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Zawadi House is a new up-market, boutique style luxury lodge in a quiet area of Arusha. All 13 rooms are comfortably equipped with a modern designed bathroom with all amenities, air conditioning, satellite TV and free internet access. The house is surrounded by lush green gardens with tall trees and pretty flowers. A cozy bar and small restaurant supply the finest drinks and cuisine. The ideal place to wind down after an intensive day.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Modern
Languages Spoken
English, Swahili
Location
128 Kundayo Road Kwa Shabani - Phillips, Arusha 23225 Tanzania
We arrived late at night and Regina greeted us. We spent a total of 4 nights over the course of 2 weeks. Our room was all we needed, especally lots of hot water to shower, air conditioning and a comfortable bed which we needed after summiting Kilimanjaro. We loved all the fresh fruit and vegetables that came with our meals, the stews and soup and not processed chicken. Regina even arranged to take me into Arusha to the Maasai market to do some shopping and it was a wonderful adventure. Thanks so much for Zawadi house, the staff, the beautiful grounds and artwork.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 12 Nov 2023
Hello Jeannes, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful experience at Zawadi House! We're thrilled to hear that your stay with us was quiet, restful, and accommodating. Thank you for acknowledging our staff, the beautiful grounds, and the artwork in our lodge. Your kind words motivate us to continue providing excellent service and experiences. We look forward to welcoming you back to Zawadi House in the future. Safe travels and once again, congratulations on conquering Kilimanjaro! Warm regards, Yvonne
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I cannot say enough good things about our stay at Zawadi House. The staff was incredibly accommodating, with a special shout out to Regina who was kind, helpful, and humble. A few notable points to help you make your decision to stay here:
1) Somehow I messed up the dates of our flights/stays and we had one night with no place to stay, though we were slated to stay at Zawadi the following night. I called and spoke to the manager, Yvonne, and she and Regina sorted and shuffled, and got us 5 rooms with very little notice, allowing us to be in the same place both nights.
2) The food was incredible. Aftie, the chef, was cheerful and super talented. She was essentially a one-woman show, and seamlessly made breakfast, lunch, and dinner for our party of 15. She even started breakfast early the day we left for the second leg of our trip and came out to sing and dance (Jambo Bwana, iykyk) with us as we departed.
3) Pemberton Bar is my new favorite bar. However, don't get me wrong, it isn't stockpiled with top shelf liquor and cocktails, BUT when the white wine ran out, Regina was able to pick up the phone and tap into her community to get restocked, and even let our party order a bottle of vodka with the wine. The small room comfortably accommodated the 15 of us, creating a fun atmosphere and cozy vibe for the night before we left for our safari.
The shower was hot and had great pressure, wifi worked in the rooms, they had monkeys and rabbits outside, and everyone was amazing. Do yourself a favor and experience the Familia Zawadi.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 23 Jul 2024
Dear JEbriannal, Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear about your positive experience at Zawadi House Lodge. Regina, Yvonne, and our entire team are dedicated to ensuring our guests have a memorable stay, and we're glad they could accommodate your needs. It's great to hear you enjoyed Aftie's incredible meals and the lively atmosphere at Pemberton Bar. We're delighted you appreciated the hot showers, reliable wifi, and the charming wildlife around our lodge. We look forward to welcoming you back to experience the Familia Zawadi again! Warm regards, Yvonne - General Manager
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Such a natural beauty, quiet and highly welcoming & courteous staff. The weather and general environment around Zawadi House and generally Arusha is a superior blend of warm and cool days; averagely cool nights - no stress! Sheer enjoyment.
The meals are deliciously made to real taste; clean and averagely spacious rooms add to the value for money for Zawadi House
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 16 Feb 2024
Dear Rogers, Thank you for your pleasant review! We are delighted you enjoyed the natural beauty and tranquility of Zawadi House. Our team takes pride in providing a welcoming and courteous atmosphere. We are also happy that you appreciated the delicious meals and found our rooms clean and spacious. Your positive feedback is truly appreciated. We look forward to hosting you again for more enjoyable moments at Zawadi House. Best regards, Yvonne.
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My wife and I stayed one night and the staff exceeded our expectations.
