Al Johari Hotel & Spa

Tanzania , Zanzibar
Zanzibar, Shangani Street, 116
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75 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

31 Oct 2025

Joseph

Room cleanliness

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

03 Jul 2025

Mr S

Great location, amazing architectural history

A wonderful hotel, fabulous location, bristling with architectural history - a stunning building.

On the room - there was no safe; bed too big for the room layout (a big bed is a good thing); the mattress was a bit \"tired\"; TV channels poor - needs DSTV ..... otherwise fabulous

Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2025

Andrew

I paid circa $50 for one night here on a work trip. For that price I think it was a complete bargain.
Location is great, no night clubs / chickens crowing next door so quiet. I didn’t have breakfast there so can’t comment on food (so many choices within a 5-10 min walk).
This is not a luxury hotel like a Hyatt or Serena. Instead it’s bursting with Stone Town character, amazing location, nice bed and bathroom with lovely staff. Will stay again and willing to pay a little more.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2025

Daniel

Lovely staff, great location, Puzzle Coffee across the street

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2024

Hubert

Great location

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2024

Zakaria

Great hotel

10/10

Exceptional

23 Oct 2024

Zakaria

Great location and great staff.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jul 2024

Jawahar

This is a unique property in the Stone Town area of the Zanzibar, close vicinity to the Forodha Park , the hotel is quiet and gives you a feel of the ancient times a great break from the new modern hotels

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

12 Jan 2024

Muhammed

Room was so tiny it shouldn’t class as bedroom

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2023

Abraham

Great experience. Great staff and clean rooms. Nice location

Business

4/10

Poor

29 Jul 2023

Azouz

This place is a rip off. Be aware that they will charge you extra if you pay online under the excuse of “taxes”. It’s only hotel in Zanzibar that does that. I never had to pay any extras for taxes in any other hotel during my 10 days stay in Zanzibar . The hotel is also too expensive. True it’s clean, but still overpriced.

8/10

Excellent

09 Apr 2023

Nitzan

Building obviously has interesting history.
AC was very nice.
No hot water, but we didn't ask them to check so maybe we missed something

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

15 Feb 2022

Nuru

Despite paying for the booking well in advance, upon arrival I was told that there was no vacancy and that the hotel was fully booked. The manager was not on site and the front desk was unmanned for extended periods.

Eventually spoke with the manager who expressed her regret for the situation but everywhere in Stonetown was fully booked so I ended paying for a room at another property that was 5X's the price.

Leisure Friends

2/10

Poor

22 Aug 2019

Murtaza

Day receptionist is rude, arrogant, and a liar.

Broken door.. as in there was no metal piece and the entire wood for the lock for chipped off and tried to glue back in type of broken. Bad customer service from the day receptionist. Blamed us and lied to us about 3 different things. THREE!!! ...and wifi never works inside the room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2019

Holly

Excellent

Very clean. Lovely staff. One minor point WiFi didn’t work in our room, but overall a great stay and central location.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

17 Mar 2019

J Dallas

Good place to cool off but lacking some details

We really enjoyed the hot shower and air conditioning. The room was very small for the price. Decent but lacking in details.

Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Mar 2019

linda

Great rooftop

Comfortable, charming, great rooftop restaurant with views of the Indian Ocean

4/10

Poor

07 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

Great location in Stone Town, with decent breakfast included (juice, pancakes, fruit, potatoes, eggs, etc.) and good AC. But it is in desperate need of an update: the white towels have gone grey/brown, the sink leaked so the bathroom floor was always wet, and the shower head had fallen down so it pointed back into the wall. The first night they gave my room to someone else, and then required me to move rooms between 10-12 the following day, which impacted my plans. When I complained, they were apologetic but refused to provide any compensation. We checked out early.

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

07 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

The entrance copper lions were the only thing i liked.
Gave us a horrible room with filthy old towels.

8/10

Excellent

20 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

I loved the atmosphere of the hotel. It goes well with historical town of Zanzibar. The staff is wonderful, friendly, kind and accommodating.

The only suggestion is to update mattresses and pillows. Our mattress felt worn out, and pillows were hard to sleep on. Other than that the stay was very pleasant.

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

The owners wife was a delight, I had a nice stay and the food was great

8/10

Excellent

05 Nov 2018

Verified traveler

Good value for money

For the price this is great accommodation. Clean and comfortable with friendly staff. We chose to stay here due to proximity to the dive school we were diving with. Otherwise we would have chosen a different location. There isn't much in the area other than being close to the Grand Mosque and the Chedi. Easy enough to get taxis from the main road (3 minute walk). On the first day reception organised taxis for us but we quickly realised this was a far more expensive option.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Aug 2018

Shabir

Impressive Service

Wonderful place, great location, extremely friendly, accommodating and smiling staff.

Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Aug 2018

Serge

Friendly and helpful staff. Small hotel. Personalised assistance.

Loud neighbours after 10 PM, at least the side of the hotel where our room was located.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2018

Farida

Convenient location. Polite and friendly staff. Always ready to help. Lovely breakfast. Enjoyed hibiscus juice every morning. Clean rooms. Very comfortable bed. air conditioner in room. Will come again.

8/10

Excellent

27 Jun 2018

Verified traveler

Honesty

I am very disappointed at the honesty of the hotel. comunication was made to expedia was made that we checked in early which was not the case. and we paid n extra night of which a refund was expected only to be told that the hotel communicated with expedia saying we checked in the actual day n not following day. we have receipts and tickets to prove it. we are not impressed with the honesty of the staff in this case.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

Good stay

The hotel is good has a view of the sea in the roof top. Rooms are clean

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2018

Barry

Recommended

I had an enjoyable time, and appreciate the many efforts of the staff to make everything just right. This hotel is well situated and within walking distance of some beautiful cafes and shops. Its design and decor offer a glimpse of another time and left me with some strong memories and impressions.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

The hotel staff were lovely and really accommodating! The rooms were cleaned each day and the breakfast was so good!!

6/10

Pleasant

05 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

Good location

Good location not very far from ferry terminal and town, good and helpful staff, Bath room needs some upgrade, there was music noise till late night not sure where it was coming from. The view from the room was unpleasant to look at the rubbish and gutter in the adjacent building. Breakfast was ok.

8/10

Excellent

25 Dec 2017

Michelle

Close to major tourist sites

Only negative was no elevator, and the breakfast is on the top floor. Other than that, kind/helpful staff and great breakfast! Hibiscus tea every morning :)

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2017

Margaret

Conveniently located in Stone Town

Situated in centre of old Stone Town with narrow alleyways around it so no traffic noise! ATM nearby and travel/tour operators also near offering Prison Island and tortoises tour $14US instead of $40US offered at hotel! As are Spice Farm and Jozani Forest with red colobus monkey tours
Quaint old -style hotel with rooftop restaurant and bar. Breakfast served at table & thankfully not the usual cold congealing buffet!
Had dress made for $30 US including material at shop opposite hotel entrance.

10/10

Exceptional

31 Aug 2017

Sophie

Great Hotel and Service in Stone Town

Was such a great find! The service was excellent, the included breakfast was huge and good, and the staff was willing to go out of their way to help us with any problem. Try out the restaurant, it has only recently re-opened under new ownership and hasn't completely picked up steam. Loved the room, the bathroom was very nice for the area. The location was prime if your goal is to walk out the door and get lost in the maze of Stone Town. We organized two tours - city tour and prison island tour- through the hotel and got wonderful private tours by amazing tour guides, paying less than the typical prices found online for tourists. Wi-fi is only really strong enough to use in hallways, common areas, and not your room, which is typical for hotels in Stone Town. Would recommend this hotel to ever the most discerning of my friends!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Aug 2017

Einstein

Nice Hotel in Great Location in Stonetown

The stay at Al Johari was awesome. The first two days were not very pleasant as we had to keep asking for extra towel and robe since there was two of us.

The last 7 days of our 10-day stay were awesome as the room was cleaned nicely every day and our clothes folded and arranged. Everything expected was provided. There was a club nearby which was playing loud music right into our room but when we closed the windows it was quiet enough. We liked the music so was not too much of a bother.

The Restaurant manager Mohammed was very good even took into account my Gluten Allergy and made three different gluten free breakfast alternatives for me. The staff at the restaurant were also very polite and quite hospitable.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

Good location and friendly staff

Cozy hotel with a good location in Stone Town. We booked a room for 3 adults, but when we arrived we got a room with a doublebed. They wanted to charge us 20 US dollars extra for a extra bed in the room, but eventually decided that we could get the extra bed for free.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Oct 2016

Tshiunza

Great value and great location!

