Utupoa is a very special place with special people. It’s not just a hotel with pretty, unique rooms - it’s a family run home with an almost 30 year long connection to the land and island. It’s like staying with friends and family. Joyce and Freddie were amazing and do was the staff. The beach is quiet, the village small and authentic and the whole place is filled with character, warmth and beauty.

The breakfast is on the basic side but served with love.

Utupoa was the best choice for the second 6 days of our stay in Zanzibar, it exceeded all our expectations. The location is perfect, quiet, right on the beach, on a great stretch of beach. The atmosphere of the building itself and the common areas is breathtaking, there is something interesting to see on every square centimeter, it gives a very special experience. Our room was clean and spacious. The food is excellent, and the shared dinners create opportunities to connect with others. I will never forget the kindness of Joyce and Maria, their positive attitude towards people left a deep impression on me. The staff is outstanding. They are kind, helpful in everything. We are grateful for the time we spent there, it was wonderful. I would like to return to this enchanted place one day.

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It truly felt like a home away from home. We travelled with our children, aged 2 and 6. Joyce, the owner, and the staff were all wonderful; we felt at home from the moment we arrived. We enjoyed a very comfortable and relaxing holiday right on the beach. The beach was not too crowded, very safe, and still close enough to many activities. Additionally, Joyce was really helpful in organising a car or a boat for excursions. She went out of her way to make sure we were comfortable. The pool was also excellent. When we weren't feeling like going out, the kids enjoyed running around with the dogs, while we sat with a book from her collection. There are also board games available. We loved the home-style meal times, breakfast, and the dinner buffet.

The property is stunning, full of beautiful art work and places to relax. We really liked the hammock. The staff working there were helpful - one guest who was unfortunate to stand on a sea urchin (of which there are many on the beach) had kind staff members remove the spines. They were friendly and helpful even though they seemed to be under a lot of pressure, many thanks to them!

The road leading to the hotel was very bumpy. In the room some of the plugs were not working and there were stains on the towels (see photos). On two mornings we did not have any water. Whilst we enjoyed the warm welcome at dinner, it felt as though guests did not have an option to sit separately at dinner. It felt a bit like being at school as there was a specific dinner time and if you did not arrive promptly there would not always be a lot left. Probably the biggest issue was the hawkers on the beach who would not leave guests alone, but we realise there is little the owners could do about them in reality. It is certainly unique but for the price I think we could have expected a bit more, especially the small touches like wifi in the room and more variety/quality at breakfast e.g. we asked for an omeletter but it was just fried egg with nothing in it.