Coral Rock Hotel

Tanzania , Zanzibar
ZANZIBAR, Jambiani, .
Show on Google | Website | Map

50 reviews shown

2/10

Poor

16 Feb 2026

Monique

There was no electricity for 2 days and nights. I was given a bucket of water to wash with. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel unless they get a generator.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Feb 2026

Todd

What a wonderful place! Located in south Jumbiani beach, this hotel boasts an amazing view of the ocean and a constant breeze. With a full restaurant and bar, you'll never really need to leave, but there are a few attractions close by, such as Kuza Cave, and some other snorkeling hotspots. All the staff members are courteous and helpful. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2025

Kirsten E.

The hotel is really boutique and cute ! It’s right on the water which is amazing & the pool is perfect for when the tide is low. The breakfast was perfect nothing too over the top, but a lot of options! Only downfall was there was a storm and the power went out and they were having issues with the generator so we didn’t have power and then when we did get power it kept going on and off in the middle of the night and the AC would go off and it was so hot in the middle of the night! Otherwise great stay!

Leisure Friends

2/10

Poor

09 Oct 2025

Hakeem

Don’t recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Sep 2025

Marc

Incredible view, incredible hotel.

The views are incredible, they almost look photoshopped. I’ve never seen an ocean so blue and sand so white.
The bar staff and hotel crew were amazingly kind, they went above and beyond for us as well as the other guests we met there along the way.
The rooms themself are very modern with a solid WiFi connection and powerful Air conditioning. Plenty of electrical outlets which power both UK and EU plugs. There are plenty of comfortable places to sunbathe and lounge both in and out of the sun. The pool has a few different layers on the edge so you can either have just your feet in the water or your legs or your half body. The hotel also has easy access to the beach via a staircase. There are also a Masai tribe that guard the hotel 24/7 they are Incredibly friendly and will teach you a lot about themselves and the country/community.
One recommendation I make is to always ask the hotel staff to book you a taxi as they can get a good ‘local price’ they make sure you don’t pay too much. Very accommodating people. I would love to return

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Aug 2025

Tasia

I choose Coral Rock because it was an oceanfront, had a restaurant, a party scene, a pool and nice rooms. The staff was friendly and customer service was great. As a solo traveler most importantly I felt safe. The rooms were clean and had everything except a phone, face towels, a refrigerator, conditioner or a TV. Luckily, I didn’t need those things I was there to try the local food as well attempt to rest and relax. If you want to go out in the city you can walk but if you want to go to Paje were it’s more touristy they can help you find a driver and they are pretty cheap they will even wait for you if you ask. The property has many relaxing place chill but on mondays it comes alive. They have a Dj, hookah and food made to order so be ready to dance and make new friends.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

04 Jul 2025

Gilda

Good food, good service, everything was okay except my room door was unlock, despite maintenance service, otherwise excellent service

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Mar 2025

Taj

Wanted something different and quiet from the north side and enjoyed my time here for some rest and relaxation. Going out to the beach in low tide was excellent.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Feb 2025

Lauren

Solo travel

I truly enjoyed my stay at Coral Rock. It was a beautiful intimate location. The staff went above and beyond making sure I enjoyed my trip since I was traveling solo. I loved the design and attention to detail. I’m already planning my return.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jul 2024

Khadiza Jimma

Nice staff, amazing views. Only downside is loud music through monday nights but we were prepared and booked elsewhere for the night but it'd be great if you want to party.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

27 Mar 2021

Joshua

Amazing view and setting. Good food. But loud during the day and night when they have their crazy Mondays.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2021

Verified traveler

Great customer service. Friendly staff. Good food and amenities. Great outdoor space. Enjoyed Monday and wednesday music events.

Business_and_leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

09 Feb 2020

Petroula

Very disappointing

The food was very nice and value for money. The Room was very disappointing.It was not as shown on their website. The entire room was smelling like mold and it was impossible to sleep as the A/C was also not working properly. The price was too expensive for what I got.

Business

2/10

Poor

01 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

The most unique thing was their racism....
Staff went to the same school of racial discrimination...

I have no more words to express my mistreatment.

And them not even wanting to accept that they do have a problem that needs to be properly addressed is a big shame..

