This hotel has let us down in the past and for that reason we do not like to recommend it. Some rooms are very good but the reality is that the service standards are not anywhere near the quality of its competitors. More importantly however, it is a dry hotel which for those of us who like that sundowner is nothing short of a nightmare!
Stone Town Tembo Hotel - The Facts
The hotel is located in
Stone town, a 15 minute drive away from the airport which is a 20 minute flight from Dar es Salaam.
On Forodhani Street in Zanzibar Stone Town, the Tembo is less ostentatious than the Serena yet is also located in an impressive old building on the waterfront, designed around a central courtyard with a swimming pool and beachfront terrace.
As a result, the Tembo has a breezy cool and pleasant atmosphere, with good rooms facing the sea and horizon (an especially worthwhile aspect during the hotter months between December and March).
Rooms are furnished with antique Zanzibari furniture and sunken Persian baths with showers, and include fridge, telephone, satellite tv, hairdryer and air-conditioning. Nevertheless it remains an elegantly authentic choice to the extent it doesn’t serve alcohol.
There is a bar opposite and plenty of choice for sundowners nearby. The price is good value for such decent rooms, (the best are sea-view), but as a result staff seem reluctant to go out of their way to look after you.
