Name: Smiles Beach Hotel
Address: North Coast of Zanzibar; Nungwi, North Coast, Nungwi, Zanzibar, 4222, TZ

10/10

Exceptional

19 Jun 2026

Frances

A quiet hotel with a really nice beach front, walking distance to the busy areas of Nungwi, good restaurants and next to a great sunset bar with live music. I would stay here again!

Self

2/10

Poor

14 Jun 2026

Jules

The whole place was in such disrepair that we ended up having to leave and book into another hotel.
Sorry can’t recommend this hotel - the staff were doing the best they could under such bad conditions and there was a severe lack of managerial support for them so they couldn’t react not having any leadership.
Hence why I can only say that I don’t blame the staff at the hotel for the shambles that it is.
They were friendly and pleasant and helped us actually to move to another hotel.
That I was extremely grateful for.
I cannot send photos as there are too many defects and hazards and flaws to so.
Should someone wish to see the full extent of the disrepair please send me an email address so I can’t send the photos on.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2026

Neive

Think this is a great place to stay for families and couples
I saw they offer a romantic dinner on the beach
I went alone and would say there are more affordable and social options for solo travellers in nungwi
But the location is great it’s not a far walk to main part of nungwi
Staff were very helpful and could arrange transport for you but id recommend just walking 5 minutes into nungwi and you can get tuk tuks for cheaper travel
The breakfast was good lots of options with fresh fruit and eggs cooked to order
I would definitely recommend this place for couples and families but not as much for solo travellers
Still had a great stay non the less

Self

6/10

Pleasant

12 Apr 2026

Brian

Non alkohol hotel

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

13 Nov 2025

Susanne

.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Nov 2025

Donna

Smiles was lovely. Comfortable rooms, ok breakfast, very nice dinners. Always fishing boats to watch when the tide is in. Great swimming beach when the tide was coming and going. I would recommend this small non alcoholic Beach Hotel. Lots of shopping and restaurants just outside their gate. Security was very good.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

03 Nov 2025

KATIA

Too long to get any drink or food from the restaurant - a lot of employees but not efficient, when ordering a drink it took 40 minutes to get something which is very long when you are thirsty, same for the food. No service existing on the beach, neither at the swimming pool. Basically you are ok in the hotel if you do not need anything…

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2025

Abinet Assefa

Staff was attentive, friendly and polite , love the cleanliness of the room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jun 2025

Stephen

Great Location and with friendly and attentive staff

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 May 2025

Niamh

The staff were super friendly. They spent between 45 minutes to 1 hour cleaning our room each day. They would fold our clothes in the wardrobe, line up our shoes and toiletries. I have never experienced cleaning to such depth 10/10. Pool was lovely and it was safe and quiet. Staff genuinely could not do enough. If you are half board food is a set menu for dinner. Only criticism would be sometimes the water would go off for a short period of time. There were the odd power cuts for a few seconds at a time.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2025

Chuma

Also enjoy the idea of a bicycle for anyone to use.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2025

Tosin

We enjoyed our stay! Definitely recommend

6/10

Pleasant

25 Oct 2024

Verified traveler

Great location but lots of noise early in the mornings from somone shouting/talking very loud nearby.

A note for some that alcohol is not sold or allowed anywhere on the premises

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2024

Jefferson

My partner and I stayed for 4 days and we loved! We had a great time. All the staff were ao nice, respectful and kind. From Mohamed who made our check-in to all the other staff, cleaners, kitchen… thank you so much!
The location was very convenient, walking distances to many restaurants, in front of the beach with an incredible view and facilities. I would highly recommend it and would stay again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2024

Thyago

Very good

Amazing! The only negative point is that alcohol is not sold in the bar and restaurant, but we already knew the information

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

17 Sep 2024

Kerrin

We enjoyed our stay at your quaint hotel very much. Walking along the beach was easy. Your restaurant was good and the included breakfast was generous with eggs made on the spot. The pool was wonderful !
We wish there was more light available in the room and the bathroom.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Jul 2024

Meredith

The staff and owner were so incredibly nice and extremely helpful!