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

31 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Idyllic place but power and air condition issues

There was too many issues with power.
Some days power would be there for 10 min and then go off for 2 min and this would continue a whole night.
Every time the air condition would have to be turned on manually. Other nights the power would be there but the air condition was running but not cooling just blowing air.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Wow we loved coral rock. It was beautifully clean. All The Staff are so so friendly. Nothing is too much trouble. The situation is outstanding. Quite a few Maasai on the beach are very friendly and certainly there is minor pester power there but if you say Hapana Asanté which means no thank you, they then stop bothering you. Another tip is to learn some Swahili and use it as much as possible.
The hotel dining is lovely and great food. You have to wait about an hour for your food anywhere you eat which for us we loved because it gives you a chance to relax , take in the surroundings and drink the amazing array of smoothies on offer. This goes for all restaurants. The food is cooked fresh which takes time. The seaweed is no problem certainly this time of year. Ridiculous to expect a hotel to clear the sand in front of the hotel because it is part of the locals revenue.
I would not hesitate to book through Expedia and stay in Coral Rock. The pool is fairly small but beautifully clean and doesn’t seem to get over busy at all. There are plenty of sun beds and umbrellas. Rooms are compact but clean . Good mosquito nets. This time of year we didn’t have malaria tablets and only saw 1 mosi !!! We did use mosquito bands though but didn’t need them. . Please go to Zanzibar support the local economy and don’t forget you are in a 3rd world country so don’t complain and just relax and enjoy.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2019

Che

Great staff. Just wish there was lunch and dinner served at the hotel restaurant.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Oct 2018

Mr l

An Ocean boutique hotel worth a stay

The road leading to the accommodation doesn't really inspired you with hope but once inside you're in another world , the pool is what my partner has wanted for a long time to swim in an infinite pool which so well with the wonderful colours of the sea

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Aug 2018

Isabel

The Coral Rock is a wonderful hotel with a great infinity pool, chairs, and restaurant overlooking the gorgeous Jambiani coast. The hotel was recently changed to new management, and they have done a great job with the place (unfortunately i just dont know what it was like before the new management). The rooms were clean and well done, air conditioning works great, there is wifi at the restaurant, etc. The new (part italian management) also meant that the food was wayy better than my expectations. Overall, we loved our stay there and would absolutely go back.

My one complaint would be about billing and change. The bills often come out different than what you ordered and you can pretty much guarantee that either your bill will be slightly off, they wont have the right amount of change, or that the card reader \"isnt working today but will be back tomorrow\". I have no idea where the money goes, but even when you see them handle the right amount of change from another customer, they wont have change when you need it.

Other comments include: they didn't actually have any of the wind surfing equipment, petal board, or kayaks that other travelers had commented about (and that we were looking forward to)

6/10

Pleasant

26 Feb 2018

Zara

Coral Rock Hotel

Hotel was right on the beach and had a really nice view of the beach. Shame that beach was covered in seaweed so it is a bit of a mission to get in and swim. Swimming pool came in handy then.
I strongly believe they should be clearing the beach in front of their hotel as guests are coming because of the nice, inviting pics they have on their website. When, reality is completely different.
Some of the staff was very polite and helpful.
Room had full working air-con and fan which was more then we expected. But then again, room/bathroom is not like on the pics.
Food was also overpriced.
All in all, we expected to get what we saw on the pics and we got disappointed; would not go back.

4/10

Poor

27 Aug 2017

Lily

Bitter sweet

When we arrived, we were told we had “booked in their sister property Casa Baba” which was obviously not true... (I btw have been asked by booking to rate this hotel not Casa Baba which proves the obvious). So they put us in a cab and sent us to that hotel. Surprise, they had not checked with the driver if he knew where it was and therefore he had no idea where this hotel was located so we ended up asking people in the streets (in the middle of nowhere during the night) until I had to put my roaming back on to find the place - which was actually a self catered secluded villa where we would have stayed completely alone the first night and then shared with random other guests for the rest of the week.... We refused so thankfully we were offered a room in the Coral Rock Hotel (where we had booked in the first place...!!!).
The hotel itself is pretty nice, perfectly located, the rooms are ok, no wifi in the rooms and very bad connection throughout.
Although the staff is chilled and nice, the service is pretty bad to be honest, everything is very slow, the coffee machine was broken and never repaired, our dolphin trip was canceled last minute,...
Overall, I would say that its OK if you are looking for a great location on the beach, good pool, but just be prepared to be very patient and not too demanding.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2017