This was a last-minute find, but much to our surprise, this was one of the most conveniently located hotels on the island. It is right around the corner from shopping, 2 popular clubs, and great dining. You can walk to the ocean, get street food, and see historic sites very easily. Not sure what some of the negative reviews are about--this is a wonderful Stonetown spot!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2016

Paul

Great value for money. Hotel is really nice , great location. Rooms are spacious, very clean and fresh. Was really happy with choice of that hotel.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Oct 2016

Joe

Great hotel

Staff was extremely helpful

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

08 Sep 2016

Parita

Basic hotel

Was the cheapest I could find in the area through hotels.com, it was central to stone town and markets. Breakfast could have been better rather than limiting on what you can have.

6/10

Pleasant

20 Feb 2014

Giles and Paul

Very central and accessible

We booked a room for 2 adults with twin bed but on arrival there was not such facility,only a room with a double bed ,so not confortable or practical for 2 Adults!

2/10

Poor

06 Jan 2014

Verified traveler

Don't trust the cleaning staff

All around, the place is nice, but at the. End of our stay, over $1000 in three different currencies was taken from two different hard to find places in our baggage. One wad locked with a small lock, so hard to believe, but true. We would recommend not leaving any valuables in the rooms, this has happened many times at this place we have learned. Good luck!

8/10

Excellent

24 Dec 2013

Andrew

Traditional Setting

Hotel has great ambience with traditional stone town feel.

Family

6/10

Pleasant

08 Sep 2013

Verified traveler

Toilet not working properly, bathroom poor/shabby repair work, shower head holder broken, noisy but good location and bed room menu did not match restaraunt menu.

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2013

Verified traveler

The price was right and the location was great. The building and room were nice and I had no problem walking from here to all of the places in stone town I wanted to go.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2013

Verified traveler

beautiful place with great people

I highly recommend this beautiful, boutique, and affordable hotel located in a centre of Stone Town. I stayed there for 3 days in Dec 2012 in a Deluxe Single room. The room was small but very nice and clean, with beautiful bathroom, stylish furniture, hot water, TV (which I didn't have a chance to watch#, and perfectly working AC. The hotel itself is very beautiful with oriental interior, gorgeous paintings, and awesome rooftop restaurant which can easily compete with famous Hurumzi place.The waiters were very polite, smiling and very attentive, food is delicious #really mean it#.
The staff at the front desk, especially Ali Salum, went out of their way to accomodate my every need. At one point, I complained about the noise from the street and I was immediately relocated to a different room. Moreover, my flight was in the evening #check out time is 12 noon) and, when I asked about any place to refresh myself, the let me use the massage room. Everthing was done with a smile and great attitude.
It's an awesome place with great people.
I thank you, guys, again, for making my stay in Zanzibar so pleasant!!!
Thanks, Ali!!!
Warm regards,
Izabela

6/10

Pleasant

30 Dec 2012

Stephen

Run down but close to sights

When it first opened in 2008 this must have been a very nice hotel but is now rather run down. Dead plants in bar. No air con in dining room. Food OK but found 'catch of the day' was in fact frozen. My room was supposed to be overlooking courtyard but all rooms face street. Shame. Could be nice again with little effort.

8/10

Excellent

04 Oct 2012

Mohamed

Great Budget Hotel

The hotel is located in the stone city, although it's not the best location but probably this would fit for a budget trip. The hotel lies in an area you feel the mystery of the city and the history of it. The room is acceptable although it needed some fix like the shower curtains. The roof restaurant serves excellent food and the staff are extremely friendly and can assist in planning your vacation. Taxis are way too expensive but this is mainly due to fuel prices, a liter is 1.6$ roughly !!!

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2012

Carmen

Great location

Great location, good service and excelent english breakfast.
We staied one week in the Johari and we found it a good selection, it was as living in the past time in Zanzibar. Zafari blue, tour of spices, slaves caves and prison island, museums, a lot of place to visite and enjoy the peaceful spirit of this island.

6/10

Pleasant

03 Sep 2012

Verified traveler

Great location, weird hotel

This hotel is in a great location (near Forodhani and lots of the highlights of Stone Town), but the hotel itself leaves a bit to be desired. We checked into our room (for 3) to find that the air conditioner was frozen and spit out ice (on the roll-away bed) whenever we tried to turn it on. We asked the technical staff to take a look, but they recommended we just leave for several hours to give it a chance to thaw.

Also, the bathroom had been set up for one guest instead of three. So we had to ask for extra towels and bathroom items.