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

04 Jun 2024

Troy

Good facilities. Good location. Don't use their taxi driver Mr Fantastic or whatever his name is, to go to Stone Town as he charged me more than originally quoted at the hotel.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2024

MOHAMMAD SAJJAD

Great & friendly staff. Always on hand to meet every need and beyond. Paradise location, would defo book again

10/10

Exceptional

03 Feb 2024

Robert

Our stay at Smiles was one that I would recommend to anyone. Staff food everything was fantastic. One complaint but very minor I would have loved good coffee.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2023

Ann

The accomodation in small villas was very nice. The pool was adequate. The property has lovely comfortable lounge chairs and tables located conveniently around the property. You have to go down steps to the beach but at low tide it was very nice. Captain Big Fish, who was strolling around the property, arranged a fabulous sunset dhow cruise for us at a very reasonable price. A variety of restaurants are nearby along the beach. The only complaint I have is breakfast. Not great food and not much variety.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

25 Nov 2023

Andy

room was very neat and nice with a big bed . Breakfast was not good . Cleaning service was good . area around the pool could be improved .

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2023

Jennifer

Beautiful property. Love the beach front with lounge chairs. All staff were so excellent.

Leisure Friends

4/10

Poor

19 Sep 2023

Beate

Hotel review 09/23-

Overall the hotel was tired and not up to date. The rooms was ok. The location was next to the beach with a nice private sunbathing area. The breakfast was not up to standard except for the egg station. Lack of fruits and always cold coffee. The Hotel should inform the guest about their non alcohol policy, was a big surprise and this tourist site! Recommens the hotel next door offered very good service, excellent food and drinks for tourists.

Business Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2023

Rajat K

Wonderful beach property.Evertything went perfect. Breakfast was excellent. There is a person named \"Fantastic\" who was always there to help you out if need be _'Hakuna Ma ta ta\"

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

14 May 2023

Zainuddeen

We were disappointed about the restaurant. The restaurant definitely needs to be updated regarding the menus. Most of the time had to go next door to have our lunch and dinner.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

17 Sep 2022

Sikander Mohamed

Dinner staff were great. Management didnt allow flexibility .
Otherwise stay was ok

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2022

Jennifer

Love our stay in the perfect location.

I had an amazing time at Smiles Beach Hotel. The staff was very attentive. The bed is HUGE. And every night around 7pm, they come in and set up the mosquito net.

Many choices for breakfast and the location is superb. If you're driving, there's free parking and a bit or dirt road to get there. The only comment I have is how they use a key lock on the outside. I feel it may be a hazard...especially if someone wanted to lock you in the room.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2022

Evelyn

This was a lucky pleasant finding! The staff is super friendly and attentive. The hotel location is great with private area in front of the beach, which is very convenient, compared to other properties we saw in the neighborhood. Wouldn't think twice to recommend this hotel.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

27 Dec 2021

Verified traveler

Unfortunately stole our time at Nungwi

The Hotel was overbooked, so we had to stay at another hotel for one night… Next day we meet up to check in to agreed time, but they were over an hour late, so we had to cancel the trip we were going to that day.
If you order the stay with dinner included, you can’t choose from the regular menu. You can only choose between two dishes.
Nice place and location, but the service dissapointed us.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

03 Oct 2021

Verified traveler

It is muslim hotel (= no alcohol to be served), which would be ok if someone told us before, it is not written also at hotels.com web pages.
The boss/manager of the hotel seems to be kinda strict and sharp to his employees, which we could often see.

Otherwise nice clean hotel, friendly and polite employees. Food was normal.

Not sure if cost vs.benefits is worthwhile.

