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READ ALSO: Mwanza Accommodation
When you think of the Tanzanian city of Mwanza, what comes to mind?
Do you think of the fact that Mwanza is Tanzania’s second largest city? Or, perhaps, do you think of fishing and fisheries, the economic sector that Mwanza is known for?
Personally, I think of a peaceful, scenic, lovely city on the shores of Lake Victoria with wonderful rock formations because that’s what it feels like to actually be in Mwanza.
Mwanza is a city that I enjoy a lot and get to do so often because it’s a regular stop on the journey between Dar es Salaam and my Tanzanian hometown Bukoba.
If you are thinking of visiting Mwanza soon and are wondering where to stay when you do, I’ve got a few recommendations for you today.
Here goes…
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Best Hotels in Mwanza Tanzania #1: Ryans Bay Hotel Mwanza Tanzania (Ryan Bay Hotel Mwanza Tanzania/Ryans Bay Mwanza)
Ryans Bay Hotel Mwanza is a pleasant modern hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria.
It has 50 rooms and 4 serviced apartments. Each guest room and suite at Ryans Bay Hotel Mwanza offers a magnificent view of the bay.
The hotel’s beds are large and comfortable. It has beautiful grounds with a large swimming pool. The service is friendly, and the hotel has great views of the lake.
Ryans Bay Hotel Mwanza is located very close to Mwanza’s city centre.
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Ryan’s Bay Hotel Mwanza Contacts
You can contact Ryan’s Bay Hotel either through their Mwanza office or their North American contact. Here are the details for those:
Mwanza Office in Capripoint Mwanza
P.O. Box 1904, Station Road,
Capri Point, Mwanza, Tanzania
Tel: +255-28-254 2347
Fax: +255-28-254 1702
Mobile: +255-784-699 393/+255-689-110 900
North American Contact
45 Burnhamill Place
Etobicoke, Ontario, Canada M9C 3S3
Tel: +1-(416)-626 9287
If you wish to contact the hotel by email, you can do so through the following email adress: manager@ryansbay.com.
READ ALSO: Mwanza Accommodation & More
2. Rock Bay Mwanza/Rockbay Mwanza
Rock Bay Mwanza is a small resort and campsite located between Mwanza and Geita.
More precisely, it is located in Busisi a short distance from the Kigongo-Busisi ferry terminal.
To find out more about Rock Bay Mwanza, click here.
Hotels Near Mwanza Airport
Here are some hotels near Mwanza Airport (MWZ), all located within about 10 km of the airport:
1. Malaika Beach Resort
Located approximately 2 km from Mwanza Airport. This is one of the closest and best-rated hotels in the area. It offers lakefront views, a swimming pool, a spa, a restaurant, and complimentary airport transfers.
2. Adden Palace Hotel & Conference Centre
About 4 km from the airport, this hotel is located along Airport Road. It has a pool, gym, conference facilities, a restaurant, and offers airport pickup service.
3. Hotel Kingdom & Apartments
Located along Airport Road, around 6–7 km from Mwanza Airport. It offers clean rooms, a gym, restaurant, free Wi-Fi, and is suitable for both short and extended stays.
4. Gold Crest Hotel Mwanza
Roughly 6 km from the airport, this is a popular 4-star option in the city center. It has modern amenities, a rooftop bar, fitness center, and can arrange airport transfers.
5. Ryan’s Bay Hotel
Around 8–9 km from the airport and located near the lake, Ryan’s Bay Hotel offers spacious rooms with lake views, a pool, restaurant, and good service.
6. New Mwanza Hotel
About 9 km from Mwanza Airport, located in the city center. This hotel is more budget-friendly, offering basic rooms, a restaurant, bar, and shuttle service on request.
Victoria Palace Hotel Mwanza
Here’s what I found about Victoria Palace Hotel in Mwanza:
📍 Location & Overview
- Situated in Capri Point, just ~1 km from Mwanza city centre and 10 km from Mwanza International Airport, the hotel offers easy access to both urban amenities and transport links (directory.stepsofwildlifeafrica.com).
- Perched on the shores of Lake Victoria, guests enjoy scenic views and a tranquil atmosphere (unitedrepublicoftanzania.com).
🛏 Accommodation & Amenities
- Offers a variety of room types: Standard, Deluxe, Twin, Executive, Suites, even a Presidential or Honeymoon Suite .
- Rooms include air conditioning, en‑suite bathrooms, private balconies (in some), flat-screen TVs, safes, and Wi‑Fi (hotel.travelstart.com).
- Amenities include a swimming pool, fitness centre/gym, spa/jacuzzi, conference/meeting facilities, airport shuttle service, laundry, 24‑h security, bar/lounge, and room service .
🍽 Dining & Recreation
- Main restaurant serves buffet breakfast and a la carte meals (local & international), plus a poolside bar/restaurant and Champagne bar .
- Guests can enjoy lounge areas, communal TV room, gardens, terrace spaces .
🌟 Guest Experience & Reviews
Positive Highlights:
- Warm, professional staff, with many guests praising excellent service, friendliness, and helpfulness (top-rated.online).
