With its many aspirational properties, low points prices and its partnership with Chase. World of Hyatt is by many considered to be the best hotel loyalty program out there. We recently had the chance to spend two nights at the Park Hyatt Zanzibar in a Park King Suite. This is the only Park Hyatt in Africa and is by many considered to be one of the best hotels in Zanzibar. Join us to find out what the experience was like!
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The Park Hyatt Zanzibar is a category 4 hotel in the World of Hyatt points redemption chart. This means that one night will set you back 15000 points. Considering the fact that paid rates hover around the $350-400 per night mark it’s an excellent use of your points. Moreover if you have the Chase Hyatt Visa or have spent at least 30 nights at Hyatt properties during the calendar year you can use your category 1-4 free night certificate for a free night.
We booked our two night stay using two category 1-4 free night certificates that were earned as the 30 night milestone benefit, and thanks to Bonus Journeys promotion that ran during the spring of 2021. It’s worth noting that these certificates have a short 6 month validity, and in order to use them you need to complete your stay before the expiry date.
For those looking to book a paid stay we would very much recommend booking through a Hyatt Privé booking partner. By booking through Hyatt Privé you will pay the standard rate but enjoy benefits such as free room upgrades subject to availability, complimentary breakfast for two, and a 100 USD per stay hotel credit.
The hotel sits right at the heart of Zanzibar’s Stone Town a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s housed in the home of the former Omani Sultanate, as well as a newer extension which was built prior to the hotel’s opening in 2015. Upon arrival the building looks fairly unassuming from the outside and had it not been for the rather prominent sign it would have been easy to mistake it for an upscale residential building.
As we entered the hotel we were greeted by our concierge Fauzi and the front officer Bakari who took care of the check-i formalities. As a Hyatt Globalist member we were upgraded to a Park King Suite situated in the newer part of the hotel. In addition to the suite upgrade Globalist members also receive complimentary breakfast for two. It’s worth noting that this hotel provides complimentary breakfast for all guests staying on paid rates, but if you’re staying here on points or free night certificates breakfast will normally not be included in your rate.
Our suite was located on the first floor of the newly constructed wing of the hotel. The suite is approximately 110 square meters large and features a bedroom, a master bathroom, a living room, a small office nook, and a powder room that also serves as a guest toilet. Lastly there was a balcony overlooking the public beach down below.
The suite is beautifully appointed in earthy tones, featuring marble tile floors, wooden accents on closets and wall panels, as well as design elements harkening back ot its former life as a palatial residence.
One particularly nice feature of the room was the bathroom which opens up straight towards the bedroom, this means that you can take a bath while still immersing in the fresh air coming in from the balcony.
The living room section was spacious, and we particularly enjoyed the television sets which had Smart TV enabled. While this feature is commonplace on most television sets sold today it’s still fairly rare at most hotels. Being able to stream Youtube and Netflix directly to the TV certainly adds value to the experience, especially on days when you’re not too keen on leaving the room.
The balcony offers a great view of the ocean and public beach down below, though one slight complaint is the noise coming in from the beach, especially late at night. While the noise did quiet down after midnight we would recommend bringing ear plugs if you’re a light sleeper.
Shortly after getting our bags unpacked we decided to explore the hotel facilities and amenities. While the hotel is large in size it only has 67 guest rooms including 11 suites. With such a low number of rooms you can expect the experience to be very private and serene. The hotel never felt crowded even as it was almost fully booked during our stay, and the overall atmosphere was relaxed and quiet.
The hotel features a restaurant called The Dining Room where breakfast, lunch and dinner is served. A cocktail bar called The Lounge is situated next door for those looking to enjoy a nice drink and a cigar. The hotel also features an infinity pool overlooking the Indian Ocean. This is where we decided to spend most of our time during the afternoons, basking in the sun.
Park Hyatts generally don’t offer amenities such as club lounges so if you’re expecting an evening cocktail reception like you’d normally get at a Grand Hyatt you will be somewhat disappointed.
The lack of lounge didn’t bother us, and instead we enjoyed a dinner and drinks in the restaurant. We ordered the indian chicken curry, and the prawn linguine pasta. The chicken curry was fantastic whereas the prawn linguine had to be sent back to the kitchen. Portion sizes were massive and in hindsight we would have been better off just ordering one main course and sharing, as they were big enough to feed two.
The breakfast was buffet style which have been phased out at many hotels in light of the pandemic. While most luxury hotels offer a la carte breakfast service we felt that the breakfast was somewhat lacking at this property.
Service was overall great and fully up to the expectations at a Park Hyatt hotel. Our concierge Fauzi was fantastic and for our second night he helped us make dinner reservations at The Emerson Teahouse – A must when visiting Stone Town.
While Stone Town is a perfectly safe place to move around during the daytime, it’s advised to be cautions when walking home at night. Thankfully the hotel offered to send a member of staff to walk us to and from the restaurant. A gesture that was greatly appreciated.
The Park Hyatt Zanzibar is by far the best hotel in Stone Town and if you’re visiting Zanzibar our recommendation is to spend at least two or three nights in Stone Town, either in combination with a safari on the mainland of Tanzania or after spending a week out on the beach resorts on the island.
It’s no doubt that this is a great points hotel, especially if you’re looking to maximize the value of your free night certificates. Hyatt are known to change the points category of their hotels with little to no notice, so there is always a change that the hotel will move up to a higher category in the near future.
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