Reviews of Serena Inn
(92%) From 59 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Wonderful stay in Stone Town
This hotel is in beautifully restored buildings. I loved staying here. The pool was great for swimming. The staff very friendly and helpful. It was the perfect location, with Stone Town outside the front door, and the sunsets over the beach on the other side.
Two minor suggestions that would have a major impact on comfort:
- There were only two umbrellas in the sunny areas of the pool. Unfortunately, some guests would claim them for the day, whether or not they were at the pool. A few more umbrellas would make a huge difference, since the pool area receives full sun in the afternoon.
- Second, much care has been taken in furnishing the bedroom and bath area with quality products. Yet, they hung a short, narrow plastic shower curtain that does not function adequately. I had to use towels to sop up the water on the floor after showering.
Serena Inn
We were expecting 5 star luxury at Serena but we did feel it fell slightly short of our expectations. For example, the bath had chipped enamel and the shower head leaked until we fixed it temporarily. The wine list was limited and much was unavailable whilst we were there.
There were very few guests staying whilst we were there which did mean that the bar and restaurant areas were almost deserted and lacked atmosphere. Music was laid on in the early evenings but we found the wandering minstrels in the restaurant rather intrusive and more suited to a beachside tourist venue than a luxury hotel.
The staff were attentive but we felt a little overwhelmed at times by the sheer number of them. Very few were engaging which may be the culture of the hotel but as a result we did venture to outside venues for some drinks and snacks rather than stay on site.
The location is excellent and the swimming pool area is delightful.
Luxury in the Serena at Stone Town
The Serena Inn brought us back to luxury at the end of our holiday. We were upgraded to a lovely room with a huge balcony over looking the sea - great to watch the dhows passing by. The Serena had the service and facilities that you would expect from an upmarket hotel anywhere in the world, with pool, coffee shop, bar, and two restaurants. Complimentary Afternoon tea was served by the pool.
We took a walking tour booked at the hotel desk. This was quite expensive, but made sure that we did not get lost and we were fed with the history of Stone Town and Zanzibar as we walked around. Stone Town was rather dirty and dilapidated and was not quite up to our expectations.
The bar lunches a the hotel were good, although service was slow. Breakfast was excellent, although it was extremely hot in the restaurant. We had sundowners on the roof terrace of the Africa House Hotel, 2 minutes down the road and had a lovely evening meal at the Six Degrees South restaurant next door.
As we had a evening flight out from Zanzibar, we paid $100 to keep our room for the day, which in our view was money well spent, although there is a shower available by the pool.
Luxury in Stonetown
The Serena Inn in Stonetown is a very comfortable hotel with excellent facilities and staff. We paid for a room upgrade and had a fabulous room with a huge balcony looking out to sea - fabulous sunsets!
The roof top restaurant was a good place to dine once - although we were disappointed that the lobster was not available the night we were there.
Class act
First class hotel, best position in Stone Town with very comfortable rooms (although tiny bathrooms with showers only), beautiful balconies overlooking ocean. Service and food of a very high standard.
Pool area is like an oasis and perfectly positioned for sunsets.
Serena Inn review
Lovely pool, nice location. Service staff need a bit of Training but are trying hard to please.
Read more about the whole tripSerena Inn review
We only had a day room for a few hours but a good port of call.
Read more about the whole tripOne night in Stone Town
We are thankful of the advice given to us by Ellie who suggested spending our last night in Stone Town rather than doing a day trip. It was lovely to experience the daytime and night-time of the place.
As we only spent one day at the Serena there were some facilities that we didn't use.
The room was lovely with a great view out to sea and a large balcony. The safe wasn't working when we arrived and it took a chase-up phone call before it was mended and we were able to head out in to town.
Breakfast was very good with plenty of choice and good service.
Serena Inn review
The Serena in Stone was a really good choice. It may be a bigger hotel but is still steeped in history with great service and restful rooms.
Also the best sunsets we saw in Tanzania. Relatively expensive to eat in the hotel but this is a great way to combine the madness of Stone Town with some peace and quiet. Loads of good quality restaurants are nearby - we had lunch in the Monsoon and would have liked to have gone back for an evening meal as it was so good.
The hotel also have a private beach which is by a free 20 min shuttle so you also get to see some of Zanzibars countryside. The only thing to we aware of is that immediately next door is a HUGE Hyatt hotel currently being built around the clock. This is making the local neighbourhood less than pretty as its currently wrapped in scaffolding and tarpaulin. We also expect this when complete to ruin the views from the Serena terrace restaurant as this will tower over the top.
If you want to go, go very quickly! Hairdryer and good quality toiletries again supplied so no need to overload packing.
