Shaba Boutique Hotel

Hotels
•
Paradise Wilderness
8.6 (2179 reviews)
Kiponda Street, Stone Town , Zanzibar City , tz

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Children allowed

Facilities

Non-smoking rooms
Air conditioning
Family rooms
Luggage storage
Safety deposit box
Tour desk
Non-smoking throughout
Shuttle service (additional charge)
Public transport tickets
Staff adhere to local safety protocols
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Great location
Cons:
Room size
Humidity issues

Categories

Cleanliness
7.93
Some reviews indicated issues with humidity and cleanliness.
Service
9.4
Consistently praised for friendly and attentive staff.
Location
9.44
Highly rated for its central location and accessibility.
Room Quality
7.39
Several reviews mentioned room size being small and some reported odors.
Amenities
8.42
Average, with some good breakfast options and limited additional amenities.
Value for Money
8.38
Good value for the price, especially given the location.
Food and Beverage
8.93
Breakfast received positive feedback, but limited lunch/dinner options.
Overall Experience
8.9
Overall a decent experience with some significant highlights.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-08 18:41

Property Description

Charming Boutique Hotel in Stone Town

Zanzibari-Style Rooms: Experience the charm of Zanzibar with our air-conditioned rooms featuring traditional furnishings and en suite bathrooms.

Convenient Location: Just a stone's throw away from the House of Wonders museum and Fordahani Gardens, immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Stone Town.

Modern Amenities: Stay connected with free wifi throughout the property and in all rooms, ensuring you are always in touch during your stay.

Book your stay at Shaba Boutique Hotel for an unforgettable experience in the heart of Stone Town.

Important information:

An Infrastructure tax was introduced by the Zanzibar government from 1st July 2015. The tax of US$5 per person per day is to be collected by the hotel accommodations from all inhouse guests on behalf of the Zanzibar Revenue Board (ZRB). This amount is payable directly on check-in.

We accept MasterCard and Visa. Please be advised that all credit card payments will incur a surcharge of 3%.

For bookings of up to 5 rooms, a different cancelation policy applies. Cancelations must be made at least 60 days before arrival to avoid a 100% cancelation fee. Additionally, prepayment is required 60 days prior to arrival. Failure to remit payment by the deadline will result in the reservation being released.

When booking 6 rooms or more, a different cancelation policy applies. Prepayment is required immediately, and any cancelation will incur 100% penalties. prior to arrival. Failure to remit payment by the deadline will result in the reservation being released.Guests under the age of 18 can only check in with a parent or official guardian.

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

Property Policies

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Parking

    No parking available.

  • Pets

    Pets are not allowed.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for US$12.50 per person per night when using an available cot.
    You haven't added any extra beds.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.
    Supplements are not calculated automatically in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately during your stay.

Location

Guest Reviews

8.6
Based on 2179 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.93
Service: 9.4
Location: 9.44
Room Quality: 7.39
Amenities: 8.42
Value for Money: 8.38
Food and Beverage: 8.93
Overall Experience: 8.9
A
Adeline • solo_traveller • fr
9
2026-04-17 • via Nuitee
M
Mika • solo_traveller • nl
9
Lekker ontbijt, schone kamers en aardige mensen
Pros:

Super aardige staff, heel erg behulpzaam en vriendelijk. Elke ochtend een heerlijk ontbijt en de kamers zijn hygiënisch.

Cons:

Om vanaf het hotel naar het strand te komen kan best uitdagend zijn met alle kleine steegjes, maar dat heeft verder niet met het hotel te maken.

2026-04-13 • via Nuitee
J
Julia • solo_traveller • at
9
2026-04-11 • via Nuitee
C
Camilla • couple • it
9
Staff molto disponibile
Pros:

La struttura è piccola ma ben curata, il personale gentilissimo e molto disponibile. Eravamo molto di fretta e ci hanno fatto fare un check-in e check-out rapidissimo facendoci trovare la colazione pronta alle 6:30 molto prima dell’orario di inizio del servizio. Asante sana!

2026-04-11 • via Nuitee
M
Mohammed Khaza Ameenuddin • couple • tz
8
Pros:

Rooms

Cons:

Location is too remote and customer care contact was not functional

2026-04-10 • via Nuitee
K
Keating • extended_group • us
10
Fun place to stay in Stone Town!
Pros:

We enjoyed the Shaba Boutique! It is in such a good location in stone town and makes everything really available. It was comfy and cozy as well as the perfect temperature.

Cons:

This is less about the property but there’s no main road to the boutique. We were surprised to have to walk a little bit with all our luggage. I think just saying that beforehand would be great. But once we were there it was amazing!

2026-04-09 • via Nuitee
C
Christel • couple • se
6
Centralt läge. Enkelt hotell.
Pros:

Centralt boende. Fint rum men väldigt litet (hade inte läst så noga) vi hade ett standardrum som var 7 kvadratmeter. Det fanns ett utrymme utanför toaletten där vi kunde ha våra resväskor. Väldigt bra frukost för att vara ett så litet hotell. Det fanns goda omeletter, pannkakor, juice och frukt. Om man ville ha mer frukt gick det bra. Bra Wi-Fi men koden räcker bara två dagar.

