Hôtel The Palms

The Psalms is an amazing and unique place! It has 7 villas total, that are styled in a classic East African Luxury style. The villas are large with two rooms and two large bathrooms (en-suite). Each villa has its own beach cabana which is wonderful. We really loved that this was a small resort, with just the 7 Villas. The grounds and pool and dinning areas are great. You can access the sister properties next door (walking) which includes a well stocked gym, spa, lap pool and tennis court. The food was outstanding. Probably the best part of staying here is the custom element.... You can order cappuccinos, tea, wonderful fresh juices at anytime of the day or night. Likewise with meals, you can ask for anything special and they will do their best to add this to the menu! We asked specifically for sushi one night and a flourless chocolate cake another night (we provided our favorite recipe) and they made this for us! Siriak is the perfect manager, super attentive, warm, helpful and very caring with all our specific requests and needs. All his staff are first-class. The beach walks are also wonderful. Even better, is that the beaches are much quieter than many places in east africa so you have a lot of peace when out walking and are not constantly disturbed by people selling goods. We look forward to returning soon!

There is very little we can add to the already excellent reviews of the Palms. Siriak and his team looked after us to a standard we did not expect. We could not have expected more. I cannot praise the team enough. Overall, the hotel teams were great.

Amazing holiday in one of the most beautiful and luxurous hotel in the world. Service was excellent, friendly and staff was always happy and smiling. They made us feeling so special. Food was delicious and we enjoyed 3-4 courses lunchs and 5-8 courses dinners feeling to be pampered! Almost every evening there was music entertainment and local cultural performance. Only seven villas guaranteed privacy and peaceful stay. Big and warm thank you to whole staff!

Hermosa villa con una cabaña frente al mar por cada villa. La comida deliciosa felicidades al chef! Los meseros maravillosos en especial Jackson que siempre nos atendió en la playa, alberca o en la villa. Las instalaciones espaciosas, limpias, cómodas. Ambiente muy tranquilo. dos noches hubo músicos en vivo tocando increíble y la cena deliciosa. Siempre la atención maravillosa.El mar tiende a bajar mucho permitiendo que entres a ver que hay coral con erizos y estrella de mar. Cuidado con los pies! Una visita maravillosa, el mar caliente… sin duda lo recomendamos y esperamos volver!

This review is long overdue but I found myself daydreaming of the Palms as I often do, and figured better late than never. I am an adventurous type who would never dream of staying in a hotel for the length of a vacation, let alone an all-inclusive experience. But for my honeymoon, I knew I would just want to rest. I scoured the globe for an all-inclusive resort that would be quiet and romantic but sustainably minded, that employs locals and gives back to the surrounding community rather than leeching resources from it. The Palms seemed to fit the bill so I took a chance based on the incredible reviews. I was cautiously optimistic but somewhat unsure what to expect. I cannot emphasize enough what a wonderful stay we had here. Even with the freak rains during our November 2023 stay, I would not have changed a thing. As a longtime NYC native and foodie, I was blown away by the freshness, flavor, and variety of food offered. We loved the opportunity to leave the resort for activities such as snorkeling, a tour of a spice farm, and a guided historical visit to Stonetown. But most memorably, the service provided by the Palms staff strikes the perfect cord: attentive but never invasive, kind but never ingratiating. Just genuine warmth. At times, the personal touches made me quite emotional as I've never really been cared for like this. One evening my new husband and I returned to our villa to find the bathroom tub had been filled with hot water and laden with flower petals, a total surprise. On another day, I thought I might ask for a coconut drink as I'd seen another guest having one the morning prior.. When I realized that the staff climb the trees to retrieve them fresh, and the trunks were too slippery because of last night's rain, I was horrified (please, don't risk your life for my refreshment!! I can easily forgo a coconut!). Two days later, I was presented with a coconut at breakfast. Someone had remembered my request from 48 hours beforehand and indeed climbed up a tree as soon as it was safe to do so. I was speechless. Another evening, manager Siriak was gracious enough to teach my husband and I how to play a traditional board game (bao), taking time out of what I'm sure is a full schedule to patiently explain the rules to us. One afternoon, my husband and I were enjoying the pool and saw Kibalabala leaving the poolside bar with drinks. "Those look delicious," we thought, so we caught him on his way past and asked if we might have two pina coladas. He agreed, but all the sudden I saw him abruptly turn around back to the bar. I was mortified... "Wait, Ben - he made those drinks for US!" Yes, he had put together some beautiful cocktails simply because he saw us enjoying the sunshine and wanted to offer us a nice beverage. We called him back, apologizing and thanking him profusely! (Of course, the drinks were incredible.) For the final meal of our honeymoon, the staff built a cabana BY HAND out of branches, palm fronds, and flowers for us to dine on the beach before we said goodbye to Zanzibar. Again, I was left speechless and almost brought to tears. This is the kind of thoughtfully, lovingly curated environment that turns a vacation into an experience that you think back on anytime you are stressed, or angry, or need a mental escape after you go back to your regular life. Nearly two years later, my husband and I still reminisce about Jackson's breezy skills behind the bar, Kibalabala's devotion to making sure we left the table stuffed, Maulid and Ngasa's wonderful smiles. I have never traveled to the same international locale twice, but for the Palms, I think we will have to make an exception. See you at our 10 year anniversary! Much love from New York!