Park Hyatt Zanzibar: Bottom Line Review

Earlier this year, my wife and I took an extended trip across East Africa. We started in Rwanda, then moved to Kenya for five days ogling animals at the JW Marriott Masai Mara, and finally spent a few laid-back nights on Zanzibar, an island that I’ve wanted to visit since I was a kid.

Since getting into points and miles years ago, I’ve had my eye on the Park Hyatt Zanzibar, which spans multiple buildings along the Stone Town waterfront (one of which is UNESCO-listed). I was thrilled to have the opportunity to finally give it a try.

Park Hyatt Zanzibar Bottom Line Review

We loved our stay at the Park Hyatt Zanzibar. The hotel feels like a calm, leafy oasis in the middle of the twisted alleyways and carved wooden doors of the vibrant heart of Zanzibar: Stone Town. Some Park Hyatts can feel a bit sterile, but this one elegantly captures the vibrant mix of African and Arabic influences that Zanzibar is known for. There is a vast, waterfront terrace that spans the entire property, offering beautiful sunsets and fabulous people (and boat) watching. Inside, the hotel is cool and breezy, with ornate lounging areas and leafy courtyards aplenty. The included breakfast is delicious, with fun touches like coconuts cut to order and a roving spiced coffee cart. When we were there, the internet was a disaster, an irritating obstacle when working remotely. However, despite that, it was a delightful place to hole up in and explore the “Spice Island” from. Thumbs up

Park Hyatt Zanzibar Key Details

• Price: The hotel is a Hyatt Category 6, so it’s 21K/25K/29K Hyatt points per night, low/standard/high season. We had a mix of standard and off-peak dates, so we averaged ~23k during our time there in early September. The cash price was ~$400.
• Value: In straight points-for-cash, this was an ok deal at ~1.7 cents per point (we peg the average redemption for Hyatt points at 1.8 cents each). The cash cost of the Park Suite that we stayed in was ~$1300/night.
• Location: Dynamite. It’s perched over a vibrant beach that’s full of activity, including local families and working ships. Most anyplace that you’d like to visit in Stone Town is within easy walking distance, and you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to restaurants and bars. If you’re expecting to be alone on a quiet, secluded beach, it might be disappointing, but we found it to be a delightful base from which to experience Zanzibar. It’s also an easy 20-25 minute drive from the airport.
• Room: We used a Suite Upgrade Award to book a ~1100 sq ft Ocean View Park Suite. The balcony overlooked the beach and the masses of floating boats and had a terrific sunset view. The sizeable living room had a sofa, 65″ TV, and overlooked Stonetown. The bathroom included both a rainfall shower and a deep soaking tub, as well as sliding wood panels that offered an ocean view when open. Like the rest of the hotel, the room design had flourishes of local flavour, including carved window shades and lovely chandelier light fixtures.
• Parking: There is no parking at the hotel, and you likely don’t want to bring a car anyway.
• Resort/Destination Fee: None.
• Internet: The only major downside of our stay. The internet was horrible. In our room, which was in the Northern corner of the hotel, it would constantly go in and out, and the entire hotel was disconnected for the better part of a day (which, of course, was one that I needed to be working on). When it did work, the speed could be glacial across much of the property. Based on staff comments, it appears this is a recurring issue with the hotel’s internet provider.
• Service: Very good across the board. Almost everyone that we interacted with, from concierges to housekeeping, was warm, friendly, and highly competent. Outside of the consistent internet problems we had, every aspect of our stay went off without a hitch. That said, given the frequency and severity of the internet problems, they didn’t seem to have any options to offer us. One staff member even suggested that we go to a nearby competitor’s hotel and ask if we could use their wifi if we had lunch there (luckily, the beach cafe about two hundred feet from the property had sufficiently functional service for me to get my work done).
• Turndown service: Twice daily, with water refills, and house-made dessert assortments in the evening.
• Dining:
  • Beach House Zanzibar: Not on the property, but a short, ~5-minute walk down the street. There are a lot of great places to eat in Zanzibar, so we never made it here. However, the sunsets look fantastic, and the menu, while liberally priced, is supposedly pretty good. Open daily from 12 pm to 11 pm.
  • Dining Room: Primary on-property restaurant with plenty of space both indoors and out. In the evening, the terrace is lit by torches. We only had breakfast there (included for all guests), but it was terrific, with a substantial buffet alongside a tasty, diverse à la carte menu. In addition, there are fun treats like freshly-squeezed juices and smoothies that rotate daily, a cart that goes table-to-table serving spiced coffee, and a guy cutting coconuts to order. Breakfast is served daily from 6:30 am to 11:00 am, lunch from 12 pm to 3 pm, and dinner from 6 pm to 10:30 pm.
  • Living Room: Located in the lounge area of a former mansion, it’s a beautiful space filled with plush sofas, chandeliers and lovely views. They also serve tables on the terrace right out front. The cocktails that we had there were good, if not outstanding. Open daily for both food and drinks from 11:00 am to 12:00 am.
  • Pool Lounge: Serves drinks and food around the oceanfront infinity pool from 11:00 am to 6:30 pm daily.
• Spa: There is a full-service spa set around one of the leafy courtyards. It has a robust menu featuring the usual array of services.
• Fitness Room: There is a modest fitness room in a basement-like area behind the pool. It’s sufficient for basic workouts for a couple of days, but it won’t have you missing your home gym.
• Hyatt Globalist Benefits: 
  • Suite Upgrade: I booked a standard Park King room and used a Suite Upgrade Award to upgrade to the $1300/night Park Suite.
  • Free Breakfast: A marvellous breakfast is included for all guests, not just Globalists
  • Late Checkout: Automatically given 4 pm.
  • Parking: There is no on-site parking.
  • Welcome Amenity: A bottle of South African red wine, a fruit bowl, a cut-open coconut, and a couple of desserts were waiting for us in our room upon arrival.
• Would I stay again?  If I went back to Zanzibar, I’d probably split my time between the Park Hyatt and another part of the island. But, if staying in Stone Town (or for a first visit), I think it’s tough to beat.

Park Hyatt Zanzibar Pros and Cons

Pros

• Superb location for exploring Stone Town (or taking day trips to other parts of the island).
• A stunning waterfront terrace runs the entire length of the hotel, providing plenty of spots for shaded or sunny relaxing.
• Lots of local flavour for a Park Hyatt, from the architecture and design of the hotel, to spiced coffee carts and fresh-cut coconut stations.
• A delicious breakfast with lots of variety is included for all guests.
• Stunning sunsets.

Cons

• Located on a very active beach in the middle of a city. We loved it, but for those seeking an isolated palm-fringed cove, this ain’t it.
• Some of the worst internet I’ve experienced in an international hotel in the last decade or so.

Image Gallery

Park Hyatt Zanzibar Park Suite

Park Hyatt Zanzibar Dining Room and Living Room Bar

Park Hyatt Zanzibar Pool and Gym

Park Hyatt Zanzibar Public Spaces

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