Bluebay Beach Resort is situated on the east coast of Zanzibar, in the middle of a long, palm-fringed beach of soft white sand. It was one of the first resorts to built here, and an idyllic 30-acre site was chosen.
None of the Expert Africa team has recently visited the Blue Bay Beach Resort, but this is what we know about it:
The resort has been established for about 10 years and was one of the first to open on the east coast. In 2008, the resort closed for 3 months to perform a complete overhaul of the Makuti thatch roofs of the suites, and to replace the electrical appliances.
At the same time, all the soft furnishings were renewed and redesigned.
It is large (by Zanzibari standards) and has loads of activities and facilities to cater for all needs: from families to honeymooners to business conferences.
Lodge overview
Lodge type: Beach
No. of bedrooms: 112 rooms
Season: Open Year Round
Ideal length of stay: 4 nights or more for those who love lazing on a beautiful beach.
Directions: It takes around 35 minutes to fly to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam, and then it is a further one hour by car to Bluebay Beach Resort.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
Usual board basis: Half Board
Food quality: Bluebay Beach Resort has an array of dining areas that all offer good international cuisine.
The Makuti Restaurant serves breakfast and dinner within the meal plan. Breakfast is usually a buffet of fruits, cereals and an English breakfast and then dinner is then a three course affair.
The Beach Bar and Restaurant has an a la carte menu with standard international favourites such as burgers, pizzas and sandwiches.
For a special evening, there is also fine dining in the Bahari Grill. This restaurant is only open in the evenings and needs to be booked in advance.
For aperitifs and relaxing after dinner, there is a Pool Bar, which has live music most nights.
Guests staying in the Club24 rooms also enjoy the exclusive restaurant by their pool. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Dining style: Inidividual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor Dining
Room service: No
Cost of meal e.g. lunch: £5-10
Drinks included: Drinks are not included
Special interests
Family holidays: Bluebay Beach Resort is a good place for families who have active children. There is a water sports centre and swimming pool with a shallow children's area. You will also find a Children's Club, where children can be entertained from 10:00 till the end of the day.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for family holidays in Zanzibar
Beach holidays: Bluebay Beach Resort sits on a long white beach on the East Coast of Zanzibar. You can walk for miles in either direction on the powdery-white sand, or relax in one of the many loungers that line the beach.
- See more of our suggestions of the best places for beach holidays in Zanzibar
Children
Attitude towards children: Bluebay Beach Resort welcomes children
Age restrictions: There are no age restrictions at Bluebay Beach Resort
Activities: A recent addition to the facilities is a Children's Club, where children can be entertained from 10:00 till the end of the day. They will enjoy the special menu, and the attention of ex-kindergarten teachers.
There is also a child-minding/Ayah service for a nominal charge.
Equipment: Cots and highchairs are available on request
Generally recommended for children: Yes
Central communications
Power supply: Mains Electricity - The electricity is always on and there is a generator back-up in case of power cuts.
Communications: There are phones in all of the rooms – you can call the hotel operator to get an outside line.
There is a fully-equipped business centre, with email, fax, copying and secretarial facilities.
TV & radio: Satellite TV is in every room.
Health & safety
Malarial area: Yes
Medical care: All staff in the Children's Club are trained in first aid. There is a nurse on-site six days a week as well as a pharmacy and there is a dispensary on-site. For more serious cases there is a doctor available on 24-hour call-out.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Fire safety: There are smoke detectors in every room.
Extras
Disabled access: In Place
Laundry facilities: Laundry is an extra charge.
Money: You can exchange all foreign currencies as well as travellers' cheques (though the rate of exchange for this is not very good)
Accepted payment: You can pay for any extras in all major currencies cash, you can also pay using Visa, Amex and Mastercard.
Good but not special
There is nothing wrong with this hotel. The staff are friendly and attentive. The beach and shallow sea is terrific. The rooms are big and clean and the facilities are good. The details on the web...
