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.
- 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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Would love a post on your transportation to Africa and between the different places you stayed.
Stayed there a few years ago, going back Oct 26. Loved everything about this place.
How did you get to Zanzibar??miles/points??
Love this! Miss the breakfasts on the water and the beautiful property (the mango tree courtyard especially). It had such a strong sense of place and the staff were amazing. This was one of our favorite places we stayed on our honeymoon last year, and one of our favorite point stays anywhere.
Great that you take the time to do these posts, it would be nice if Nick would put as much into these as you do.
I have never understood why reviewers never show a photo of the shower
Do any off-property activities?
Very nice review of the PH Zanzibar. That said, I’ve been to Zanzibar on several occassions and would not recommend spending time in Stonetown, other than for an overnight stay after a late flight arrival or for an early departure. The most important advice I can offer for experiencing an enjoyable and relaxing holiday in Zanzibar is to stay at an independent luxury property that has exclusive beachfront access. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee that you will be constantly harassed by the hoards of beach boys / fake Maasai offering to sell you anything and everything. Finally, constant power outages and poor wifi are normal in Zanzibar and working remotely there is not really feasible.
Good advice regarding an “independent luxury property.” But, all too often, Hyatt apologists seem to prioritize cents-per-point over quality and convenience. Oh, it was good enough . . . it wasn’t that inconvenient.
How about Malaria?
I’ve only travelled in October/November/December and haven’t experienced any issues with mosquitoes at the properties I’ve stayed at. Of course, everybody has their own risk tolerance and health considerations and should make their own assessment in consultation with his/her physician as to whether it make senses to take anti-malaria pills before a trip.
Would agree with not spending more than 1 day in Stonetown. We did 5 days at the Manta Resort on nearby Pemba Island and we absolutely loved the quiet remote beach time. Fantastic staff. Great beach, food and bar. free laundry which is great after a long safari!. Highly recommended.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll look into the Manta Resort for my next trip.
If budget weren’t a consideration, I would definitely target a stay at the &Beyond resort on Mnemba island.
Hi from the only Priority Pass lounge in Koh Samui airport.
Was actually g going to research this property. But in late 2025, having internet issues is unacceptable. So, thanks for saving me further research.
Guys, we did not want to leave the Conrad in Koh Samui. And I am a Hyatt loyalist!
I am sure, you will tell us more on your blog. 🙂
Glad to see a recent positive review of the property. I stayed there years ago, not long after it opened, and absolutely loved it – beautiful buildings, great location, tasty and comprehensive breakfast buffet, excellent staff.
I’ve since read some less-than-stellar reviews, though at least one was from someone who seemed to be searching for (aka making up) issues to get his stay comped.
tethering from cell phone towers? No?
We recently stayed in Stone town. The Internet is terrible all over stone down.
Le Mersenne, a Marriott property on the east side which is very nice , has better Internet. There is also better Internet in Nungwi beach on the north side.
Be Prepared to pay a $100 per person visa fee just to get into Tanzania and another $40 per person “ insurance” fee to get into Zanzibar. And they don’t care that you already have your own medical insurance.
We departed Tanzania five days before the election. We had many many locals tell us they expected the election to go smoothly. But they became violent with over 800 people killed and the government shut down the Internet for several days.
The mandatory “insurance” is actually $44/person. Make sure to purchase it beforehand so you can show your QR code and bypass the manual sign up process with the insurance verifiers that will be waiting for you as soon as you exist the jetbridge.
We did two nights at the PH Zanzibar in February after a safari around Ndutu/Serengeti/Ngorongoro and another 4 days on Pemba Island (which we loved.) The staff at the Park Hyatt were all really great. They made the stay for us.
Do you have a Safari excursion group you recommend? Its going to be a struggle talking my wife into Safari so hoping to make it as comfortable as possible for her since its my bucket list item. She made me go to the Dior Museum in Paris so Im making her come with me on Safari. That seems fair, right?
We have taken three safari trips through the northern circuit of national parks in Tanzania with Safari Infinity. 2015, 2017 and 2024. Highly recommended. Our guides have all been excellent and made the trip for us. Check reviews for Safari Infinity on Trip Advisor. I would skip Arusha and Lake Manyara. Tarangire is good for elephants. Ndutu is where you should spend the most days as you can drive off road. Ngorongoro is great for one day but I would recommend entering right at dawn. Serengeti is good too. I liked both the Dior museum and our three safaris in northern Tanzania! 5 days at the Manta Resort on Pemba Island is a great way to relax after your safari too.
whoops, 2016, 2017, 2025!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericpease/albums/72157678813511586/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ericpease/albums/72157651644952372/
So did you stay on site with the tour group for your multi-day Safaris or did you travel back and forth from your resort?
not a group. it’s a private safari. you drive from safari camp to safari camp across the northern circuit of national parks in Tanzania
Heck yeah, this place is awesome. Best location staff n service. Anyone looking for a different but equally cool vibe especially on Friday Sat nights I recommend DoubleTree nungwi
At PH there used to be an older gent working pool service in afternoon. He was so fun to talk to about boats, Stone Town, life and laughter. I also highly recommend trying the “Kili”, short for the fast Red/white ferries you’ll see making their way past the hotel all day. Sunset especially. It’s an ideal place for sure. Doubletree in Stone Town is also good. Great chef there. Try to be on Zanzibar on a weekend night. The atmosphere n vibe is unlike any other anywhere. Hard to describe. To this days it’s one of the most awesome experiences I’ve had
The Hilton DoubleTree Nungwi was rebranded to a Marriott Tribute collection property a few years ago and is now called Turaco Nungwi Resort.
Oh wow did not know this. Will miss getting the choco chip cookies in Nungwi. It seems Marriott is going crazy with their footprint