The staff were generally awkward and hard to approach. They seemed like they preferred not to be bothered.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Jul 2012

Bibiti

Comfortable hotel for adults, not for children

The Hotel is conveniently located at Stone Town, it is right next to the mosque if you don't mind being woken up by Muezzin (call for the prayer) every morning at about 5 you will be fine, the prayers last less than 5 minutes.
The bedrooms are comfortable, bathrooms are good but due to salty water the taps are eroded. I had a premium room with huge bath and what was supposed to be a jaccuzi didn't have time to use it and I don't think it worked...getting in the bath was like trying to climb Mt Kili, it was so high:(

There is no lift so if you happen to have a top room on the 4th floor you need to be fit!
Dining area is at the top with beautiful view.

6/10

Pleasant

25 Jul 2012

Verified traveler

Great value

We were welcomed late at night by friendly staff. Rooftop restaurant was still open. Unfortunately night staff incorrectly delivered a wake up call at 4am. A great place to base yourself while in Stone Town. Rooftop great for a drink at sunset and not as busy as other nearby hotels.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2012

Verified traveler

Amazing property in the heart of Stone Town

When I decided to visity Stone Town, I wanted to stay in a smaller boutique hotel that represented the culture and style of Zanzibar. The Al Johari exceeded my hopes and expectations in every way. There was ample space in my Jr. Suite room. There was also a decent amount of hand-crafted (yet highly functional) Zanzibari furniture, including a beautiful wooden bed. The room was both clean and comfortable. One of my favorite features of the Al Johari was the restaurant on the roof. The bartender must be a mind-reader, because every time he brought me a drink or suggested a meal, it was exactly what I wanted. The breakfasts were also quite good. The hotel's location is very convenient--just a few minutes walk to House of Wonders, Slave Market, ferry terminal, and Sultan's Palace. It takes less than a minute to get to shops and post office on Kenyatta, too. The Al Johari is the only property that I will consider when I return to Zanzibar next year!

4/10

Poor

18 Apr 2012

Lee-Anne

looking a little tired and neglected

This hotel has a great location in Stonetown but the rooms are tired and run down. Some facilities are broken (shower screen, towel racks, wardrobe door) and the windows in my rooms leaked badly during rain leaving the carpet flooded each day. I had to ask for something each day from housekeeping that should have been standard (towel. toilet paper etc). The staff are friendly and helpful and the rooftop resturant and bar are great.

8/10

Excellent

08 Mar 2012

Mike

Al Johari- aka The Jewel

Good location in Stone Town, good clean room, attentive staff.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

22 Feb 2012

Brendan

Good and Bad

The good; The location is very central but be aware there is no pool and Stowntown can get very hot. Technically a nice design in a bouitique kindof way , top top restauraunt and head chef,well worth the visit......
The Bad; My room was infested with bugs and I got bitten to bits,had to change rooms twice.

Overall , good stay but too much money for what you get.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2012

Amy

Great place to stay while exploring Stone Town

We stayed at Al-Johari for our very first night on Zanzibar as we wanted to explore Stone Town. The room was clean and comfortable and the staff was exceptionally helpful - even to the point of walking with us down to the Food Market so that we could find our way. The roof top lounge was a great place to eat breakfast with nice views of the ocean. Highly recommend this very sweet boutique hotel in Stone Town.

8/10

Excellent

22 Jan 2012

Francesca

Excellent location

The hotel is slightly overpriced, but the location is great. The sea is at 1 minute walk if you fancy a quick dip and all attractions are within walking distance. The service is good and the staff friendly but discreet. Wi-fi is not accessible from the room (at least, not mine), but the signal is strong and reliable in the lounge/terrace (which is a great place to enjoy the sea view and have a drink). No city map was available from the reception, but staff was happy to give me directions. As a female solo traveller, this is a place where I felt safe at all times.

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2011

Tiina

Soothing Comfort in Stone Town

This wonderful hotel with a well appointed room with a small view of the ocean was sufficiently close for walking the City but removed enough to give a sense of calm and quiet. The food was excellent with sufficient variety. The front staff were welcoming, efficient and most helpful in arranging transportation needs. Will most certainly recommend Al Johari to friends and others!

