Smiles Beach Hotel

Hotels
8 (665 reviews)
Nungwi Beach 4222 , Nungwi , tz

listing image 1
Show all photos
Free
Children allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Restaurant
Room service
Heating
Terrace
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly/caring staff
Spacious rooms
Beachfront location
Excellent grilled fish / à la carte options
Drinks included (non-alcoholic)
Early check-in / flexible check-out
Close to restaurants and other hotels
Cons:
Unreliable / almost non-working internet
Intermittent water supply and low shower pressure
Strong limescale and cleanliness issues (sunbeds, pool)
Stale breakfast bread
Limited bottled water provided
Perceived lower-than-promised star standard / poor value
Night security and reception unprofessional/asleep on duty
No alcohol served

Categories

Cleanliness
6.5
Multiple mentions of dirty/abused sun loungers, pool not regularly cleaned and strong limescale in taps and showers; overall cleanliness was repeatedly criticized.
Service
9.5
Staff repeatedly described as friendly, cordial and accommodating (early check-in/late check-out granted); some language limitations and isolated unprofessional incidents (security/reception asleep) were reported but general guest-facing staff were praised.
Location
10
Clear positive: beachfront location close to many restaurants and other hotels — location was a strong pro in the reviews.
Room Quality
7
Rooms described as spacious and comfortable by some, but issues with plumbing (intermittent water, low shower pressure), no proper in-room bin and noticeable limescale reduce the room quality score.
Amenities
6.5
Serious complaints about almost non-working internet, limited bottled water allocation, no alcohol served, dirty sunbeds and inconsistent pool maintenance indicate weak overall amenities.
Value for Money
6.5
Guests felt the hotel did not meet its 4-star expectations — cheaper beverage choices, limited water and poorer food quality compared with nearby 3-star hotels led to a perception of poor value for money.
Food and Beverage
8.5
Mixed feedback: several guests praised the à la carte service and excellent grilled fish (half-board satisfied one reviewer), but others noted stale breakfast bread, lower dinner quality and local cola served to cut costs; overall slightly above average due to praised items.
Overall Experience
9.5
Mixed experiences: some guests were disappointed with several operational issues, while others enjoyed spacious rooms, good meals and the beachfront setting; the net experience skews positive given strong location and helpful staff.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-08-13 03:22

Property Description

Private Beach Paradise

Luxurious Amenities: Enjoy air-conditioned rooms with balconies overlooking the Indian Ocean, satellite TV, and carved wooden beds.

Culinary Delights: Indulge in Zanzibari and seafood dishes made from fresh, local ingredients at the beach-side restaurant.

Convenient Location: Just 200 meters from downtown Nungwi, with easy access to explore Stone Town and Zanzibar Airport nearby.

Book your stay at Smiles Beach Hotel for a tropical getaway unlike any other.

Important information:

Kindly note that Smiles Beach Hotel is a dry hotel. Alcohol is not served at the property.Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 10:00 AM

Location

Guest Reviews

8
Based on 665 reviews
Cleanliness: 6.5
Service: 9.5
Location: 10
Room Quality: 7
Amenities: 6.5
Value for Money: 6.5
Food and Beverage: 8.5
Overall Experience: 9.5
J
jorge • family_with_children • es
5
Pros:

Personal amable, desayuno bastante bueno y cocina decente pero muy lenta.
el pie de playa es maginifico

Cons:

Hotel a pie de playa, algo anticuado y mal mantenido, piscina sucia y el suelo desconchado, los baños de las habitaciones algo rancietes, y desde luego el precio que se paga por noche por la habitacion desorbitado en cuanto a relacion calidad-precio(diria que el doble de su valor real).

2026-09-10 • via Nuitee
S
Sabine • solo_traveller • at
6
Pros:

Grundsätzlich Ruhige Lage, abseits der Stadt. Dahinter wird ein neues hotel gebaut, daher etwas Lärm tagsüber und am Abend. Hat man aber nur im Badezimmer gehört. Eine Moschee ist in der Nähe, daher hört man die Gebete vom Lautsprecher.
Klein aber fein. Nur wenige Zimmer, ausreichend Platz am Strand und Meer. Personal sehr freundlich. Wir haben uns sehr sicher gefühlt.

Cons:

Die ersten 3 Tage war der Pool schmutzig (Blätter, Insekten). Das Meer ist bei Flut sehr stürmisch da wäre der Pool nett gewesen. Die "Strand-Verkäufer" sind sehr aufdringlich, dürfen aber nicht zur Liege kommen, Wachpersonal ist ständig präsent. Ein mini kasten am Zimmer.