- Clean, spacious rooms with cozy beds; good value for money .
- Great breakfasts, with fresh juices and filling buffets; some mention nice lake views .
Criticisms & Caveats:
- Uneven maintenance: reports of old/dated furniture, malfunctioning elevators, occasional broken ACs or showers .
- Strong bug-spray smell, bug treatment in common areas may bother guests sensitive to fumes (tripadvisor.com).
- Restaurant is average in food variety/quality; some guests opt to eat elsewhere (top-rated.online).
- Construction work reported during some stays, causing noise and inconvenience (tropki.com).
- Immigration notification: hotel may report foreign guests to immigration, which caused delays for some (tripadvisor.co.za).
✅ Summary
Victoria Palace Hotel is a solid mid-upper-range option near Mwanza city centre. Guests can expect:
- Best-for: Friendly staff, lakeside setting, comfort, and good value.
- Considerations: Ageing facilities, occasional maintenance or renovation work, bug control practices, and basic restaurant quality.
🧭 Recommendations
- For leisure travelers, the views, pool, spa, and ambience make it appealing—just confirm no active construction.
- For business travelers, comfortable rooms + conference facilities + shuttle access + central location = serious convenience.
- If you’re sensitive to smells or expect frequent power/AC/elevator reliability, it might be worth checking current status before booking.
Hospitality Software in Dar es Salaam/Hotel Management Software in Dar es Salaam
If you are interested in reliable hospitality software in Tanzania, find out more about eZee Absolute here.
Hotel Management System Software in Dar es Salaam/Hotel Management System Software in Mwanza
I don’t know where you can get specialized hospitality software in Mwanza, but if you are interested in a Tanzanian company that deals with software for the hospitality industry, you might want to know more about Watabe Digital.
Three Other Mwanza Hotels
Hotel With Swimming Pool Mwanza #3: Hotel Tilapia
When I am in Mwanza, even for a few hours, I make it a point to drop by Hotel Tilapia, which is my favorite place in Mwanza.
Why? Because the terrace bar/restaurant with its sensational view of Lake Victoria and the rocks that earn Mwanza its nickname Rock City is so worth it!
The rooms are not as impeccable as at Malaika Beach Resort, but win-some—lose-some…I guess. 😉
POS System Mwanza/Best POS Software in Mwanza
There is no reason, if you are in Mwanza and looking for restaurant software, to restrict yourself to software that is specifically made in or is physically available in Mwanza.
With the power of the internet, you can also use solutions available to you due to the reach of the internet.
If you take this into account, then you might be interested in Smart POS Software. To find out more about how this system can work for your restaurant in Mwanza, email info@smartpossoftware.com or sales@smartpossoftware.com.
Alternatively call them on +1-(762)-233-3315.
Hotels in Mwanza Tanzania #4. Adden Palace Hotel
If it’s not important for you to stay on the shores of Lake Victoria when you are in Mwanza, or if budget is a big consideration, then the place you want to stay is Adden Palace Hotel.
Located near Mwanza airport, Adden Palace Hotel is very neat and clean.
The rooms are particularly comfortable—not only the beds but also the good air-conditioning and thick curtains that make the room very dark.
The service is very attentive, the food is notably good, and the lively outdoor bar is a nice place to hang out.
5. Hotels in Mwanza City Tanzania: Malaika Beach Resort (About 20 Minutes from Mwanza City Centre)
If you will be in Mwanza and want a beautiful place from which to enjoy the best of Lake Victoria’s beauty, then Malaika Beach Resort might be just the place for you.
Malaika has plush well-maintained grounds, with gorgeous views of the lake.
The rooms are beautiful and neat, and even the swimming pool has a great view of the lake (as you can see above).
Malaika Beach Resort is only a 10-minute drive from Mwanza airport and the resort offers complimentary airport transfers.
So there you’ve got it, folks: another short one from me today, hopefully giving you some ideas about where to stay if ever you are in Mwanza.
In case you are wondering what there is to do in and around Mwanza, I wrote all about it a while back here: A Guide to Mwanza, Tanzania. Enjoy!
Sticking to the subject of where to stay when you are visiting Mwanza, let’s discuss it in the comment section.
Let me know what you think about my Mwanza hotel suggestions, and tell me, too, if there are other places in Mwanza that you would like to recommend to me and others.
As always, I look forward to hearing what you have to stay.
Until the next time,
Biche
Photo Credits: VisitMode.Com, The Pink Backpack, Hotel Tilapia, Hansueli Krapf, Hade.
Have been living in Mwanza almost my whole life and the best Hotels I admire most are Ryan’s Bay Hotel and Malaika Beach Resort.
Either way, if you want some fun and amazing lake view while drinking Hotel Tilapia is the choice but I’m not a fan of that place. I hated the place after it became a place for ladies looking for foreigners to date with. But it’s a cool place to chill.
Hi Ally,
It is always a pleasure to see you on my blog! I am very pleased to see that my recommendations are approved by a Mwanza local. Shucks that that is how Hotel Tilapia has become. I can see how that could happen though. Is it particularly that way at night?
I have never personally witnessed that characteristic of it.
Biche