Sultan Sands

4.5 star property

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your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Sultan Sands

Exterior
Birthday party area
Dining
Billiards
3 outdoor pools, pool umbrellas

Reviews

8.6 out of 10

Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • All-inclusive
  • Pool
  • Breakfast included
  • Spa
  • 24/7 front desk

Explore the area

Map
PO BOX 3276,KIWENGWA, NORTH EAST COAST, Kiwengwa, Unguja North Region
  • Kiwengwa Pongwe Forest
    7 min walk
  • Mapenzi Beach
    12 min drive
  • Kiwengwa Beach
    12 min drive
  • Zanzibar (ZNZ-Zanzibar Intl.)
    46 min drive

Room options

Bungalow (Baobab)

  • 14.45 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

Superior Room, With No Sea View (Bahari)

  • 60 sq m
  • Sea view
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Standard Room, Garden View (Pwani)

  • 29 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 Queen Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Superior Room, Sea Facing (Bahari)

  • 27 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

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About this property

Sultan Sands

Luxury hotel on the beach, with 3 outdoor swimming pools
At Sultan Sands, relax by one of the 3 outdoor swimming pools or spend the day at the beach where you can enjoy snorkelling.
Sultan Sands offers 76 accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors and feature minibars and a safe. This accommodation offers separate sitting areas. Memory foam beds feature premium bedding. Guests can surf the web using complimentary wireless Internet access. Bathrooms include a shower with a rainfall showerhead, and hairdryers. Additionally, rooms include complimentary bottles of water and a ceiling fan. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered on a daily basis.
3 outdoor swimming pools are on site along with a children's pool. Other recreational amenities include an outdoor tennis court.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on-site or nearby; fees may apply.

Guests can pamper themselves by indulging in the on-site spa services. There are massage/treatment rooms available. Services include facials and body treatments.
During your stay at Sultan Sands, you're just a quick walk from Kiwengwa Pongwe Forest. Features include free breakfast, free WiFi in public areas and free self-parking.
  • Free buffet breakfast served daily
  • Free WiFi
  • Free self-parking
  • Drinking and dining options include a restaurant, 2 beach bars and a bar/lounge
  • Take a swim in the 3 outdoor pools
  • Services include a children's club, dry cleaning/laundry and a concierge
  • On-site recreation includes an outdoor tennis court, a playground and bicycles to rent
  • Just a 1-minute drive from Kiwengwa Pongwe Forest and 12 minutes from Kiwengwa Beach
  • Airport pick-up shuttle service available for a fee
Some rates at Sultan Sands are all-inclusive. These rates include on-site meals and beverages, and may include taxes and gratuities. Additional charges may apply for meals at some restaurants, special dinners and dishes, certain beverages and other amenities.

As a guest of Sultan Sands, you'll find 3 outdoor swimming pools, an outdoor tennis court, and a children's pool. There's a restaurant on site, as well as a snack bar/deli. You can enjoy a drink at one of the bars, which include 2 beach bars and a bar/lounge. Free breakfast is served daily. Public spaces have free WiFi and wired Internet.

You'll find a business centre on site. Spa services, a terrace, and a children's club are also featured at the luxury Sultan Sands. A shuttle from the airport to the hotel (available 24 hours) is available for a fee. Self parking is free.

Smoking is allowed in designated areas at this 4.5-star Kiwengwa hotel.

Guests are served a free buffet breakfast daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Mwambao – On-site restaurant.
Kivuli Bar N Restaurant – Overlooking the ocean, this restaurant serves lunch and dinner. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. Open daily.
Mawimbi bar / Lounge – This pub overlooks the pool. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar. Open daily.

All-inclusive details

All-inclusive room rates at Sultan Sands are available. These rates are higher because they include on-site food and beverages in the room rate (some restrictions may apply).

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet

Parking and transport

  • 24-hour airport pick-up shuttle on request for a surcharge
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Free buffet breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM
  • 2 beach bars
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Snack bar/deli

Restaurants on site

  • Kivuli Bar N Restaurant
  • Mawimbi bar / Lounge
  • Mwambao

Family friendly

  • 3 outdoor pools
  • Arcade/game room
  • Children's club
  • Children's pool
  • Laundry facilities
  • Playground
  • Snack bar/deli

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Hair salon
  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Tour and ticket assistance
  • Turndown service
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Business centre
  • Conference centre

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • On the beach
  • Pool umbrellas
  • Terrace

Spa

  • Facials
  • Massage
  • Spa treatment rooms

Accessibility

  • No lift

More

  • 38 buildings
  • Banquet hall
  • Designated smoking areas
  • Mosquito nets

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Memory foam mattress
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Rainfall showerhead
  • Shower
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • 32-inch TV

Food and drink

  • Electric kettle
  • Free bottled water
  • Minibar

More

  • Access via exterior corridors
  • Air conditioning (climate-controlled)
  • Ceiling fan
  • Phone
  • Safe
  • Separate sitting area
  • Window screens