2026-09-07 • via Nuitee
D
Daniele Zaninello • couple • it
10
Relax e poi relax
Pros:

Mi è piaciuto il cibo ,la colazione abbondante e varia,lo staff sorridente e gentile,la guardia attenta e vigile.

Cons:

Se devo trovare una cosa da segnalare sarebbe la piscina da rimodernare un po',e il bar della piscina se fosse aperto e agibile con menù per stuzzicare qualcosa e bere sarebbe gradito ai clienti senza dover andare da altre parti.

2026-09-06 • via Nuitee
R
robyn • solo_traveller • us
10
Lovely stay at Smiles Beach Reaort on Nungwi Beach
Pros:

Smiles Beach Resort was a very comfortable, relaxed place to stay on busy Nungwi Beach. The room was large and had a great view of the resort and water, the staff was very hospitable, and there was never a problem getting a nice lounge at the beach.

Cons:

The WIFI was not the best for me because I kept getting kicked off but Mohammed at the front desk was always kind to help me sign back on.

2026-08-29 • via Nuitee
V
Victoria • couple • sa
10
Pros:

I really liked the services and the possibilitie to use the sunbed

2026-08-28 • via Nuitee
S
Sabiha • solo_traveller • gb
9
Great hotel
Pros:

It was a small quiet resort with very friendly staff.

Cons:

The coffee as prefer what I drink in tbe UK. They gave a nice selection of teas thoigh

2026-08-25 • via Nuitee
S
sonia • solo_traveller • it
10
Un piccolo paradiso
Pros:

Piccolo hotel con tutti i servizi, camere molto caratteristiche e con vista mare, cena veramente ottima e personale gentilissimo. Vicino a tutto, straconsigliato

Cons:

Nulla

2026-08-23 • via Nuitee
A
Agathe • couple • fr
9
Pros:

C’est l’un des plus beaux hôtels que j’ai vu. Avec la piscine et la plage, c’était paradisiaque. On y mange aussi très bien

2026-08-19 • via Nuitee
C
chiara • couple • it
8
Soggiorno piacevole e rilassante, ideale per chi cerca una struttura piccola, autentica e a contatto con il mare, anche
Pros:

Abbiamo apprezzato la spiaggia privata e l’atmosfera autentica e rilassata della struttura, con circa 20 camere, amache, ombrelloni e lettini in legno.
Ottima la colazione, con succhi di frutta freschi e ottimi cornetti.
Piacevole la cena, anche se un po’ ripetitiva.
Molto carino anche il tavolo preparato su richiesta con palme e fiori.
Buona l’organizzazione delle escursioni a prezzi convenienti.
Staff cordiale e disponibile, ottima pulizia e molto apprezzato il rifacimento serale del letto.

Cons:

Nel complesso lo staff della ristorazione è stato ottimo, ad eccezione di due cameriere durante la cena, che a ogni nostra richiesta hanno mostrato un atteggiamento scocciato e poco professionale, facendoci sentire a disagio.
Segnaliamo inoltre un episodio spiacevole: dalla nostra camera sono state prese due barrette al cioccolato. Il valore è irrilevante, ma il problema è la mancanza di correttezza, che riteniamo grave in una struttura ricettiva.
La struttura è inoltre datata e avrebbe bisogno di qualche intervento di rinnovamento.
Per migliorare l’esperienza, visto lo spazio disponibile, suggeriremmo di organizzare aperitivi sulla spiaggia, partite di pallavolo e serate a tema dopo cena, così da offrire agli ospiti qualche attività in più.

2026-08-18 • via Nuitee
E
Elena • solo_traveller • es
5
Malo y caro
Pros:

Realmente nada, para el precio que pagas y estar considerado como un hotel de lujo esperaba más

Cons:

No había agua caliente, un básico para el precio que pagas. La bañera de azulejos estaba rota en algunas partes y me corté la pierna. El desayuno era buffet pero no era de calidad ni estaba rico. Para finalizar, al hacer el check out me cobraron la tasa turística en efectivo cuando estaba incluida y pagada ya a través de Booking (por suerte Booking me lo ha reembolsado). Me siento timada.

2026-08-17 • via Nuitee
M
Moira • solo_traveller • it
8
Pros:

La struttura in generale è composta da 5 casette a due piani disposte a semicerchio verso il mare. Questa disposizione rende l'ambiente molto raccolto e intimo. È presente anche una piscina e un ristorante che si affaccia direttamente sul mare, molto bello al mattino per fare colazione. Ci sono degli ombrelloni e dei lettini ad uso esclusivo in una zona privata della spiaggia in cui un guardiano tiene lontani gli innumerevoli beach Boys che tentano di venderti qualunque cosa.
Il personale è gentile e il ristorante offre piatti molto buoni, ben preparati e variegati.
All' esterno l'ambiente è circondato da stradine con bancarelle e tramite la spiaggia si possono raggiungere localini carini per la serata come Bobo Beach, Nanasi e Mama Mia.