Partner

2/10

Poor

20 Aug 2021

Verified traveler

Worst experience ever

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Feb 2021

Amanda

Okay for a Short Stay

The service lady checking us in was short and abrupt. She was not friendly and efficient in any engagement with her. The staff at lunch and breakfast were friendly, helpful, and genuinely cared about giving good service. However, the food was average (Hilton is just a few steps away - the majority of us staying at Smiles went there for dinner). The room was comfortable. The door did not close all the way and the safety box was broken. Overall, it was a comfortable stay for one night (not sure I would want to stay longer). And Hotels.com does not tell you this is a Muslim hotel that does not separate practice from the business so they do not offer any alcohol (just be aware as this would have changed a few peoples decision to stay).

Friends_and_family Friends

4/10

Poor

26 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Hotel is more like a 2 star. Old and not well kept. Breakfast was horrible had to go next door to the Hilton to enjoy at least a fresh brewed coffee You would expect brewed fresh coffee even from a 2 star hotel. That did not exist and had to use instant coffee in a pack which I could have done that in my room. I rarely submit reviews but this hotel fooled me and I would have spent little more money and stayed elsewhere.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Feb 2020

Keith

Quiet place wit terrible beach

Place is OK. Nothing great at all, but clean. The beach is terrible and should not be highlighted in the description. I booked this because I thought I could go on the beach and in the water, but for hours the tide exposes the ocean floor and makes the water useless. When it comes in, you have no real beach and the water area is not great to swimming. The place also has no alcohol. The restaurant is very basic and nothing special at all. Nice place to do nothing and relax on a lounge chair, but that is it.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

There was no hot water, the \"sea view\" was there if you sat at the right angle looking out the windows. Was not a huge fan of house keeping spraying for mosquitoes... god only knows what they sprayed. But overall it is an up and coming beautiful location that is under new management. Worth a stay.

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2020

Amos

A relaxing place on the beach in Zanzibar

Decent hotel for the value. Staff was professional, friendly and accommodating. Beautiful location. Quiet and relaxed environment. Excellent Hot Shower with good pressure.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2019

Verified traveler

Great management and staff! I had a wonderful time here, although my stay was quite short. Will be sure to stay here again when I return to Nungwi.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

05 May 2019

Verified traveler

Staff very friendly. Rooms clean. Hotel helped with airport pick up and drop off arrangements.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

20 Feb 2019

TiagoArieira

_Great location, in front of the sea;
_Quiet Hotel next to the vibrant places;

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Feb 2019

Verified traveler

Welcoming staff

Pool doesn't have much shade so surroubdubg tile can be very hot to wall on

Beach baby rooftop bar and restaurant two doors down

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

This place has everything needed for a peaceful stay. It is quiet, secure and located near to other places to party if that is what you want. They can book anything for you that you want to do anywhere on the island at the front desk but they just need to advertise it. As with anywhere in Zanzibar, negotiate down the initial prices. Loved our stay.

8/10

Excellent

30 Nov 2018

Verified traveler

Grounds were not cut. Our first room had mold. They had no problem moving us. For what you pay, we did expect a bit better.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

04 Nov 2018

Pierre

Great vacation at Smiles!

The place was really amazing. Only that might needs some improvement would be the food. One day my wife ordered the tropical chicken salad and it was plentiful and absolutely delicious. The next day, she ordered it again and this time there was less than half the portion than the day before and it really wasn't that good. Except for that, everything was perfect!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

05 Aug 2018

kobi

NO ROOM!!! NO RIDE FROM THE AIR PORT

We orderd a room for 3 people, and we asked the hotel for a car to pick us up from the airport. now car was waiting for us when we arraived, the hotel didn't have our reservations, and there was no available room for is. We had to stay 3 people in a roon for 2. We had to stay in this room for 3 nights, and we didn't get any compensation. The workers of the hotel were very nice, but there was no room for us - and that is the most important thing about a hotel in Zanzibar. The WIFI was not good, and the breakfast was very plain, no diversity in the kinds of food. WE WANT COMPENSATIONS!!!!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2018

Emma

Wish could have stayed longer

Beautiful location. Great pool and beach. Good place to chill and relax. Manager really helpful. Wish could have stayed longer

Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2018

Andrew

Amazing Hotel & Location at Bargain Price

Hotel is located right next to the DoubleTree Nungwi and other luxury beach resorts, sharing the same ocean view and access to the incredible Nungwi Beach. However, the price was a fraction of some of the other resorts around the area, making it a steal for cost in regards to location. The room itself was good, and staff/service was prompt and friendly. The one minor downside would be that the onsite amenities and room quality are not as strong as some other hotels in the area (e.g. DoubleTree). But considering that I never ate at the hotel restaurant anyways, and spent 95% of my time outside on the beach or in the pool, that made little difference to me and further increased the value of the superior pricing at Smiles. Recommended!