Verified traveler

Beautiful beach location

The hotel is spread out in seperate small buildings, each with one or two rooms in them which have their own front door. The bed was beautifully made up on arrival with flowers. There was access straight down to the beach, a pool, a hammock, and the restaurant was relaxed and tasty

6/10

Pleasant

28 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

Cozy resort

Very friendly and helpful staff made it a worthwhile experience. Although a small resort, it is set in a very relaxing ambience. Excellent food catered to every palate.

4/10

Poor

21 Feb 2017

Pedro

Nice Hotel but the music...

The hotel and the facilities are very nice. The restaurant is very good. Great seafood and the view from the restaurant is great. BUT they organize parties to attract people from outside the hotel. The music will last until 3 am, after you complain to whoever you can find (I only found the barman among dozens of drunk people, no other staff to be found). Finally could find one of the massai that work for the hotel, not much he could do. I had drunk people screaming and passing by my room until 4am. The taxi drivers waiting for them honking outside.
It is a pity, this could be a great place, especially for people like me that lives in Dar and com often to Zanzibar, but not anymore. That night ruined the stay and the following day was so tired I spent it half slept. i complained to the manager, she apologized, but this is not news for them. Finally, I had to negotiate at night and in the morning to get 3 little bananas for the drive to Stone Town since I was leaving 30 minutes before breakfast time.
It could be one of the best places in Zanzibar if they stop those parties.

6/10

Pleasant

31 Dec 2016

Verified traveler

Meh...

The pool was the best part of this hotel. The food in the restaurant was good and the waiters were very nice. Otherwise I thought it was overpriced. Didn't hate it, didn't love it.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Sep 2016

John

Lovely location, good value hotel, good food.

We enjoyed our stay and the African and Maasai staff were very friendly and helpful. However it would have been nice to have been welcomed by the owners/managers, who made no effort to introduce themselves.
Some simple improvements would make it more comfortable - e.g. a chair in the bedroom, and some indoor soft lounge furniture.

8/10

Excellent

27 Apr 2016

Katie

Beautiful Beach Getaway

We really liked the friendly, helpful and easygoing staff. That really made our stay very very nice. We wanted to get away from Dar for a few days and Coral Rock was a perfect spot to do so. The infinity pool looking over the ocean was very relaxing (and well maintained). The room was clean and beautiful with a lovely view. We enjoyed their DJ on Saturday night and the activities they arranged for us (namely swimming with the dolphins - everything was well organized). We also felt that the staff were very accommodating, which we appreciated. The only thing I would say that Coral Rock is lacking in, is good food. The menu ideas are very nice but the execution is average...we just think they could really take this place to the next level with an inspired chef.

4/10

Poor

06 Jan 2016

Verified traveler

Needs TLC

Poorly run hotel. Has a lot of potential. Food is good but very very slow. Management did not make an effort with guests & staff customer service was below average.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

05 Oct 2015

Lynn

Few glitches but still a little spot in paradise

This hotel is in the perfect location for gorgeous views of Jambiana and the lovely blue sea. My room had a lovely sunken bed and a private roof terrace. It was let down by odd things like having cups but no kettle in the room - I was told I had to ask for a tea pot of hot water! Also, when I was shown the room it clearly only had sugar, and no tea or coffee in it. The receptionist saw this, but did nothing to top up my supplies. When I told another member of staff later they told me I was lying! Just an odd little disappointment. Breakfast was a bit basic as well, but all in all I could put up with all this due to the beautiful location

8/10

Excellent

05 Jul 2015

Verified traveler

Lovely

Quiet as well as things to do at night if you want. Lovely pool. Great sand and waters, plenty of places to eat along the beach. Lovely spot

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Apr 2015

Verified traveler

Amazing hotel and friendly staff

Staff were very friendly and helpful. The pool was really nice. Location on the beach was perfect. Although the tide was out for a few hours each day if didn't impact on our stay.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2015

Amelia

Excellent Hotel.. Wanted to cry when I left!