We told the receptionist (Nicholas) that we wanted a driver to go to the cultural heritage site to have lunch and to do some shopping in the area. He kindly arranged for the driver (Mahkalo) to take us and even negotiated ($30 USD to $27 USD ~ 63,000 shillings round trip).
Our driver spoke English fluently, took us to the cultural heritage site and even told us stories of his time as a tour guide, other national parks, and the history of Tanzania and Arusha.
We had lunch at the cultural site, walked around the museum, and he waited patiently for us. We then went to the grocery store where they accepted credit card and purchased sodas, sandals, biltong (beef jerky), and snacks. Mahkalo waited for us and continued to take us back to the lodge.
I accidentally bought regular coke and asked Nicholas if he could help me. He ended up going to the story for me and told me the price of Diet Coke and then I asked him to purchase 6 of them for me and he brought them back within minutes. The staff exceeded our expectations and woke us up for breakfast, and even thanked me after the stay. I highly recommend this place!
The shower was piping hot, the AC was perfect, the TV was clear, and bed was comfortable. I would stay here again!
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from HONEST MARANDU, Owner at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 30 Aug 2022
Dear Samy, we thank you for staying with us and for your review. We are also pleased to note that Nicholas attended to you well and you were happy with our hospitality. We feel proud that we exceeded your expectations. Have a nice day.
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I really wanted to like this place. I heard about how they created this boutique hotel from an old German plantation house.
Things started well when their driver Edwin picked us up from our late flight into Kilimanjaro Airport, drove us the slow 90 minute ride to Zawadi, and gave us a great impromptu tour.
We checked in with Nicholas, a new trainee with the hotel who had a hard time understanding my English.
July is the middle of the cold dry season in Tanzania and we found the room nice, a little dated, but very cold. We asked for additional blankets but Nicholas could only find one blanket even though only 3 other groups were staying at the hotel!
We had both dinner and breakfast at the in-site restaurant. The dinner entrees were salty and the portions were small compared to what we had received elsewhere.
We checked out with Yvonne in the morning. She was great at allowing us to use our credit card to pay for the one-night stay.
I know that Zawadi Lodge is trying very hard but there need to be some improvements. I know that Arusha is very expensive so finding another place in the same price range is not easy (I suggest Researchers Rest as an alternative). But next time I will probably spend a little more and find a better stay.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:Â Be sure to ask for extra blankets in the cold dry season.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 4 Aug 2022
Dear beem4johns, thank you for your feedback. We are sorry that our services did not meet your expectations. We have taken a note and will take corrective actions. Please stay with us again when you are in Arusha. Have a nice day. Yours sincerely, Yvonne.
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Zawadi House is very nice place. I imagine, it used to be a wealthy family’s home some day and then converted into a lodge. All staff members are super nice and ready to help at anytime. Emmanuel, the manager, was there to greed us and he made sure we were happy with our room. Neomi, the chef, was very nice and she provided a very personalized service, with good healthy food. We didn’t have the time or the desire to explore the area so I can’t comment on that; although we were told that it was safe. It didn’t seem to me like there was a market or commercial area nearby. I didn’t give this lodge a 5, because I think it could be a bit cleaner. This is not to discourage anyone from booking, it is to encourage management to push it up to get a 5! The beds were comfortable and clean. Very nice yard with flowers and big trees. Zawadi House was a good choice as we passed through Arusha on our way to the Serengeti.
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â Quiet, nice place, not fancy.
Safe parking (we didn’t use it bu I know it’s available)
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 8 Sept 2021
Dear Dbonilla1560, thank you very much for staying with us and for your valuable feedback. We are pleased to note that you enjoyed our hospitality, and our team made your stay comfortable. We would be grateful to host you again. Best Regards.
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Zawadi House is a very nice small hotel - I spent a total of 4 nights there. The staff was very attentive. The rooms could use some new carpet, but are otherwise nice and well equipped. Very nice breakfast and the dinners are fantastic as well - just know that your dinner is cooked FRESH so it takes 45-60 minutes, but worth the wait.