6/10

Pleasant

25 Dec 2017

Robert

Lots of space

A bit stuck in the middle - not posh nor cheap and cheerful. Irratic services eg electricity outages are common, restaurant very hit and miss.

Overall a decent, mid range property with lots of space right on the beach, but certainly not worth the $145 rate.

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2017

Jimi

Nice hotel, would recommend

Came to the hotel for a quick stay and was a good place to stay. Nice location, close to all the local restaurants and right on the beach. If you looking for somewhere to stay which is good value for money smiles ticks the boxes.

8/10

Excellent

02 Nov 2017

Federico

A nice stay

The location is amazing even if the best part of Nungwi Beach extends towards the west, but is easily accessible with a walk on the beach itself. Many restaurants are in a close reach and all offer a nice service and good food. Only black spot of the area are the \"beach boys\" who try to sell any kind of trips and possibilities, some of them are really annoying and invasive and a few are even dishonest. Because of this it's sometimes difficult to have a relaxing and peaceful walk on the beach unless you get escorted by the Masai who are proud to protect you from these people and guarantee a kind of safety on the beaches. The rooms of the hotel are really nice, comfortable and clean and the whole personnel is really smiling and welcoming. Breakfast is average, could be easily improved, with a wider choice of continental breakfast or the possibility to have a espresso coffee. As a general overview though Smiles Beach Hotel is a facility that I would suggest to anyone.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2017

Ana

Perfect location on the beach

Great hotel, on the beach front. Staff and owners were exceptionally hospitable, which made our stay even better.
Amazing value for money, highly recommend staying at smiles hotel!

8/10

Excellent

16 Oct 2017

Jamie

A Very laid back place to spend a few days. Front desk was helpful.

6/10

Pleasant

01 Oct 2017

damerica

Good

Cons: not the best shore but a few minutes walking distance to better ones.
Breakfast was not fresh.

Pros: Very nice view. Nice pool. Really close to the beach. They spray mosquito repelent and closing the nets in the rooms every night.

6/10

Pleasant

12 May 2017

Dimitrios

No value for money

No value for money for this hotel. Although we special request for a double bed room we got twins bed room and the second night we were prepared to sleep on one of those only. No alcohol service in the restaurant and poor breakfast. Good location and willing to service personnel. Poor internet speed.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Feb 2017

Verified traveler

More affordable option at Zanzibar

Great hotel with some nice comforts but more affordable in a very expensive stretch on Nungwi beach. The hotel staff are very helpful and attentive to your needs.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2016

Stamen

Excellent choice for active holiday

More than welcome one!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2016

Sheena

Smiles is amazing!!

Smiles was such a lovely place to stay! We had a triple room and the staff was so helpful. Amazing views right from our room! Asante sana smiles :)

Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 May 2016

brandon

Great hotel near the beach!

I think this hotel I underrated for all it has to offer. Right in beach clean rooms and great price! Highly recommended

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2016

Ahnie

Good hotel for famillies. Amazing beach!

