Baraza Resort and Spa Zanzibar

From the moment we were met at the airport, the service was exceptional! We were greeted with water in the car, then towels etc on arrival at the hotel. The positive energy from all of the staff made us feel welcome from the first moment. Nothing was too much trouble! The lovely lady (I think from Cuba , apologies dont recall the name) she welcomed us so warmly. Angela (our villa host) showed us around the resort and the amenities, she saw we were two friends so immediately offered to change the twin beds to a double in the second bedroom. Angela was informative and knowledgeable about both the resort and the excursions. We met Esther on our first night at the beach party (very chilled not a wild party), we casually mentioned we wanted to try Swahili cuisine. Each day, she ensured we had a Swahili dish to try (which was a lovely surprise!). She also gave us recommendations of local sunset views and things to do. She was friendly, she checked in on us daily and went above and beyond. Esther, your aura and energy with your personalised touch contributed to an amazing stay at Baraza. Food overall was good but not exceptional (except for the swahili food, that was 10/10). They had lots of variety, i.e. each day was a different theme. Evening meals are a combination of buffet and a La carte. All of the staff are extremely warm and friendly. We had lunch on the beachfront, it had a personalised menu and was a lovely experience - we would highly recommend! The resort grounds are beautiful and well maintained, each day the gardeners are out maintaining the gardens. The spa wow!! The BEST massage weve ever had, the body butter was insane, left the skin feel smooth and hydrated. The decor gave a deluxe luxury feel, so beautiful! Staff come to the room twice per day, cleaning in the morning, turn down in the evening setting up the mosquito net and folding back the duvet ready for bed.

Areas of Improvements The Iron needs replacing, it did not function well to adequately iron our clothes. There were a lot of bugs and insects coming into the villa as there are gaps under the doors by the garden. It would be good if the gaps could be filled to help stop them coming inside. The desserts could be improved, not great compared to the starters and mains. Overall a beautiful resort, service unmatched. Something to be mindful of is the low tide, during this time you don't see the crystal white sand and blue waters you'd expect in Zanzibar. This was the case during the majority of our stay (not the resorts fault).