2026-08-16 • via Nuitee
M
Mayra • couple • br
7
Vale o custo benefício
Pros:

Localização e refeicoes

Cons:

Quartos antigos , precisam manutenção , objetos quebrados , água do chuveiro fica fria com poucos minutos de uso

2026-08-11 • via Nuitee
S
Sergio • solo_traveller • es
8
2026-08-09 • via Nuitee
R
riad25 • solo_traveller • dz
8
Pros:

Tous

Cons:

Les gens a la plage

2026-08-09 • via Nuitee
M
Mihaiela • couple • ro
7
2026-08-08 • via Nuitee
F
Furkan • couple • at
2
Wenn wir unseren privaten Aktivitäten im Vorhinein nicht gebucht hätten, wäre dieser Urlaub bis auf der Aufenthalt in Zu
Pros:

Nur die freundlichen Mitarbeiter.

Cons:

Feedback zum Hotel

* Das Internet funktioniert fast gar nicht, obwohl wir mehrmals um Fehlerbehebung gebeten haben. Daher konnten wir unseren wichtigen Dinge nicht erledigen. Es ist ein Problem vom Hotelmanagement, welches sich unserer Meinung nach nicht sehr darumgekümmert hat. In unserem ersten Hotel gab es das Problem nicht und vergleichsweise bei dem Restaurant eines anderen 3 Sterne Hotels in der Nähe auch nicht.
* Das Wasser fließt zeitweise nicht (vermutlich aufgrund der Wasserpumpe, da uns einmal so mitgeteilt wurde).
* Wasserhahn und Dusche sind stark verkalkt.
* Die Sonnenliegen sind sehr schmutzig und abgenutzt.
* Die Mitarbeiter sind freundlich, jedoch sprechen die meisten nur sehr wenig Englisch.
* Im Vergleich zu anderen 3- bis 4-Sterne-Hotels hat dieses Hotel unserer Meinung nach nicht einmal ansatzweise 4 Sterne verdient. Das hat uns besonders enttäuscht, da wir uns auf die 4-Sterne-Klassifizierung verlassen haben. In der Umgebung haben wir mehrere 3-Sterne-Hotels besucht, die in vielen Bereichen deutlich besser waren. Auch unser erster Besuch in Zanzibar (Zula - Paje) war fast perfekt.
* Es gibt keine Mülltonne im Zimmer, sondern lediglich einen kleinen, defekten Mülleimer im Badezimmer.
* Die Brötchen vom Vortag werden am nächsten Morgen erneut zum Frühstück angeboten, obwohl sie nicht mehr frisch sind.
* Soweit wir feststellen konnten, wird der Pool nicht regelmäßig gereinigt.
* Um Kosten zu sparen, wird beim Abendessen einheimische Cola angeboten. Ein 4-Sterne-Hotel sollte mehr Wert auf Qualität legen. Auch das Essen war in den von uns besuchten 3-Sterne-Hotels deutlich besser.
* Täglich werden pro Person lediglich 0,5 Liter Wasser sowie zusätzlich eine 1,5-Liter-Flasche pro Familie (beim Abendessen) zur Verfügung gestellt. Auch das empfinden wir für ein 4-Sterne-Hotel als unzureichend.

Hinweis: Aufgrund der Fotobegrenzung kann ich keine weiteren Fotos hochladen.

2026-08-03 • via Nuitee
G
gianni • solo_traveller • it
9
Pros:

Camera spaziosa, staff cordiale e gentile. Avevo optato per la mezza pensione e non me ne sono pentito. Servizio alla carte e grigliate di pesce ottime. Comprese nel prezzo anche le bevande, in questo hotel però non servono alcolici.
Gentilmente ci hanno concesso di arrivare alle 12 e di lasciare la stanza alle 14.

Cons:

Si potrebbe vivacizzare un po l'ambiente.

2026-07-20 • via Nuitee
M
Mariam • couple • ug
4
Was ok but the night security and reception very poor and unprofessional
Pros:

Beachfront close to many restaurants and other hotels by the beach

Cons:

Arrived with my friend after from the full moon party around 3/4am and the security was asleep stayed at the gate for more than an hour called the reception and he was also asleep we had to go through the beach which was a 10-15mins walk in a very dark unsafe looking area just to find everyone sleeping had to wake them up and shower heads and shower pressure needs to be checked and worked on

2026-07-17 • via Nuitee
S
Shaune • solo_traveller • za
8
2026-06-25 • via Nuitee
D
Denys • couple • at
10
2026-06-22 • via Nuitee