This was one of the best vacations I have EVER been on! After the first day I spent in the cozy hotel, I didn't want to leave for the rest of the trip. The hotel staff was extremely accommodating and they were quick to help out with any of our requests. The food at the restaurant was amazing. My friends and I enjoyed everything on the expansive menu that we tried, and cleaned our plates every time. I would recommend doing the full-board option which includes meals because you won't want to eat anywhere else. Would recommend this hotel to anyone and can't wait to go back!

10/10

Exceptional

08 Apr 2015

Megan

Would 100% recommend this hotel to anyone looking for somewhere to stay in Zanzibar!
Perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the world. The hotel offers activities for guests to do over their stay (kite surfing, kayaking etc..), they even helped us find a place to do paddle boarding as they couldn't offer it to us. But you could literally spend all day every day in the resort and be happy! Don't even bother trying to find somewhere else to eat your meals, the food is AMAZING. It's a bit of a wait for the food (generally about an hour or sometimes more when it's busy) but i'm told that's how it is in Africa in general, but you wont be disappointed! Just order about an hour or so before you think you'll be hungry and you'll be okay! prices are really good too.

The managers, Phillip & Castian (Sorry, don't know how it's spelled!) were just amazing guys and a great help to us throughout our trip, whatever we needed to know or wanted to do they helped us out as much as they could. Genuinely couldn't have asked for two nicer guys to be running the hotel, were sad to leave them by the end of our week there. The other staff were amazing too.

4/10

Poor

23 Nov 2011

Alex

Beautiful place, shame about the management

SadlY the management of this hotel left a little to be desired.
The general hotel staff were great, and the beach was beautiful.
It just seemed to be run by a less than enthusiastic, largely absent set of senior staff that were definitely not 'on the ball'.
Hotel has a lot of potential...but we'd give it a few years and see what happens.

8/10

Excellent

13 Nov 2011

Diana

Coral Rock Hotel

This hotel has a dramatic location on a clifff overlooking the Indian Ocean where the change between low and high tides was amazing. The lounge chairs, hammocks and other seating was in the shade providing a delightful spot to read and relax. The restaurant served a variety of different cuisines all of which were well-prepared.
A major drawback was the distance from Stone Town and any shops or conveniences. Moreover, some of the amenities such as shampoo and lotions were missing, but could not be purchased due to the lack of shops nearby.
Overall, we spend a relaxing and pleasant 4 days at the Coral Rock and would recommend it with these caveats.

8/10

Excellent

10 Oct 2011

Verified traveler

Great Hotel

This is a beautiful and scenic location though slightly far off from the city. The rooms overlook the ocean and it quite breathtaking. I had a very comfortable stay. The rooms are nice and comfy except for one small thing - the toilet did not flush properly in J2 ..hope they get it fixed. Apart from this everything else was perfect. This is a place to unwind , relax and do some quiet reflection. You will have to travel a bit as stonetown is pretty far off.

8/10

Excellent

25 Oct 2010

catherine

Coral Rock Beach

Relaxed laid back - we never left this compound and enjoyed the peace and tranquility here - there is certainly more to do than we did as we had just come from a Kilimanjaro climb and were utterly exhausted and this place was just right. We went snorkelling and this was amazing - live coral! - its a nice place to stay for a few days

2/10

Poor

27 Feb 2010

Verified traveler

Nice surroundings - poor management and service

This is a really nice place, no beach but it has a nice location on the rocks above the ocean. The problem is that there is very little service to go along with the quaint surroundings. There is no reception service (there is a desk but never anyone there), no housekeeping that I could identify, and no clear indication of who is responsible for what. (Good luck if you need a clean towel for your bathroom). Basically the place is run by a few well-meaning, but clueless, young men who run it like a campsite - quiz night is important but keeping rooms clean is not so vital. The local staff are friendly but poorly trained (and therefore unable to make up for their hapless managers).

8/10

Excellent

04 Oct 2009

Mujahida

Beautiful Location

Very beautiful location, great price. Very accomodating staff.

8/10

Excellent

24 Aug 2025

Joakim

Dont go here on a Monday

Very nice hotel next to the beach, friendly staff.

