Luxury hotels in Zanzibar: 10 addresses between Stone Town and the East coast

The Neela Boutique Hotel Stone Town occupies a restored Swahili dwelling in the Shangani district, a two-minute walk from the seafront. The rooms blend mangrove wood beams, whitewashed walls and sourced Zanzibari furniture, some with a balcony over the cobbled alley. The rooftop offers a clear view over the rooftops of the old town and the ocean, ideal for breakfast or a drink at sunset. The restaurant serves revisited Swahili cuisine, local spices and fish from the Darajani market. The intimate scale (8 rooms) guarantees attentive service, far from beach resorts. From 384 € per night, an honest value for money for Stone Town, where characterful addresses can be counted on one hand. We recommend it for immersion in the UNESCO heritage, not for palace comfort ✨

The Madinat Al Bahr Business & Spa Hotel occupies a seafront at Mbweni, in the southern outskirts of Stone Town. We come here for the equipped conference rooms, the ocean-facing pool, the spa that lives up to its name. The rooms are functional, air-conditioned, with stable Wi-Fi, designed for business clients who extend their stay with a beach weekend. The restaurant serves a correct international menu, without surprises, with a terrace feet in the sand. The Booking rating (8.7/10 from 423 reviews) reflects efficient service and impeccable cleanliness. From 161 € per night, parking and airport shuttle included, it offers good value for Zanzibar when we seek comfort and sea access without giving up Wi-Fi.

The Zanzibar Serena Hotel occupies two restored historic buildings on Shangani Street, facing the Zanzibar Strait. We sleep in rooms with vaulted ceilings, carved teak wood doors, polished coral stone floors. The infinity pool overlooks the ocean directly, surrounded by bougainvillea and palm trees, with views of dhows passing offshore. The restaurant serves honest Swahili-Indian cuisine, without gastronomic pretension, but the terrace setting makes up for the menu. The service is attentive, sometimes slow at peak times. From 262 € per night, it is the only historic palace with its feet in the water in Stone Town ✨

The Park Hyatt Zanzibar occupies two restored colonial buildings on Shangani Street, at the north-west corner of Stone Town. We sleep in rooms with four-metre ceilings, Swahili teak wood, white marble bathrooms, views over the ocean or the medina roofs. The infinity pool on stilts extends fifteen metres above the water, a rare privilege in a Unesco-listed town where building is forbidden. The Anantara spa offers massages with Zanzibar spices (clove, cardamom), cabins with views over the strait. The service is attentive without being intrusive, staff speak Swahili, English, Italian. From 832 € a night, we pay for the unique location and history, not the design (classic Hyatt, no surprises). Book it for the seafront spot in the old town, not for innovation ✨

Kisiwa House occupies a restored merchant's dwelling on Baghani Street, one of the historic arteries of Stone Town. The carved Zanzibar wooden doors, makuti ceilings and shaded courtyards recall 18th-century Swahili architecture. We sleep in rooms with whitewashed coral walls, dark wood furniture, ceiling fans, old-fashioned tiled bathrooms. The restaurant serves honest Swahili-Indian cuisine, room service available until 22h. The airport shuttle eases arrival from Abeid Amani Karume (15 km, 30 minutes). From 211 € per night, rating 8.8/10 on 483 reviews, reflecting a well-kept address but without palace pretensions. Stone Town is explored on foot from the door, the spice souk five minutes away ✨

The Zanzibar Palace Hotel occupies an Omani residence from the 18th century in the Kiponda district, two streets from the seafront. We sleep in rooms with makuti ceilings, carved four-poster beds, Zanzibari doors in solid wood recovered from old Arab houses. The spa offers massages with local spices (clove, cardamom) in a vaulted coral room. The rooftop terrace offers a clear view of the minarets and the port, ideal at sunset with a tamarind juice. The service remains attentive without being stiff, the team knows Stone Town by heart. From 112 € per night, it is a characterful address for those who want to avoid beach resorts while enjoying the comfort of a 5★. ✨

Bellissimo Boutique Hotel occupies a 19th-century merchant's house on Hurumzi Street, one of the oldest arteries of Stone Town. The carved Zanzibari teak wood doors, exposed beam ceilings and coral stone floors bear witness to Swahili-Omani architecture. We sleep in rooms with whitewashed walls, colonial furniture, brass fans, zellige bathrooms. The restaurant serves honest Swahili-Indian cuisine, without gastronomic pretension, but the rooftop remains the real asset: 360° view over the corrugated iron roofs, minarets and the port. From 86 € a night, a rare rate for a 5★ in the heart of the UNESCO historic centre. The Wi-Fi works everywhere, the airport shuttle avoids negotiations with taxis. A good base camp to explore Stone Town without sacrificing comfort ✨

Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat Zanzibar occupies a stretch of coast at Michamvi, on the eastern peninsula of the island. We count five villas only, each with private infinity pool facing the ocean, personal butler, equipped kitchen. The interiors blend teak wood, white linen, hand-carved Zanzibari furniture. The spa offers Ayurvedic treatments and Swahili massages in pavilions open to the tropical garden. The white sand beach stretches 200 metres, almost private at high tide. From 853 € per night, we pay for exclusivity and tailor-made service. An address for those who want Zanzibar without the crowds of large resorts ✨

Samawa Living occupies a stretch of beach in Paje, east coast of Zanzibar, facing the kitesurfers who slalom between the sandbanks at low tide. We slept in suites in teak wood and white linen, air-conditioned, with private terraces overlooking the ocean. The spa offers authentic Ayurvedic treatments, massages with warm coconut oil, therapists trained in Sri Lanka. The infinity pool runs along the beach, teak sun loungers under the coconut palms, cocktail service until 22h. The restaurant serves grilled fish and Swahili curries, short but well-executed menu, dinner with feet in the sand possible. From 187 € per night, it's a rare value for money for a 5★ with feet in the water in Zanzibar. We recommend it for a wellness retreat or the end of a safari, not for partying ✨

