Extraordinary Africa>Tanzania>Zanzibar and Stone Town>Upendo House
Upendo House is a chic, contemporary boutique hotel with a fabulous location close to the legendary Forodhani Gardens in Stone Town. In a town of very traditional riad style hotels, this is a breath of fresh air, ideal for the young and the young at heart.
What’s Upendo House really like?
Upendo has 8 lovely rooms scattered across the 2nd and 3rd of its five floors – and bear in mind, this is historic Stone Town, so there are no lifts/elevators, and you can absolutely expect to regularly hear the call to prayer from the local mosques during your stay. Rooms have stylish modern design- each has different statement wallpaper, king sized beds and an ensuite bathroom. For those that choose to pay a little extra, the superior rooms have either a roll-topped bath or a little balcony overlooking the streets. Rooms are also air conditioned which probably isn’t needed in the cooler months but can be a real blessing in the sweltering February heat.
Despite the small size of Upendo, there’s a tiny spa, a great rooftop bar and restaurant, and amazingly for such a densely built town, a perfectly formed pool. When we last visited, we could imagine lounging here, toes in pool, cocktail in hand enjoying the view. However, we’d also encourage guests to wander down to the gardens at sunset and soak up the atmosphere. (A tip from us: do as the locals do- choose freshly cooked sizzling fish kebabs and not the expensive lobster, rumoured to be reheated another day if it’s not sold!)
In all we’d say this is a great value option. The more contemporary design is refreshing for some, off putting to others, but given the bonus of the rooftop bar and pool we’d say this is a pretty tempting option in Stone Town either way!
Want to know more? We’ve been here, so just
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