town at the end of my trip. I had chosen to stay at Verde Hotel but, whilst there, had a few regrets that I had not chosen a hotel right in Stone Town. As it happened, my flight ended up being cancelled and I had to spend an unexpected additional night in Stone Town so decided to book the Serena which I was quite excited about. It looked a lot more traditional than the Verde and more ‘quintessential Zanzibar’. First of all, they charge $40 for an airport transfer. Total rip off. Be aware of this. The Verde charged $25 and it’s much further away. Secondly, the rooms are very disappointing for the price you pay. Quite cramped and dark. I asked if I could change rooms as mine was the first on the corridor with no view at all. They couldn’t. Some of the staff on reception were more friendly than others but, overall, the reception service was poor. That said, Amina and ‘Big Joe’ were both lovely and very helpful. The pool area was nice and I enjoyed my swim after 8 hours stuck at Zanzibar airport going nowhere. It’s right by the sea so you get some great views of the ocean and the sunset. I dined in the restaurant - food (buffet) was good but the restaurant is quite hot. The worst aspect of this hotel was the noise at night. I woke up around 2am to someone shouting in the corridor outside my room. This went on for ages and I couldn’t get back to sleep. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend this hotel.
5 รีวิว