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; check-in end time: midnight
Contactless check-in and check-out are available
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age - 16

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM
Contactless check-out

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival
For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • Pets and service animals are not allowed at Sultan Sands

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • New Year's Eve (31 December) Gala Dinner per adult: USD 90
  • New Year's Eve (31 December) Gala Dinner per child: USD 45 (from 2 to 12 years old)
  • A tax is imposed by the city: USD 5.00 per person, per night

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 70 per vehicle (maximum occupancy 5)

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system and a first aid kit
Sultan Sands offers transfers from the airport (fees may apply). Please contact the property on the number on the booking confirmation with your arrival details prior to travel. Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival. For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation.

We should mention

  • Pets and service animals are not allowed on site.

Property is also known as

Sultan Sands
Sultan Sands Island Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Island Resort
Sultan Sands Island Resort Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Island Hotel Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Island Resort Zanzibar/Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Island
Sultan Sands Island Resort Zanzibar Island/Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Resort Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Resort
Sultan Sands Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Hotel
Sultan Sands Kiwengwa
Sultan Sands Hotel Kiwengwa

Sultan Sands Reviews

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 21 out of 43 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 16 out of 43 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 2 out of 43 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 43 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 43 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

8.6/10

Staff & service

8.6/10

Amenities

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Nancy

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We enjoyed!
A last minute booking that really delivered. There was an actual beautiful beach to walk on. Exceptional entertainment, variety and flavorful food, great staff.
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2024

8/10 Good

nena

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
It is amazing hotel, cosy and sweet…

10/10 Excellent

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing, lovely place to stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Jakub

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Everything was really nice.
Stayed 8 nights in Jan 2022

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Friends
We had a fun stay at Sultan Sands. It was very beautiful and the service was good. The location does feel a bit way from things and locals on the beach prevent any swimming or relaxation because of the constant selling.
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2021

10/10 Excellent

Michelle

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Stay, looking forward to return one day
Fantastic Stay!, comfortable, polite staff, Spa was amazing , Food was excellent and accommodating for Food Intolerances. Some of the Sunbeds could do with being improved, Cider, Rose and Procecco on the AI menu would be be a great Addition :)
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2021

8/10 Good

Samir Samsuddin

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2021

6/10 Okay

Emmanouil

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Not a 5* hotel, but nice location and beach
Hotel is NOT a 5* as shown on hotels.com Hotel is 4* so check again before book I paid for 5* but I realized soon that its not the case. Dinner mediocre boring food buffet, some fish and some beef cooked for guests but nothing special. I ended up eating pasta 3 days in a row. No wine list, only one available lager beer. Breakfast had limited options, Juices not fresh, some deserts were ok. Pool service not available. When asked for some food at the pool around 15-15:30 bcz our kids were starving they sent us to go to next hotel. When we asked for advertised kids room they sent us to next hotel. Even spa massage etc are done in next hotel (Blue bay). Only option at pool was to stand in line with all the ALL inclusive guests to order something. Asked for baby crib twice, reception said they had no cribs available (too many families) but later a cleaning lady saw my wife with babyand offered to bring a crib Expect some locals to try sell trips/coconuts/souvenirs on the beach, but for me its part of the experience, so nothing to worry, just smile and avoid them. Security always around so not worries. Wifi was not good in room, but worst was that our room was connected with next room by a locked door, so we could hear almost all noise from next door guests. Live music everynight and good atmosphere in general ! Personal was happy to help and with smile. When asked at receptiona at checkout about not being a 5* as advertised, they ignored me unfortunately...
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Zaytuny

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Property and location are both great. Really enjoyed our stay. All staff and bar tenders was amazing. Dass really went out of his way to ensure our stay was extra amazing.
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2019

10/10 Excellent

Pradeep

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great hotel, in a very beautiful location and lovely staff. We stayed there for six days and didn't want to leave! From the check in to check out, everyone was there to make sure we had a fantastic holiday and they always had a smile for us. Fantastic beach and really good evenings shows. Would definitely go back to Sultan Sands in Zanzibar. Thank you very much everyone and Special thanks to Dass!
Stayed 5 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very nice rooms, food and nice staffs Nice beach we enjoyed,a lot
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

Sameera

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Sultan Sands Stay
Our stay at Sultan Sands was nothing short of amazing. The service was exceptional. Dass, went over and above to ensure we had a good stay. We travelled with elderly people and the rooms provided were perfect for them to walk to and from the beach and/pool area. On an all inclusive package, the food was good and a huge variety of food everyday. The beach area is beautiful and sitting on the pool loungers on the beach was ideal to unwind. The location is also very good. Not too many tourists but at the same time it's not in the middle of no where. The snorkeling Centre on the resort makes it so convenient to travel out. We were particularly impressed with the service and value for money. Only suggestion would be is to have a kettle in the room for those who would like to have tea in the confort of there room. On the whole, a really nice place to stay at where you will get exceptional service and value for your money.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2019

