Melia Zanzibar
Melia Zanzibar is an all-inclusive resort with lush greenery, palm trees, lily-filled fountains, and a long white sand beach. The lobby is sleek and stylish, with a few plush sitting places and a luxury, living room-like vibe that contrasts sharply with the thatched, open-air halls seen in many Zanzibar resorts. Although there are amenities for business visitors, the majority of the customers are leisure tourists, such as couples and families with children. Despite its family-friendly ambiance, the mood is calmer than other family-friendly establishments.
It is owned by a Spanish hotel firm with a worldwide presence. It includes an extensive beachfront with a private pier and a second private beach 1km south of the leading hotel complex, located on Zanzibar’s east coast, 4km north of Kiwengwa. This sprawling resort caters to both pleasure and business travelers.
You drive up to the hotel’s main lobby, reception, art gallery, and library on the first floor, overlooking the manicured gardens and the ocean beyond. Marble-tiled flooring and dramatic water features abound. A shoe shine machine, as well as jewelry and hobby stores, are available. You can see what I’m getting at.
One of Expert Africa’s principal excursion and transfer partners in Zanzibar, Fisherman Tours, has an excursion program desk below. The Melia Zanzibar features 124 rooms, including 110 standard rooms, seven villas, and seven pavilions, including satellite TVs, minibars, tea and coffee makers, bathrobes, and digital safes. Except for the pavilions, all rooms include jacuzzis and an outdoor shower.
Wi-Fi is available throughout the resort, and printouts of the Melia News, a Melia group newspaper that compiles international news for visitors, are available in all public spaces.
At Melia Zanzibar, there are several restaurants: the main restaurant, Spice Market, which serves a buffet-style menu and has evening entertainment; Aqua, which serves a set menu from 7-10 pm; the Pool Bar; the Jetty Restaurant and Bar, which requires a reservation and is open from 7-10 am and from 5 pm-1 am (there’s a DJ here from 9.30 pm on Wednesday and Sunday); and The Level, which is a lunch venue for premium guests only (others can eat there). A business center and three meeting rooms are also available at the hotel.
There are several activities available in Melia Zanzibar. The Amphitheatre hosts yoga and fitness programs, which look out over the beach. A children’s club, a 60-meter outdoor leisure pool, tennis and basketball facilities, and table tennis are also available. The Beach Club at Gabi Beach is where you may go snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, boat trips, and volleyball.
A children’s club for children aged 5 to 12 is also available. However, it is only open during peak seasons. The resort offers its white-sand beach with towel service and Balinese sun loungers, lounge chairs, and parasols. Guests who prefer a more active beach experience may take a complimentary golf cart trip to the Gabi Beach Club, which offers kayaking and kite surfing instruction.
The hotel created a LEVEL program that provides various benefits to guests staying in the higher category rooms indicated above. Free admission to The LEVEL Lounge, complimentary minibars, a unique sunroom, free Wi-Fi, and free tennis court use are just a few of the amenities available. Complimentary breakfast was included with some reservations. Guests who stay for four nights or more get a complimentary massage (one per person) at the Anantara Spa on the premises.
The hotel and its private beach, Gabi Beach, are connected by noisy golf carts to the south of Shooting Star Lodge. A private beach with a restaurant and a bar/disco. Surfs Up kite surf rental and training are available at this location. The hammocks and cabanas are free and open on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The Anantara Spa is an excellent place to unwind. Six individual treatment rooms, two private outdoor massage pavilions, and a 23-meter outdoor lap pool are managed and administered entirely by expert Thai therapists. A beauty salon, a gym, and a sauna are also available, with Thai masseuses providing services. Elemis (UK) and Africology products are used (South Africa). Sauna and gym usage is limited to those aged 16 and over.
The Melia Blue Bay Resort is home to a branch of the One Ocean PADI diving company. You’ll be booked and measured for your diving equipment here, then taken to Blue Bay to begin your journey, most likely taking you to the Mnemba Atoll. The resort organizes conventions and weddings with event space that can accommodate up to 200 people theater- style. There are also two boardrooms and a few smaller conference rooms, including video equipment. There is no charge for Wi-Fi or parking. This hotel has won the Travellers’ Choice Award, which is given out by TripAdvisor every year based on the feedback of millions of travelers from across the globe. The only tourism award considers visitor happiness and service quality evaluations.