10/10

Exceptional

26 Dec 2011

Verified traveler

Very good hotel, had a nice stay in Stonetown

Very nice hotel in good location with friendly staff.
PROS
The area where is located is easy to reach and find, opposed to to others that might be in the middle of the city and with the ¨laberinth¨ streets can be easy to get lost or difficult to find them.
The room is very nice, has cable tv, quite specious and good size shower and toilet room.
Dinner in the restaurant is highly recommended and the terrace atmosphere is inviting to sit down and have a drink to relax and plan the day trips.
Has free internet on the terrace, though is a bit slow.
CONS
The email and phone on their website does not work and was impossible to contact the hotel to confirm reservation and ask them to pick us up from the airport.
The shower had a leak and there was water all over the toilet after using the shower.
View from the rooms is not great as is surrounded by very old buildings, but this might be the case of all hotels, except the ones with sea view.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Nov 2011

Cindy

Old World Charm

This hotel had that old world charm that made it unique from chain hotels, but the rooms still had a modern, clean feeling. It was coveniently located close to most sites in Stone Town. The staff was great. A few problems with power and water outages and a slightly leaky shower, but it didn't really disrupt my plans too much. I appreciated the complimentary Internet.

8/10

Excellent

11 Nov 2011

Diana

advantages to Al Johari Hotel

This pleasant remoddeled old house, now a delightful hotel, is located within easy walking distance of the main sites of Stone Town and yet near a carpark as well as the sea. The staff at reception were helpful at arranging taxis and providing useful information.

6/10

Pleasant

27 Sep 2011

Verified traveler

The price is high to compare standard

2/10

Poor

22 Sep 2011

John

Al Johari in Stonetown - September 2011

Definitely not a 3 star Hotel. Our first room had a 30cm crack in shower floor which opened up when you stood on it. The sheets and pillowcases were stained and the dressing gown was filthy. They offered us another room which smelt damp and foul. The next room was a little cleaner however found out late that night hot water did not work and shower screen leaked on every side flooding bathroom floor. Water stains on shower and wall indicated it had been leaking for a long time.
Reception staff not very helpful. Reception area had a foul smell the two nights of our stay.
It needs a lot of maintence and staff who care about it is presented.
Would not recommend.

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2011

Verified traveler

I found the Al Johari to be very comfortable. It is well located in Stonetown making walking around to nearby sights easy. The rooftop lounge and restaurant with a view over the sea was enchanting.However, the best part of my visit was the professional and friendly service provided by all the staff at the hotel.

8/10

Excellent

26 Apr 2011

Kim

Lovely stay at Al Johari

Al Johari is a small boutique style hotel located in a nice spot in Stones Town, Zanzibar. It was perhaps a 1 minute walk to the water, and another 5 minute walk to the shops, etc. The hotel staff was friendly and helpful at all times.
There was a minor problem with my sink (didn't want to turn off), and they immediately moved me to another room so it could be repaired.
The only downfall was that it is quite musty, as are most places on the island, so there is not a lot to do about that I guess - humidity is high.
The special touches such as spiced soaps, lotions and shampoos restocked in the bathroom each day were sweet.
Everything has stairs, the bar and restaurant (AMAZING coconut soup!!) are on the rooftop, so make sure you can climb stairs.
I would recommend this hotel.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2011

Preston

A real gem in Stone Town

Very nice hotel, great location, friendly staff, well kept property.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2011

Mary

Impressive - Al Johari HOtel in Zanzibar Stone Town - Great Find!

Al Johari is well situated in historic Stone Town Zanzibar. I was extremely happy with the level of comfort, in the bed room and the bathroom. I felt very lucky to have chosen this place. Not only was the room comfortable, but the restarant was awesome. Located on the top floor with a fantastic view, the gourmet chef is from India which influences the cuisine of Zanzibar. They have the best wine list in Zanzibar. About $20-24 with all delicous courses.

I checked out other hotels in Stone Town- there is the opulent Serena. In such a poor country, I would never feel comfortable in such luxury. There were a number of hotel with swimming pools - the European tourist hangs around all day long at such places. But I was interested in walking the city to explore the history, museums, and taking the Spice Island Tour. So I want a centrally located hotel close to historic sites, of which there are many, and Al Johari was it. I had a well appointed comfortable room with a high four poster bed and air conditioning, and nice bathroom. The Staff was amazinging friendly and helpful.
Mr. Salum at the front desk took care of my every request and went above the call of duty. I highly recommend Al Johari.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2011

Verified traveler

Al Johari Hotel, Zanzibar Tanzania

The Al Johari is an excellent, comfortable hotel, within walking distance of the ferry port in downtown Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Since Stone Town consists of labrynthian passages and alleyways with no house numbers, the good Al Johari sign on Shanghai Street was a great asset in locating the hotel. The room was very comfortable with western style bathrooms. The hotel features a good dining room and bar on the top floor, with excellent breakfast included. Good value for money. Since Zanzibar is 99% Muslim, bars are not common. The hotel is within easy walking distance of many restaurants, ATMs and an internet cafe, which rents computer use (fast internet access) at about $* per hour. Spice tours and city walking tours can be arranged through the hotel front desk.