We stayed here with our two young children, ages 1 and 3 for 9 days and had an amazing experience. The beach was fine for the kids- water was very warm and shallow for part of the day, which allowed us to play on the beach. There are also chairs set up further away from the beach where we hung out and played in the sand. The restaurant staff was very accommodating to our family. Hotel staff treated us well and were responsive to our questions and requests for help.
We recommend the Three Brothers tour company next door to the hotel. We took a half day Stone Town tour and Spice tour for $80 USD plus tips (two adults and two children). Definitely highly recommend that, especially the Spice tour. We got to visit a spice farm, have a tour of how spices are grown and harvested, and sample lots of different spices like lemongrass, pepper, and cinnamon.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2015

Shanda

Peace and quiet

I loved Smiles Hotel and stayed there as a solo traveler. I stayed there 3 nights and it was great. I would definitely stay there again. It is a small hotel with 16 rooms. The things I liked about Smiles are its quiet, clean, safe, great wifi, great location and you can enjoy your stay peacefully. It is away from the crowded area which is very good. The staff works hard to make your stay comfortable and are available at anytime if you need assistance. Speak to them as though they are people they will appreciate it and will be even nicer to you. The slim waiter Kassim was very service oriented and helpful. When traveling to a foreign country keep in mine you're in someone else's country and things will not be the same as your home country.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Dec 2015

Verified traveler

A quiet property with an ocean view suite

I have a mixed feelings about this place as I had high hopes based on the reviews that it would be a 4-star stay. I was pleasantly surprised on the condition of the suite, however the next day everything turned for the worse. At 6AM, I noticed there was no water in my suite. I spoke to the front desk about this, and by the time I left the suite, it was 2.5 hours without water. The water issue was corrected by the time I got back later that day, but then my toilet didn't work. I reported the broken toilet to three different staff, and it was broken for two days before the maintenance guy repaired it. I spoke to the manager about this, she apologized and offered me a dinner in lieu of what happened.

There also were two brief power outages, which were manageable to deal with and not relevant to the property's final rating. The wi-fi signal was strong, and one of the strengths of this property for amenities. The property grounds were well-maintained, the housekeeping staff were good, and the complimentary breakfast was decent. The hotel is on the quiet part of Nungwi beach, so you will have to walk west along the beach to get to better restaurants and avoid the seaweed in front of Smiles Beach Hotel.

I like that the property was quiet, although the quality of beach in front of the property, the distance to the popular areas, coupled with the water and toilet problems that impacted my vacation, results in a disappointing 3-star review rating for a hotel that has potential.

8/10

Excellent

21 Aug 2015

Goran

very relaxing holiday

we had great time in the hotel...the area around the hotel and hotel grounds are great, food in the restaurant is great so no need to eat anywhere else although we advise you to check other places as well...waiters are great, always smiling and helpful...

rooms are a bit old but clean...
breakfast could be better

Family

8/10

Excellent

28 Oct 2014

Liezl + Irmgart

Great view and excellent food!

We had a wonderful stay at Smiles Beach Hotel, the view of the ocean and direct access to secluded beach was wonderful. Best of all was the amazing food at the Smiles beach restaurant... We tried different places in Nungwi, but the Smiles kitchen served the best local seafood!! (it takes a bit of time, but freshly prepared excellently crafted meals are worth the wait). Thanks to all the Smiles staff for your wonderful hospitality...

8/10

Excellent

21 Sep 2014

Christophe Blanchet

A good value hotel

A good value hotel in a quieter area of Nungwi. Rooms are really clean. One thing that could be improved, but still is frequent all over zanzibar, is a longer time of hot water for the shower.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

20 Sep 2014

Ad

Relax after Safari

Smiles was a suitable location for our vacation wind down. If you are interested in a little bit of life you might be better to choose one of the other hotels on the strip.

Family

8/10

Excellent

01 Aug 2014

Verified traveler

Great value

Good mid range choice right on the beach with clean, comfortable rooms and friendly staff.

8/10

Excellent

26 Jul 2014

Father and Son

Quiet hotel

Just outside the main group of hotels but within an easy beach walk to restaurants and bars. Activities well organised by the hotel so no need to negotiate everything. Private beach area meant no hassling by the touts.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2014

Verified traveler

Nice hotel close to beach

This is pretty great hotel for the price especially in Nungwi! All the hotels I have checked in Nungwi are too expensive so this is the cheapest one I have. I thought I would be getting what I get for being cheap but to my surprise, this hotel was pretty nice and the beach is right in front of you. You can just walk a few meters and all of the sudden the beach is right there.

