Reviews of Breezes Beach Club

We have received a response from the management at Breezes to this feedback and they were pleased to hear that these travellers enjoyed and pool and beach as well as the diving. However they were sorry to hear that they were not happy with the food. They have assured us that they take all comments seriously and use these comments to help improve their service. If feedback is given to the management it is noted and improvements are made wherever possible. That said we also received feedback from other travellers who stayed at Breezes over exactly the same dates, and they said the food was fantastic.

These travellers also felt that Breezes was only a 3 – 4 star and were disappointed as a result. Breezes is regarded as a good 4 star hotel on Zanzibar and we are sorry of these travellers were expecting something more luxurious. For those looking for something 5 star we suggest that they consider Breezes sister resorts Palms or Baraza.

There seems to be some confusion over the payment methods at Breezes. The management have explained that their shop is cash only however it is possible to charge any purchases to the room account which can be settled by card. All meals and drinks can also be added to the room account. The dive centre is independently owned and so charges from here cannot be added to your room - payment for this is cash only.

Expert Africa was not aware of the policy of men having to wear long trousers in the evening as we have not received a comment about this from any travellers in the past, however we will definitely bring this to all of our future travellers attention to avoid this inconveniencing anyone again.

We are sorry that Breezes did not live up to this families expectations. We have sent their feedback on to the hotel who have responded and said that they have taken on board all of their comments.

It is certainly worth emphasizing that much of this families disappointment may have been because they stayed at a very high quality safari camp, prior to Breezes which is regarded as a good four star hotel. We often have travellers who do a similar thing, opting to splash out on the safari in order to make the most of excellent guiding and then economise on the beach. Usually this is not a problem as we emphasize the difference in standards and of course price - Selous Safari Camp is about three times the price of Breezes. Perhaps we had not been clear enough in this case and it is a shame that these travellers expectations were not met as a result.

We also asked for comments on the operation of the water sports activities, and were assured by the team there that these trips are always lead by someone qualified in first aid. The guide in this case was a trained lifeguard called Sean who is 20 years old and from the UK. We were also told that every boat is equipped with a first aid kit, vinegar for any stings that may occur, life jackets, VHF radios, mobile phones, life buoys and ropes. Also currents are checked by a member of the team before any guests enter the water.

We are sorry that this family didn’t enjoy their time at Breezes, and have passed all their comments to the hotel.

Clearly this hotel wasn’t what these travellers expected, and Expert Africa must take some responsibility. This family included three teenagers, and they chose Breezes specifically because of its range of on-site facilities (water-sports, tennis courts, etc). We discussed with them smaller, more personal ‘beach-bungalow’ style places, but none of these on Zanzibar have the same range of facilities.

These travellers are quite right: Breezes does not compare with top-end 5 star luxury resorts in the Far East. In fact, few places on Zanzibar do apart from perhaps Baraza which is Breezes sibling and also 5 star property. Breezes is a simpler property but this is reflected in its rates which are good value and though all Breezes’ rooms are within two minutes’ walk of the beach - no room categories have a guaranteed sea-view.

When planning ‘bush-and-beach’ trips like this, travellers often want to splash out on their safari, to get the best guiding and game, and then spend less on their beach-time. We understand with this, and often design trips around this aim. In this case, these travellers went from Beho Beho, which is one of Africa’s best safari camps, to Breezes, which is generally regarded as a good “four-star” hotel which is reasonably priced. Though Breezes is still a very good property it is in a different league.

To put this in perspective, a night at Breezes costs less than a third the price of a night at Beho Beho. We do our very best to make this step-down very clear, and usually it isn’t a problem. However, somehow we were not clear enough in this case – and so we’ve changed the way that we do things to make these differences even more obvious for future travellers.

We’d never recommend Breezes as a ‘base’ to visit Stone Town; it’s a destination in itself and too far for a quick morning visit from the beach. For those that wish to visit Stone Town we would recommend that they spend a night there.