Cons:

Vi tycker inte att Shaba Botique hotel är ett 4-stjärnigt hotell, mer 2+. Då det är ett ” systerhotell” till Reef&Beach resort där vi bodde innan resan till Shaba hade vi liknande förväntningar på Shaba. Då det inte finns någon reception var det lite rörigt vid incheckning. Vi saknade information vilket gjorde att vi inte fick städat på ett par dagar, man är tvungen att hänga ut skylt på dörren. Om man har problem med att gå är det branta trappor till rummen (dock inga problem för oss men bra att veta). Finns inget balsam (ta med eget vid behov). När vi checkade ut blev vi tillfrågade om vårt utvärderingsresultat, det kändes inte så bra. Vi skrev där att incheckningen inte var så strukturerad.

2026-04-08 • via Nuitee
E
Elias • couple • kh
10
2026-04-08 • via Nuitee
M
MARYAM • couple • tz
10
2026-04-08 • via Nuitee
S
Sherri Diane • solo_traveller • za
8
Lovely time at the Shaba Boutique Hotel with easy access to the sights of Stone Town.
Pros:

The location is great, in the center of Stone Town, and close to cultural attractions. The staff are helpful and very friendly. The hotel was clean and comfortable, with the staff enquiring daily if I wanted my room attended to.

Cons:

The breakfast was average, with little variety and the same offerings each day of my 4 days stay. The breakfast area is also quite small.

2026-04-08 • via Nuitee
J
Jafar Salehe • family_with_children • tz
8
Great stay, value for money.
Pros:

Breakfast was superb!

Cons:

Need to have a guest lounge for visitors relaxation.

2026-04-08 • via Nuitee
A
Angel Nolwazi • solo_traveller • za
5
You get what you pay for
Pros:

It was really cheap. Had air conditioner. The staff were very welcoming and carried the bags up the stairs when checking in and checking out.

Cons:

There are too many steps that you need to climb to get to the room. The shower and toilet recruit next to each other. The shower drainage is right next to the toilet so when you shower the toilet gets wet. You can’t use the toilet after showering because it will be wet and the water was warm and never got hot.

2026-04-07 • via Nuitee
L
Laila Brekkhus • extended_group • no
8
2026-04-04 • via Nuitee
C
Carmen • solo_traveller • es
9
Relax y comodidad !
Pros:

La comodidad en su ubicación, la habitación y cama perfectas

Cons:

Todo muy bien

2026-04-04 • via Nuitee
T
Theresa • couple • at
10
2026-04-02 • via Nuitee
K
Katharina • solo_traveller • ch
10
Super Aufenthalt, absolut empfehlenswert. Grosser Service.
Pros:

Sehr schönes, gepflegtes Zimmer / Hotel mit schöner Anlage, direkt am Strand am beliebten Kendwa Beach. Von dort aus kann man einige Ausflüge machen (Mnemba Schnorcheln mit Delfinen und Quad Tour sehr zu empfehlen). Jeden Tag zwei mal im Zimmer Service. Sehr freundliches Personal. Man hat auch mal Abendessen am Strand, das war super.

Cons:

Essen war ok, aber nicht mega gut.

2026-04-02 • via Nuitee
N
Nicola • solo_traveller • de
9
Hotel Lage und Service gut, Zimmer nur für Kurzaufenthalt zu empfehlen
Pros:

Gute Lage und Frühstück

Cons:

Sehr kleines Zimmer, für 1 Person machbar, für 2 Personen schwierig; kein Ausblick (nur auf Hauswand gegenüber mit geringem Abstand, da nur durch eine sehr schmale Gasse getrennt, daher auch sehr dunkel im Zimmer)

2026-04-01 • via Nuitee
M
Moses • extended_group • ug
1
BAD
Pros:

The place is in a Ghetto/Slum, no parking, Poor aeration, Humid, dampness on the walls, hygienically poor, no value for money, felt unsafe in terms of security even for the one (11) night i stayed there. I felt my life was at risk and the breakfast was served cold. PLEASE REFUND MY MONEY FOR THE FIVE (5) NIGHTS I NEVER STAYED THERE BECAUSE I HAD TO BOOK FOR ANOTHER STAY AT A SECURE HOTEL MIZINGANI

Cons:

The place is in a Ghetto/Slum, no parking, Poor aeration, Humid, dampness on the walls, hygienically poor, no value for money, felt unsafe in terms of security even for the one (11) night i stayed there. I felt my life was at risk and the breakfast was served cold. PLEASE REFUND MY MONEY FOR THE FIVE (5) NIGHTS I NEVER STAYED THERE BECAUSE I HAD TO BOOK FOR ANOTHER SECURE STAY AT HOTEL MIZINGANI

2026-04-01 • via Nuitee
E
Estianer • solo_traveller • tz
8
Everything was great,staff were so amazingi
2026-04-01 • via Nuitee
R
Rina • solo_traveller • zw
7
2026-04-01 • via Nuitee