Since the hotel is \"vertical\", not recommended for handicapped.

Even though Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, they insist on passport control at the port.

Important if coming by ferry from Dar es Salaam, try to have a local, trusted person buy the tickets for you at the Dar port ticket office. $* extra ($* each way) for first class is worth the money. TRY TO AVOID BEING CONNED BY THE TOUTS AND CROOKS AROUND THE DAR BOAT TICKET OFFICES AND LANDING. The can be very convincing. Only deal with someone INSIDE the offices, no matter how official they sound. Once you have your tickets (preferably purchased in advance), go straight to the boarding gate, watch your valuables and ignore the mob of con artists. The ticket price ALREADY INCLUDES port tax (a frequent con). Tour prices on Zanzibar only cost $* (Tsh 22,500) per person for group tour up to $*for an individualized tour. (another Dar port con).

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2011

GlobalVolunteerIII

This hotel is very comfortable and centrally located in Stone Town

The Al Johari is within walking distance of the boat landing (from Dar Es Salaam), so don't be conned by taxi touts at boat landing. Good sign on Shanghai street helped to find the hotel amongst the \"rabbit warren\" maze of twisting, narrow alleys of Stone Town, Zanzibar. Excellent bar and restaurant on top floor with reasonable prices (Zanzibar is 99 % Muslim, so bars not too common). Accommodations - room, A/C and shower- excellent, especially in light of hot, muggy climate. Located conveniently to low-cost internet cafe and bank ATMs. Very friendly and helpful staff. Excellent breakfast included.

Although not a problem for me, hotel is narrow and multi-floored, so could be problem for handicapped.

6/10

Pleasant

09 Feb 2011

Al Johari

The staff were terrific, responsive, and helpful in all regards. Location is great, as is price. As noted in many other reviews, the shower is a problem -- there is no way to keep water from getting all over the bathroom floor. Other than that, though, good place.

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2011

ajr

Wonderful stay at al Johari

The staff help plan all our day trips which was the highlight of the trip. The manager Salum was incredible!!!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

23 Nov 2010

Lloyd

\"Boutique\" an exageration

This hotel is in the middle of a very run-down area. We had to walk through a narrow, wet and dirty lane to get to the hotel and cars usually blocked the entrance to the lanes. The staff were friendly and helpful but it is an old building recently \"renovated\". It has no lift and our room was up six flights of steps - 58 steps. You need to be fit. The bedroom had air-con and the bed was ok. The bathroom shower leaked and the floor was constantly wet. Water was a problem - salty and impossible to lather. We were allocated two small bottles of water a day and had to buy extra. We needed two large bottles a day because of the hot weather and to wash our hair occasionally.
The restaurant was hot but the food and service ok. Good bar and free Wifi. There are better quality and value hotels nearby. Next time i would pay slightly more for better quality.
But the staff were great. The management just needs to lift its game.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2010

Robert

The Spice of Zanzibar

I was delighted to have secured a booking at what turned out to be excellent hotel, the Al Johari. All the staff were all helpful and naturally friendly and ready to engage in pleasant conversation. On entry the pervading smell of incense added to the atmosphere as did the exotic decor. In short it combined the best of a unique hotel of character with excellent customer service in terms of reception, breakfast and housekeeping. Recommended.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2010

Verified traveler

One night in Stone Town

Spent a night at this lovely hotel before leaving for another hotel at the beach. It is located centrally, the room was nice, the bathroom was wonderful and I loved the rooftoop terrace where we had a coffee at our arrival before we were allowed to check in early. Would recommend the hotel for a short stay in Stone Town and would have loved to stay another day.

8/10

Excellent

07 Oct 2010

David

Good location in Stone Town

I had a good stay here. The staff were helpful and attentive (perhaps over-attentive at breakfast and dinner). The hotel decor is interesting, with various artefacts scattered around a fountain running through the top 2 floors.

The location is in the tourist southern-tip of the island, close to other hotels and seemed safe, although the alleys in Stone Town are narrow. It's very nearby the Barclay's ATM which also has a security guard.

I had a double room to myself which was small but clean. The AC worked (which was great since there are mosquitos in Stone Town) and the shower was OK (better than other hotels I'd stayed in in Zanzibar).

The restaurant wasn't great for dinner and the breakfast was just OK (crusty baked beans I dared not touch). There are lots of great places to eat in Stone Town so it's not a problem.

Overall, good, I'd stay again.