Dhow Palace Hotel

Dhow Palace did feel like a palatial residence. Comfortable accommodations, with a historical feel. We were in a separate building from the main one. Each of our two units had a large sitting room with a sofa for sleeping, a refrigerator, a balcony, and a large bedroom with king sized bed, and additional furniture. The large bathroom featured an elegant, tiled tub with a shower. The main hotel building had common rooms with historic furniture, a pool, and a restaurant. The breakfasts were varied, with many options from which to select. The staff were all friendly and helpful WiFi was good, and there were plenty of outlets in the rooms. The location was a great place from which to explore Stonetown without getting lost

The room was spacious, the decor was stunning and authentic. The buffet breakfast was very good also. Im not so sure of the bread items. Eggs and other dishes were yummy. Stone Town is quite something the alley ways and stalls were amazing to look at and the prices very good some were quite pricey and others particularly the lady stalls were accommodating and easy prices. Safe and fairly near and clean. You can walk for kilometres in the alleys and not realise it.

This hotel has an excellent location and is absolutely beautiful – thoughtfully decorated with charming antique furniture that gives it an authentic and unique atmosphere. Every corner feels special and full of character. The breakfast was very good, with a nice selection to start the day, and the staff were incredibly kind and welcoming throughout our stay. The pool area is also lovely and perfectly fine for relaxing. One small downside was the Wi-Fi, which wasn’t very stable at times. We also booked several activities through the hotel, which turned out to be great choices – not only were they well organized, but also much better in terms of price and value than what we found online or through local providers. All in all, a truly delightful place to stay!

The Dhow Palace is a historic building in the heart of Stonetown and a 15 minute walk to almost anywhere in the old centre of the city, less if you don’t get lost. I have stayed there twice before and have always been impressed by the friendliness of the welcome and helpfulness of the staff. It is looking smarter than when I last stayed there and they have added a roof terrace, which I never got round to visiting. They have also expanded to create a set of apartments in a building 20 metres or so from the main entrance and I stayed in one because it offered much more space for roughly the same price. It consisted of a kitchen/lounge with a sink and a kettle but no other facilities for self-catering, a very large bedroom, and a decent sized bathroom with a magnificent shower set in an enclosed pedestal. The a/c was good and the only downside was that the windows overlooked what looked like a building site, although there was little evidence of work. I heard but did not see goats. Luckily the kids didn’t keep me up at night. I would recommend the apartments. They do not have quite the historic feel of the main building but that is more than compensated for by the extra space. The apartment building also features a fantastically ornate traditional door, complete with protruding studs which are apparently designed to deter charging elephants. As ever, the staff were outstanding, arranging an early check-in and retrieving a pair of bathing trunks which fell out of my window, where they were drying, onto an inaccessible roof.

Dhow Palce Hotel is an amazing, unique hotel, full of endless charm and character. It is very central and within easy walking distance of most of the key cultural points of interest in Stone town. All the staff were very welcoming, friendly and helpful, My room was spacious and clean, and the restuarant served delicious food throughout the day. As a solo traveller I felt very realaxed and at home. I hightly rate and recommend Dhow Palace Hotel, and can’t wait to visit again.