Tembo House Hotel

The manager Abdul Aziz was very accommodating and even checked in on me and my family every morning at breakfast. He and the other staff t Tembo were excellent and delivered high quality service. The hotel itself is ideally located in old town and you can easily walk to the local market, the old fort, the palace museum and a lot of great eating spots. Additionally you can easily take a boat from the beach to Prison Island.

In terms of booking it would be nice to confirm whether the room booked is located in the main hotel building (which is shown in the pictures) or one of the other buildings to avoid misleading anyone.

The Freddie Mercury building is really cool, the apartment itself was beautifully furnished, the bathrooms had gorgeous blue tiles and bath area, the Tembo Hotel had 2 other buildings with facilities we could use, including one building that had a game floor, there were 3 pools available to swim in, including a rooftop pool from which we watched a gorgeous sunset, the whole hotel is just really well done and charming. Very special space.

The Freddie Mercury building is awesome but part of its awesomeness is that it's in an old building. It's beautifully well-kept and renovated but, being an old building, it did have that gross pipe smell in the bathroom, which you could smell in the master bedroom because the bathroom door is a curtain.

We returned to Tembo as it's a great location, right near old town and on the water. It's a beautiful, historic building, and the staff are incredibly friendly.

There's a new bar opened downstairs, next door, and the music was VERY loud. When I called the reception, they were very nice and said they would go ask them to turn it down, but it remained quite loud every night. We were there several years ago and didn't have this issue, but noise is a problem for us so we probably would not return :(

Location was amazing. So close to all sights and a gorgeous traditional Swahili property. Loved sitting at the front on the beach and watching the thriving local life just before and during sunset. The staff are so friendly and kind. Food was good and rooms comfortable

Noise from the bar next door when we were trying to sleep for our early flight the next morning

The location was great and the staff were helpful and friendly. The rooms were clean and spacious. You were steps from the beach and breakfast was very good. Really enjoyed our time at the location.

I don't really have any complaints. It was a nice hotel

Everything at the hotel was incredible, location, safety, cleanliness and facilities. The staff is absolutely phenomenal! Every single staff member assisted us with a smile, they were very helpful and kind. I fell ill on the trip and the staff took care of us during the time which was very kind and caring of them. A special thank you to Salim Richard who served me hand made ginger tea on time! The host team, receptionists, porters, cleaners, restaurant staff and management were incredible and made my stay pleasant. I was impressed with the amenities such as luggage rooms and showers even though I checked out early and had a late flight back home. A very pleasant stay, I would definitely recommend this hotel!

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I particularly enjoyed the breakfast, there were many food options. I noted that the staff are very helpful and quick to respond on requests. Also I liked that there were adequate mirrors and pools in both buildings. The lounging area especially in the main hotel was adequate for people waiting to check-in. The beds were comfortable and there was hairdryer in the bathroom.

Normally in most hotels I have been to, they serve welcome drinks which could have been very refreshing for us coming from a flight. Second, the guy preparing the omelette during breakfast made it very salty. My best-friend, she had the same comment on the omelette. Lastly, our room in the extension area was not well lighted being the lights were yellow and located on the walls only. We had to do our makeup in the washroom where light was better.

One thing I really appreciated when it came to the wifi is that you didn't have to continue to remember the password! Also, the rooms are huge!!!! The breakfast was amazing, and the other food options were good too. I love that there were so many pools to pick from. The beach next to the hotel is really busy, so I didn't go in there, but I did excursions and was able to swim in other places. This hotel is very walkable! Also, if you want alcohol, just go across to the store and get some. It is way cheaper than going to another bar or restaurant. Lastly, I want to shoutout Feisal, who works at the Tembo apartment City View section of the hotel. He helped me when I first arrived, and he has been helpful the entire time. All in all, this place is legit!!!

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The hotel is beautiful and right in the center of Stone town and by the water. You can find everything just a stones throw away from the hotel. The facilities are old and delightful all made in wood and stone and it feels like you are walking in around in a historical building which I think it is. You can see a lot of old pictures of the buildings history and old salons with wonderful interior. Overall very pleasing to the eye. The rooms are in the same style and we lived in the main building in a room on the top floor which had balconies with a lovely view. The pools are amazing. Especially the one on the 2nd floor which had a wonderful view as well. The breakfast buffet is great and offers everything from a big variety of fresh fruit, cereals, juices, bread etc. and they also have a omelette station with wonderful chefs who made delicious omelettes. The staff was really nice and helpful as well. I especially remember the waiter Abdu-Rahman who was really nice and the guys who helped us with our bags up through all those stairs.

With this having the location it has, be ready to start haggling as soon as you get out of the hotel gates. It's a part of living in the center but it still needs a warning if you don't have the energy for it. Even though being charming in an old and rustic way it could still need some freshening up in some places. If you have a room to the streets it can be quite noisy. It didn't bother us though. We asked for a crib before arriving but didn't get one on arrival. It wasn't a big issue for us so we didn't ask for one again but obviously it was forgotten. The restaurant was okay but a little uneven. Some dishes were really tasty and some less tasty.

I stayed for a few days a few weeks prior so when I returned to the island, I decided to stay here again. My experiences were the same. Everyone is super helpful. I really want to shoutout Ahmed Omar, who is the FB manager. He was so kind and always dressed to impress! His warm smile while greeting customers and his helpfulness where top notch. On the other hand, I want to shoutout Is-Hak Ussi, a head waiter. Every time I need something, and he was around, he got it for me. He really looked out for me, and I am grateful. However, these are just 2 of many who work here. Thus, regardless of who you run into, you will always be surrounded by amazing people!

NA! Nothing not to like!