But dont go here on a Monday! We have stayed at noisy hotels in bar streets before, but this was something else. The hotel is literally a nightclub on every Monday, where it is impossible to sleep. Our holiday was ruined because of that. Would be nice to be informed before we booked our stay and not on our arrival.

Except for Mondays, great hotel!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Nice stay at Coral rocks

Overall the stay was good, staff was friendly and breakfast was good. Some maintenance to the premises wouldn’t hurt and maybe a bit bigger menu would been nice but there are other good dining options near by. Pool is nice and cleaned every morning, they arranged good taxi (Bino) that took us to Jozani forest. All in all the stay was good and the view from the restaurant/breakfast area is amazing.

Friends_and_family Family

2/10

Poor

01 Nov 2023

Bertrand

A eviter

Hôtel à éviter si vous cherchez la tranquillité. Nous sommes malheureusement arrivés un lundi et ce jour là c’est « party », musique à fond jusqu’à 4h du matin (on ne sait d’ailleurs pas pour qui car il n’y avait personne à l’hôte). Concernant les chambres, nous avions au départ une très belle chambre avec vue sur mer sauf qu’il a plu et que la chambre a rapidement été inondée à cause de fuite sur le toit. Nous avons eu une deuxième chambre dans laquelle nous ne sommes pas restés non plus car l’éclairage ne fonctionnait pas. Nous avons donc eu une troisième chambre où là c’est la climatisation qui ne fonctionnait pas… bref nous devions restés 2 nuits et sommes partis dès le lendemain matin. A noter que l’hôtel a tout de même fait le geste de nous offrir le dîner de la veille. Dommage qu’il y ait autant de dysfonctionnements car l’hôtel a une très belle vue sur la mer et une belle piscine

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Oct 2023

Ulrika

Dåligt wifi

Allt bra förutom dålig wifi-täckning

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jan 2023

Lara

Top! We had a very good stay there and the people were absolutely friendly.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

A beautiful hotel with an amazing view of the Jambiani beach. The pool is amazing and it serves well when the tide is low. The rooms are good, could be improved but the cleaning service was on point. They provide beach towels as well and take good care of their guests. In the complex of the hotel there is an italian restaurant as well whose personnel I cannot recommend enough. We had breakfast there almost every day and lunch and dinner couple of times. The food was delicious.
Overall, a great experience and I would love to go back. If not for else, the view from the hotel was out of this world.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

14 Aug 2019

YANN

Séjour agréable.
Attention des yaxes de séjour de 9 dollars par jour par personne sont à rajouter.
Petit-déjeuner 13 dollars.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Oct 2018

Nils

On the Rock

Stedet svarte til navnet. Eksotisk å spise på en klippe rett over bølgene som slår mot klippene rett under deg. Stor forskjell på flo og fjære, noe som gjør at du må planlegge bading og turer på stranden.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Laatste dagen van onze vakantie super afgesloten!

De laatste vier nachten van onze rondreis door Tanzania en Zanzibar hebben we hier afgesloten. In het begin waren we wat huiverig omdat we slechte recensies lazen, deze bleken echter te gaan over de kwaliteit van het hotel voordat er een nieuwe eigenaar in het hotel zat. Wij werden hartelijk ontvangen het spraken ook meteen met de nieuwe eigenaar. Zij heette ons warm welkom en we kregen een rondleiding door het complex. Coral Rock is een kleinschalig complex, waardoor je je er meteen thuis voelt. Het is een prachtig hotel, met een super uitzicht op zee. Heerlijk gegeten in het restaurant, waar heerlijk seafood en Italiaans op de kaart staat.

6/10

Pleasant

08 Sep 2018

Verified traveler

Schönes Hotel mit schönem Ambiente. Nettes Personal und saubere Zimmer, allerdings lies der Wunsch nach Fließend Wasser zu wünschen übrig

4/10

Poor

09 Aug 2018

ROMAIN

La médiocrité de la nourriture...

L’hotel est bien situé et le personnel est charmant. En revanche, notre air conditionné était cassée et surtout la nourriture est lamentable ! Nous avons mal mangé le midi et le petit déjeuner est une honte !
L’hotel ne vaut vraiment pas le prix demandé !

Partner