8/10

Excellent

01 Jul 2014

Rachel

Lovely hotel in perfect location

We spent 3 days in Nungwi and were really happy that we chose to stay at Smiles. The hotel was simple but perfect for us. The location was fantastic. Not on the busiest stretch of the beach where most hotels, bars and restaurants were but only 5 mins walk away (well lit and felt safe at night) which meant that it was quiet most of the time, but convenient when we wanted to eat at different places. We had a gorgeous view of the beach and ocean from our windows and the room was comfortable and spacious. The breakfasts at the beach restaurant were great too, with a choice of cooked food and fresh fruit and juices. Would definitely stay again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2014

Songbird100

Huge bed

Lovely place perfect location just a few steps to the beach. Plenty of restaurants and bars nearby. The only hotel we stayed in on Zanzibar with wifi in the rooms, and free.Highly recommend for reasonably priced hotel.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jul 2014

Songbird100

Little gem of a place

Everything at Smiles was perfect. So reasonably priced. No alcohol at the beach restaurant but the food was very good, and you can go next door to Doultree Hilton for drinks and meals too...we sat in with the 'all incs' one night and had their lovely buffet. But there are many restaurants and bars along the beach to choose from. It was quite nice to have a t.v to watch a film in bed at night, other more expensive hotels had no t.v. Can't remember the young English managers name but he was really lovely and very helpful. All the staff were lovely in fact. Sundowners at the Polish bar along the beach(can't remember the name) with Bob Marley playing along to the beautiful sunset was quite magical. Had to pay off the police at the police check point leaving Nungwi, that wasn't such a nice experience. But we would definitely recommend and return to Smiles in a heartbeat.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2014

Morgan

Affordable rooms at quaint, beachfront locations.

Loved this place. Ended up extending our stay at Smiles. Great location with white sandy beaches and warm clear water. Room was very basic but a fraction of the price that it would have been to stay next door at Doubletree. Our friends stayed at The Z down road but the location of Smiles was convenient to walk almost anywhere. Would definitely stay again.

8/10

Excellent

10 Jan 2014

Tina Jeon

The hotel staff was very nice and accommadating to our needs. The only gripe I would have is the kitchen is extremely slow, not uncommon to have a 2 hour breakfast because they are so slow.

Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jan 2014

Jennifer Ramsay

cosy paradise with lovely staff and food

Smiles Beach Hotel was in Nungwi, Zanzibar was fantastic! Thanks to all the lovely staff, including Abdul, Abdallah, Amina and all the rest. The food was really nice too - perfect grilled octopus. Thank you, Martin, for the lovely new year's eve lobster dinner. Loved this warm and cosy 16-room hotel right on the beach, nice and quiet but close to the \"action\" of Nungwi. And thanks to Abdullah Aziz of Cholos for hosting a very fun viewing of the Arsenal game! Nungwi is spectacularly beautiful and the people are lovely.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Sep 2013

chris

great place to stay

This hotel is ideal for a quiet getaway . The hotel is under new management and us working to update rooms, restaurant and facilities . We had a brilliant time lazing on the beach chairs, watching the boats and local s going about their day. Security was great and staff were incredibly helpful . I highly recommend Smiles .

Family

10/10

Exceptional

11 Aug 2013

Tomasz

Great people, great place - good value for money

My stay was perfect. Fantastic staff, which made everything to feel like at home. Great location and nice beach.

Family

8/10

Excellent

03 Aug 2013

Susie

Good price for decent accommodations.

The are was expensive. This hotel was the most moderately priced for decent accommodations. The area is polarized. Either very expensive for a great hotel or youth hostels. Smiles hotel was the only one in between the two. The staff was very friendly and extremely helpful. Down the beach was a great dive shop making this hotels perfectly situated for our vacation.

