Moonshine Uroa Boutique Hotel

Our arrival at Moonshine Uroa Boutique Hotel was immediately unsettling. The Reception Lady (who I later learned was the manager's wife) greeted us with a judgmental and unwelcoming demeanor. She rudely demanded our passports without explanation, and when we inquired about the procedure, she rolled her eyes, raised her voice, and treated us with harsh disrespect. We had arranged for a shuttle, and were told it was waiting for 2 hours (the manager said 3 hours) but we called and texted the hotel while we waited at the port for over an hour. We received no response. We were then told that our request was short notice even though we booked since October 2022 and notified them of any changes in advance. The number provided on Booking.com was invalid, adding to our frustration. The situation escalated when the manager began yelling at us, behaving in a manner that felt threatening. When I asked him why his wife had been rude to me and my daughters, implying that it was due to our race, he continued to yell, shocking other staff members. To diffuse the situation, we tried to explain that there was a miscommunication, but the manager continued to insist that they were correct and that we were lucky they weren't charging us. As I walked away, the manager continued to insult me, and I felt increasingly targeted. He became visibly angry, turning red and stepping close to my face, prompting me to walk away in fear for our safety. The property itself was not as advertised. It was located in a remote and isolated area, giving us a sense of unease and vulnerability. The taxi driver even commented that he would not recommend staying there, describing it as "dodgy" and unlike a hotel. The entrance was overrun with cats, and the overall atmosphere was far from family-friendly. Upon arrival, we saw a sign saying Masai security property, so we asked if we were at the right property or not with our taxi driver, the driver said that he would not recommend us to stay there it's dulgy! It didn't look like a hotel... It looked like somewhere where people hide themselves to cheat on their partners! The manager's wife handed the room keys to my daughters instead of me, and when I protested, the porter was instructed to show us the room anyway. The room we were given was not the one we had booked, and it appeared to be hastily prepared with unfinished painting and broken doors. The toilet and sink were also broken, and the room did not resemble the photos or facilities advertised. We felt unsafe and even feared that the drinks offered by the waitress might be poisoned. We noticed rose petals which verified my suspicions that the property is for " hookers" and men who sell their services to women on holiday, everywhere we turned were couple who are not married to, cause we heard few conversations talking about " I have to let my family know that my meeting will take longer" one of them confirmed what he was doing there when he asked me how come we were outside? He was very disappointed with the management ( he was a local working to please foreigners). The room was infested with ants, the towels were stained brown, and the door could not be closed without locking it. As a disabled person who walks with a cane, I received no assistance whatsoever. We felt so unsafe and uncomfortable that we immediately contacted a friend to arrange for new accommodation and transportation. We stood outside, refusing to even sit down, until our new taxi arrived. After cancelling our booking and filing a complaint against the property management, Booking.com has failed to refund our money. This constitutes fraud, and I intend to pursue further complaints against Booking.com if a full refund and compensation are not provided immediately. They NEVER refunded our money! would not take your family there....

A lot of pluses and one huge minus. First of all, the beach is divine - clean, very vast at low tide, practically empty. I stayed in a bungalow on the beach and I just loved waking up to the view. The bungalow itself is fine, bed comfortable, just the bathroom could be cleaner and refurbished a bit (very low water pressure, very dim light, fungus in the shower). Food at the restaurant was excellent (although the portions somewhat small), staff very nice. Now to the bitter part: out of my 5-day stay that I really enjoyed, Saturday was a nightmare. A big group of tourists was occupying the restaurant and nearby area all day, playing loud music. When asked to turn it down, they did for 5 minutes, and then it was going on again. When that finally ended about 6pm, the music at the pool bar started, with bass so loud, that the floor of the bungalow was vibrating. The staff was totally unbothered when asked to turn the music down. There was literally nowhere to hide from the noise. I would be more understanding if it was Ibiza, but for a village that advertises itself as a quiet fisherman village - for me it was the main reason I chose it - it’s unacceptable. Fortunately there was literally no one at the bar, so the ‘party’ didn’t last very long, but way too long for my patience (I was particularly disappointed with Danilo’s the manager indifference). Daily visits from a local cat were a very nice touch.

Didn’t know what to expect after reading some of the reviews, but we had an amazing stay here! Would love to come back. It’s not a five star resort, but you’re not paying for that either. Charming villa right on the Indian Ocean, very good value for money. Our favorite place in Zanzibar, and yes we visited the more famous (and far more busy and expensive) Nungwi and Kendwa. Nice, clean bungalow with good AC, spectacular view of the ocean 😁 Good food and drinks at a reasonable price, and very friendly and helpful staff. A relaxing and hidden gem on the east coast. Also the beach is stunning.

We’ve travelled to several different accommodations across Zanzibar and we have found the absolute best one by far. The bungalow we stayed had a fan, air-conditioning, pool, bar, restaurant and was a stones throw away from the ocean and separated from us by a clean, sparkling white beach. The staff were all super friendly and the management very accommodating to our every need and request. The pizzas were fantastic value for money, the drinks very reasonable and the overall experience was much better than even a couple of the five star resorts we visited. We would definitely love to come back here.

This could be such a great hotel but it isn’t. We have left a day early as just couldn’t sleep with no air conditioning despite complaining three times. No room safe, no fridge and bathrooms pretty disgusting. The whole place needs investment and could be fantastic as great location and nice laid back atmosphere. Restaurant terrible too go next door to Avo. Seem to be plenty of staff but not being managed and the owner doesn’t seem too interested. We have been beside the pool for three days looking at an empty beer crate and dirty ashtray for the same length of time. Such a shame but we won’t be back. It really is a case of you get what you pay for and hence it is so cheap.

Nice beach and vibe at the hotel, but absolutely nothing works here as others has also reviewed. We booked three nights but left after one. We had no electricity, no water/ just a bucket, no service and just stress trying to get them to do anything at all. We did not pay for this terrible experience, only food, just refused.