The Sensations Eco-Chic Hotel occupies a seafront plot in Pwani Mchangani, a fishing village in the north-east of the island, 45 minutes from Stone Town. We slept in suites with whitewashed coral walls, roofs of woven makuti, furniture in driftwood recovered from the beaches. The infinity pool extends the view to the turquoise waters, lined with FSC teak loungers. The spa offers massages with clove oils and local seaweed wraps, cabins open onto the tropical garden. The restaurant serves grilled catch of the day and Swahili curries, short menu renewed according to arrivals. From 281 € per night, an address for those seeking calm without sacrificing comfort, with a real ecological approach (solar panels, seawater desalination, organic vegetable garden). The white sand beach stretches over three kilometres, almost deserted during the week ✨

L'Alma Boutique Hotel occupies a stretch of beach in Jambiani, fishing village 60 km south of the airport. We count 10 rooms, contemporary Swahili architecture in coral stone and teak wood, polished terrazzo floors, white mosquito nets suspended. The infinity pool overlooks the ocean, teak loungers under coconut trees, towel and fresh drinks service all day. The spa offers Ayurvedic massages and monoï treatments, cabins open onto the tropical garden. From 358 € per night, consistent rate for a 5★ boutique on the beachfront with a score of 9.3/10. The Wi-Fi connection works well in common areas, less stable in some garden-side rooms. We recommend for a beach retreat of three to five nights, away from the hustle of Nungwi ✨

Ycona Eco-Luxury Resort occupies a seafront in Marumbi, little-built east coast, 45 minutes from Stone Town. We stayed in villas in teak and makuti wood (woven palm), local materials, natural ventilation, terraces facing the Indian Ocean. The resort claims an eco-responsible approach: solar panels, seawater desalination, organic vegetable garden for the restaurant, but single-use plastic remains at the spa. The infinity pool overlooks the white sand beach, few people even in high season. Attentive service without being intrusive, Tanzanian staff trained on site. From 509 € per night, rate justified by the location and the quality of the rooms, less by the dining which remains correct without being memorable. An address to truly disconnect, far from the saturated resorts of the north-west ✨

The Tembo Kiwengwa Resort occupies a seafront on the East coast of Zanzibar, in Kiwengwa, a fishing village turned seaside resort. We tested the standard rooms: light tiles, tropical wood furniture, balcony with partial or total ocean view. The three pools are spread throughout the garden, the main one faces the beach, sun loungers and parasols in sufficient numbers even in high season. The spa offers Swahili massages and coconut oil treatments, cabins open to the vegetation. The service is attentive without being intrusive, Tanzanian staff trained to international standards. At 165 € per night, it is one of the best value for money on the coast for a 5★ in half-board or full-board. Booking rating of 9.1/10 on 461 reviews, consistent with our experience ✨

TOA Hotel & Spa Zanzibar occupies a preserved stretch of coast in Pongwe, 45 minutes north of Stone Town. We counted 24 rooms spread across low buildings in coral stone and teak wood, with private terraces overlooking the ocean or tropical gardens. The spa offers Ayurvedic treatments and Swahili massages in pavilions open to the vegetation, heated seawater pool, Moroccan zellige hammam. The beach remains accessible at low tide for kilometres of white sand, at high tide the water rises to the sun loungers. The restaurant serves Afro-Mediterranean fusion cuisine with daily catch and local spices, attentive service without being stiff. From 384 € per night, it is an address to truly disconnect, far from the resorts of Nungwi. We recommend for a first time in Zanzibar or a discreet honeymoon ✨

The Safira Blu Luxury Resort & Villas occupies a stretch of beach north of Nungwi, away from the crowds of Stone Town. We tested the villas with private pool: teak floors, makuti thatched roofs, terraces open to the Indian Ocean where the water shifts from turquoise to cobalt blue depending on the hour. The scale remains human, only around twenty units, which guarantees attentive service without being stifling. The spa offers treatments with local spices (clove, vanilla), the communal pool overlooks the beach. From 803 € per night, a rate consistent for an address that bets on intimacy rather than XXL facilities. Our verdict: one of the best options for a high-end beach stay in Zanzibar, without the gigantism of the resorts in the south-east ✨

Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa occupies a stretch of Paje Beach, on the east coast of the island, where the turquoise lagoon turns deep blue at high tide. Twelve villas in teak wood and makuti thatch, each with private infinity pool, terrace facing the ocean, king bed under embroidered mosquito net. We slept in the Villa Bahari, 120 m², polished coral stone floor, outdoor shower under the palms, absolute silence except for the surf. The spa offers Swahili massages with clove oils, the restaurant serves daily fish grilled over wood fire, lobsters from Nungwi, octopus curries. From 917 € per night, discreet service, international clientele who flee the 200-room resorts. It is one of the three Relais & Châteaux addresses in Tanzania, and it shows in the attention to detail ✨

The Johari Beach Resort occupies a white sand beach in Kizimkazi, a Swahili village in the south of the island where dhows still return by oar. We are 1h15 from Stone Town, on an almost deserted coast, facing the Menai channel where humpback dolphins pass every morning. The rooms overlook the Indian Ocean, local materials (makuti, coconut wood), silent air conditioning, coral stone bathrooms. The spa offers Ayurvedic massages and Zanzibari clove treatments, infinity pool facing the waves. From 264 € per night, a rate consistent with this level of service and this tranquillity. The resort remains family-run (local management), attentive service without rigid protocol. We recommend for those seeking Zanzibar off the beaten track, with the comfort of a 5★ ✨