8/10

Excellent

09 Jun 2013

Geri

Great hotel for mid budgets

The hotel were great in organising a taxi to pick us up - it was our first time in ZNZ and we arrived late at night in the dark and paid $50, this is the normal price and it takes just over an hour to get to the hotel but you may be able to barter your way down to $35 but probably not at the airport..

The staff were friendly, there was a welcome fruit juice on arrival. The rooms were spacious, clean, mozzy nets, good air conditioning unit, WIFI, fridge, TV (although I'm not sure if it worked as we didn't try) and a landline telephone.

In the morning we had breakfast, it was perfect for us as we'd come from eating 3 days worth of nothing but carbs on safari, but may not be for others. For starters there are 3 or 4 pieces of fresh fruit and a fresh juice, then for mains a choice of any kind of eggs served with toast or pancakes/french toast and tea or coffee.

The restaurant is also open during the day for drinks and a wide variety of food, no alcohol is sold here however they don't mind you buying it elsewhere and bringing it back.

Location wise at the end of Nungwi beach there is the fishing village then a couple of bars, the Hilton, Smiles hotel then a lot more hotels bars and restaurants carrying on down the beach, unfortunately the tide comes in at about 3pm but you can walk behind or along the beach wall. Smiles has a risen piece of beach with sunbeds (a rariety) so you can sunbathe all day. The location is peaceful but a bit of a walk from the rest of the nightlife..

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2013

Rosemary

Smiles Beach Hotel is Great!

Staff were very helpful. Our room was spacious and air-conditioned. It was low-season, so it was very quiet. We were right on the lovely beach and we had a great time!

6/10

Pleasant

15 Mar 2013

garfield

somewhere in between

it was a so so hotel. not so expensive like the luxurious hotels so not as much amenities either. but also there are a lot more cheaper hotels with what i suspect might be the same conditions. but it is very close to the beach. the staff are friendly and helpful. my only complaint was that the generator wasnt always on when there were power cuts but then its ok. the room was comfortable and there was hot shower and internet. and did i mention that it is very close to the beach?

10/10

Exceptional

27 Feb 2013

Dottie

Best beach ever

One of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. Very peaceful. All rooms have some view of the ocean, but 2nd floor is probably best. The restaurant was very good but the service was outstanding....slow by western standards.. but The friendlieness makes up for that. Staff is willing to cut your market purchased fruit to be consumed in your room or on the beach. It was perfect for us.....

6/10

Pleasant

21 Sep 2012

Verified traveler

Fits the price

Nice hotel, charming houses, but bathrooms require major repairs.

Partner

2/10

Poor

28 May 2026

anissidine

j'ai annuler et signaler ma reservation mais je n'ai jamais été rembourser.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2026

steve

Rigtig dejligt hotel. Beliggende lige på stranden. Super god pool og dejlig strand. Rigtig sødt personale og godt morgmad. Hotellet er alkohol fri som vi ikke vidste da vi bookede det. Alt i alt et godt sted at holde ferie. . Ulemper. Ved Zanzibar er der er Alt for mange store sorte krager der er vildt nærgående og stjæler ens mad hvis man kigger væk .

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

12 Apr 2026

Brian

Non alkohol hotel

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2026

Alexandra

Fine rom med utsikt mot basseng og strand. Likte svært godt at hotellet hadde eget privat strandområde, slik at vi fikk være i fred fra selgere. Maten var ok.
Hadde veldig svak dusj, men ellers fornøyd med rommet.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2026

Frank Robert

Was a bit worried due to the negative reviews but I can’t say anything than this was very very good. Comfortable beds, basically on the beach (the pictures ain’t lying) and the staff were very helpful and kind.

Negatives: It’s a dry hotel. No alcohol. But you have amazing restaurants just 50 meters.
I also thought they were difficult to communicate with before my stay. No answer on my email to them. They responded on WhatsApp after a couple of days.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2026

Bruno

O quarto era muito bom, banho bom, comodidades (café, água, chá, toalhas de praia/piscina). Estacionamento. Café da manhã muito bom, com uma vista linda. Equipe atenciosa. O hotel é excelente e bem localizado (a única ressalva que faço é que não vendem bebida alcoólica, aos contrário dos hotéis vizinhos). Vale a pena voltar a se hospedar, lugar é lindo!

