We used Stone Town as a home base to explore Zanzibar, and we would highly recommend it since there are a lot of restaurants and things to do while the beaches are still only a one hour ride away and make for a nice day trip. Oh yeah - about the hotel...the staff was extremely friendly, and it is a safe environment with clean rooms. The pizza is a hidden gem - it is truly amazing as the hotel is owned by an Italian couple. There are several sitting areas including a decent rooftop with a nice breeze flowing during the hot tropical days. They even watched our luggage after checkout because of a late afternoon flight. We would highly recommend the hotel for couples, families, and medium sized groups.