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Date of stay: August 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 12 Sept 2024
Dear Don, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience at Zawadi House. We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our attentive staff, delightful breakfasts, and fantastic dinners. Our team takes great pride in preparing fresh meals, and we're glad you found them worth the wait. We appreciate your feedback regarding the room carpets. Your comments are invaluable to us as we strive to enhance our guests' comfort and satisfaction. Please know that we are considering updates to our rooms to ensure an even better experience in the future. It was a pleasure having you stay with us for those four nights, and we hope to welcome you back on your next visit to the area. Warm regards, Yvonne
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The welcome and service was genuine and warm. Rooms were clean, decent and comfortable, despite some initial inconvenience. Food was good as well, we had hearty breakfasts! Location is worth it, with the supermarket and local souvenir shops not further than 15 minutes away from the lodge. All in all, a wonderful place to spend a relaxing weekend!
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 7 Jul 2024
Dear Freya1101, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience at Zawadi! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed our warm welcome, genuine service, and comfortable accommodations. It's great to know that you appreciated the hearty breakfasts and found our location convenient for exploring the local area. We apologize for any initial inconvenience you faced and are glad it did not overshadow your overall stay. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we continually strive to enhance our guests' experience. We hope to welcome you back to Zawadi for another relaxing stay! Warm regards, Yvonne - General Manager
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Very nice place to stay out just outside Arusha. The place is nice and quiet and this is ideal if you do not wish to be in the heart of the hustle and bustle of Arusha city. You’re about 10mins drive so very close.
The accommodation is a great place to relax and unwind and good value. The decor and the rooms are slightly beginning to show some wear and tear but all in all, still a good place. I suppose this will be handled by upcoming renovations.
The staff are brilliant. Nicholas and Afti were brilliant. Nicholas was super helpful and gave great advice as well as always being on hand. Phenomenal guy. Afti as the Chef also prepares really great meals and one must definitely try the ugali.
Have to warn though that the road to get there appears a bit rough but it’s not dissimilar from what we observed when travelling around Tanzania. The main highway is spotless, but the side streets are not paved. Would not hesitate to boom here again and if the trip to climb Kilimanjaro arises, I will definitely stay here again before setting off.
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 12 Nov 2022
Dear NixSey, we appreciate your review. We are proud to note that our staff hosted you well and you enjoyed our hospitality. Your comments regarding improvements to be made are well noted and will be actioned. Thank you very much for staying with us. Have a nice day. Best Regards, Yvonne.
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This is my first ever hotel review but I have to write a review due to the excellent hospitality of the staff. Our team of four stayed at Zawadi House Lodge while we were in Tanzania. Regina took very good care of us during our stay prior to and after our Kilimanjaro hike and safari trip. Nothing is too much trouble, Regina and the staff at Zawadi House Lodge always do their upmost best to address the needs of our team. Our conversations always fill with laughter and joy.
The rooms are spacious and the food is excellent. Regina and the chef make sure our dietary needs are catered for. The vegetarian food is excellent, I can still remember the freshness of the ingredients.
Regina and the team in Zawadi House Lodge, thank you for your hospitality and friendship. We miss you all.
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Yvonne Marandu, General Manager at Zawadi House Lodge
Responded 20 Jul 2023
Dear aaljt, Thank you for sharing your first-ever hotel review. We are delighted to hear about the exceptional hospitality you experienced at Zawadi House during your time in Tanzania and grateful to hear that Regina and the staff took excellent care of your team, addressing your needs with genuine warmth and laughter-filled conversations. We appreciate that we made your stay truly memorable. We are grateful for your kind words and look forward to welcoming you back to Zawadi House in the future. Best Regards, Yvonne.
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Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania129 contributions1 helpful vote
Hello Alexandra,
Zawadi House is a very safe place, including its surroundings. The transfer from Kilimanjaro International airport costs US$ 60. We have a car at the lodge that can take you around Arusha.
Welcome to Zawadi House. We are eagerly waiting to host you.
Best Regards,
Irene Marandu
General Manager
There are more places to choose from in the Arusha area.
PRICE RANGE
HK$614 - HK$855 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
TanzaniaArusha RegionArusha
NUMBER OF ROOMS
13
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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