Partner

8/10

Excellent

13 Dec 2025

Christian

Beskrivelsen er misvisende mht Ocean udsigt, det er kun fra altanen, og ikke fra værelset.
Meget overrasket over at alkohol ikke var tilladt. Det fandt jeg ingen steder i beskrivelsen. Når jeg holder ferie vil jeg gerne have adgang til en øl og vin.
Snackbar.. det kan man ikke kalde det.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 Oct 2025

Preemnath

Niet waard voor de prijs.
Prive strand was goed en restaurant de strand maar weinig keus.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Oct 2025

Kevin

Top Hotel, das Beste in Nungwi. Super Lage, freundliches und hilfsbereites Personal.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Oct 2025

Stefanie Babette Maria

.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2025

Marit

Very good service and clean! Quite and good beds.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Sep 2025

Sander

Great place to stay for a holiday!

- Nice and clean room with an amazing view
- Friendly staff
- Great housekeeping
- Perfect location
- Breakfast is good, fresh fruit/juice, omelette and all kinds of other warm and cold options.

Would definitely recommend to visit.

Self

6/10

Pleasant

29 Jul 2025

Ingela

Ingber

Maten i restaurangen gick inte att äta. Frukosten var katastrof. Så när det regnade som värst, hade det varit det enklaste alternativet för att få mat. Vi var hellre utan mat tyvärr, stranden var inte alls som den ser ut. Kendwa är mycket mycket finare att bo på. Vi hade otur med försenad regnperiod, men nej inget jag skulle vilja åka tillbaka till. Vi gjorde många fina utflykter, men vädret var bara med oss till 40%

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2025

Sisser

Great value for money!

Fantastic 3 star hotel in Nungwi!
Great location in a quiet part of Nungwi. Private beach area with no salesmen. BEAUTIFUL outdoor area! Very kind employees from Reception to Spa, cleaning and Restaurant. Rooms are spacious with sufficient room for 3 big single/queen beds and luggage without it feeling crammed. Simple interior but we were only in the room for sleeping and it had good nets thst was prepared each night. Did not see one single mosquito inside. Bedsheets clean but with a few permanent stains. No issue for us as felt clean. No noticed electrical fall-outs - I think they have a generator.
Only awareness point is that the door lock is very simple: from outside you lock with a small padlock (but there is a safe in the room). From inside there is a simple slide lock (toilet door style) that barely locked in our room - a simple push would have opened the door.
Given guard on the premises I felt safe with just a suitcase in front of the door but preferably the lock had been a bit more solid. Does not change the conclusion: AWESOME hotel. Hope to return another time.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

29 Dec 2024

Verified traveler

Fantastisk beliggenhet, men dårlig service

Hotellets beliggenhet er virkelig fantastisk, med en nydelig strand og utsikt! Solsengene er komfortable, og de store parasollene gjør det enkelt å slappe av i skyggen.

Dessverre var servicen, særlig i restauranten, en skuffelse. Med et navn som «Smiles Beach» hadde vi forventet en mer vennlig og imøtekommende atmosfære. Gjennom hele uken vi bodde her, opplevde vi svært lite smil og gjestfrihet fra personalet som serverte oss frokost og middag. Dette stod i kontrast til den generelle vennligheten og imøtekommenheten vi ellers opplevde fra lokalbefolkningen på Zanzibar.

Frokosten var også ujevn i kvalitet, noe som gjorde måltidene mindre hyggelige enn forventet.

Alt i alt har hotellet stort potensial, men servicenivået, spesielt i restauranten, må forbedres for å gi gjestene den opplevelsen de håper på.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Dec 2024

Irmgard

Das Frühstück ohne Eier und ohne Käse fand ich nicht gut.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2024

Verified traveler

Hotellet serverar ingen alkohol. Kan vara bra att veta. Går enkelt att gå till restaurangerna vid sidan av om man vill beställa.