10/10 Excellent

Jilna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We chose Sultan Sands for a 6 day family trip to Zanzibar. It did not disappoint! The hotel itself was amazing, beach was pristine but most of all the service was exceptional. All the staff were amazing but Dass Bangar (Resort Manager) truly went above and beyond. He was kind enough to provide a room closer to the beach for my elderly parents and happily catered for a vegetarian and a vegan in the group. That was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to exceptional service. Our family holiday would not have been the same without his constant care and attention. From all the Surani/Shah family... Thank you for a holiday experience we will never forget.
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2019

8/10 Good

Fahad

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good property with Amazing staff. The breakfast and dinner buffet was good and for the three nights I stayed in Sultan Sands, the food never felt repeated. The beach is neat and clean. Recommended.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018

10/10 Excellent

Heather, Derbyshire

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect for a week relaxing in Zanzibar
We stayed all-inclusive (good choice given the drinks prices) All the staff were really laid back – sometimes maybe a little too much but just go with it and chill – after all it’s what you are there for. We had a lovely garden room. They are semi’s. Ours was quiet but I guess it depends on who’s next door. The TV had lots of channels including 3 film channels in English. The shower leaked & the bathroom floor got quite wet. There was a fridge in the room & we were left a large bottle of water each day in the room. The room had both two pin and English plug sockets. Generally the food was pretty good – plenty of choice even for me as a vegetarian. Except Saturday night pool side buffet night was bad. It was all outside and cold. The entertainment was pretty low key which was great for us. Mostly just a band playing by the pool and some background music. The second week they did aqua aerobics in the pool which was loud & slightly annoying – we’d gone there to relax. The resort is pretty small & if full would be a bit cramped. Sunbeds are close together and the bars can get busy. The beach boys can get a bit tiresome. But if you just say hi & sorry you are not interested they are not too bad. Do take beach shoes – The beach is lovely – soft white sands but there are spikey urchins etc that could cause injury! When we arrived we were the only Brits – it was mostly German. Everyone was friendly but the Manager was English & all the staff spoke English so I don't know why?
Stayed 12 nights in Sep 2018

4/10 Poor

Katarina

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service
Unpleasant experience
After the whole day of travelling we have finely arrived to the hotel, we had to wait for a long time to get the room and when we did they came knocking after half an hour telling us we have to change the room and they took us to the smaller room which is next to the bar with a loud music. Even though we booked and payed a larger room they insisted we stay in the smaller one, after a lot of argument they gave us another room saying we cant stay in the first one due to booking of another guest which made no sense since we booked that room. We also booked all inclusive, when we arrived they didnt inform us about what is included in the price so until last day we didnt know what we actually payed for. Some of the staff were really amazing but some of them very rude we felt uncomfortable asking for anything. We transfered to another resort which is truly a paradise and continued our trip. Overall experience i wouldnt recommend this resort .
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2018

10/10 Excellent

Maude

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Relaxing holiday
Perfect resort to enjoy Zanzibar. I had my own little hut with an ocean view. The food was buffet style but varied from day to day. It was very clean. I had a good massage in the spa facility. Depending on the tide, the access to the ocean might require a long walk but there are two nice pools to compensate. Good for couples, families and solo travelers who are looking for tranquility.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2017

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Staff and Beach but not so great hotel facil
This is weird because the hotel should get a 7* for its Staff and Beach however the hotel facility such as bedroom should get a 3*. We weren't impressed with the facility so we asked for our room to be upgraded which they did to the sister hotel BlueBay, next door. Wonderful staff and great food, perfect performance too.

2/10 Terrible

Lisa, Denver Colorado

Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
" Worst Hotel Stay in Our Vacation History"
Two days into our stay, the phone woke us at 6:30 am. To ask us if we were checking out. We said no, we had two more days and tried to go back to sleep. They called our room every hour on the hour until I went to the front desk at 10:00 am. I was told they had no record of our reservation, and that we would have to check out. After producing the confirmation in writting, we were told it was a mistake on our part, and that we would have to change rooms. There was a family checking in that wanted our room. After telling them that our family was just as important as the one checking in,we were told the manager would find us later and that this would HAVE to be settled!!!!!! They were very disrespectful, and it was so stressful our son had a panic attack- not exactly the family vacation memories you want to cherish!!!! To make a very long story short we were harassed, they would not clean our room for 24 hours, the manager never sought us out and we only saw the manager because we demanded to see him upon check out and told them we would just wait. Never an apology for ruining the remainder of our stay. If you choose this hotel, choose cautiously bring everything in writting and duplicates- then you will still be told you're wrong! We have traveled a good bit and this is the worst we have ever been treated!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Clare, Brussels, Belgium

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

10/10 Excellent

Tim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2024