Zanzibar House

Not only is this hotel situated in an stunning spot looking out onto the white beach between matemwe and paje, this hotel also boasts of a beautifully designed interior and delicious food, a curio shop and amazing staff. While we were they kindly helped us celebrate our parent’s 22nd wedding anniversary and baked a wonderful cake for us . But one of the best things about this place is that as much as it seems like paradise it is not a completely cut off from the activities and life on the island, the staff are more than happy to organise trips and give advice about excursions to the local villages, and out to sea . It’s a beautiful hotel in harmony with the beauty and hustle and bustle of the island. It is honestly very hard to leave.

Very charming boutique hotel, with very nice rooms and common areas. Direct access to the beach, and very nice restaurant inside, with great and varied cuisine.

I had a lovely stay at Zanzibar House for 10 nights - if you’re looking for a place to relax away from the crowds, this is it! It’s a beautiful spot overlooking the beach. As there are only 7 rooms, it felt like a home from home - the family who own the place were lovely & friendly and the staff were excellent, they were on hand for anything you needed. The masseuse was superb - I highly recommend a massage. The family organised multiple day trips for me & kindly took the time to talk me through available options. The room was large with a massive balcony - it was clean and housekeeping visited twice a day. |Dinner was a four course meal every night, with generous portions - the octopus carpaccio and fish ravioli were real highlights. Thank you Maxi & Miria, I had a wonderful stay!

Our stay at the Zanzibar House was amazing.||The team, both front and back of the house, is a credit to themselves and to the hotel.||Care, attention to detail, service, quality of drinks, and unforgettable meals were second to none.||Our rooms were tidy, clean, comfortable, and serviced exceptionally well.||The manager was an excellent aid for many things and possessed great organizational skills. He was the man to go to for trips and specific needs.||With seven rooms and more than adequate space for a relaxed stay, I would not hesitate to say to anyone, "Go and enjoy!"

This is the perfect place to chill out. I loved the amazing sunrises and the beautiful white sandy beach just a minute from the garden. This is a small hotel, and the staff are the friendliest I have every experienced. There is a huge selection at breakfast time including fruits, yogurt, eggs, pancakes etc., and we had plenty of variety for our evening meals too. They also make great cocktails.||We checked out a local beach shack and another restaurant nearby during our stay to mix the evening meals up a bit. || Our room was spacious, and the balcony faced the sea which was ideal to catch the sunrises. The hotel isn't far from the local attractions, and they will arrange day trips for you. We would certainly return and use it as a base to explore more of the island. Be prepared to share the space with the family-owned cats, they are very quiet and as cat lovers ourselves, we didn't mind them at all.

t's taken me a long time to write this review, but it's never too late. When I first arrived at the hotel, I found it quaint, pretty, and very unusual. Within a week, I had totally fallen in love with the place. Literally right on the beach, I could take walks in either direction, leading to various locations—from beachside massages to enjoying drinks in the local pubs.||The hotel offered a wonderful view of the ocean, which was a delight. The evening food was spectacular, truly incredible, and hard to compare. I'm not referring to the daytime snacks, but to the exquisite meals cooked in the evening. The room was comfortable and airy, and the people were absolutely dynamic. If I could give it a 5-plus rating, I would. Don't miss this quirky, incredible, and artsy hotel on your journey!

We had an awesome stay in the hotel and we would come back for sure. Everything was great! The food was delicious (especially dinner), everyone was very friendly and helpful! We (family & friends) were there for a wedding and for our vacation – everything was just perfect! The manager/ hotel owner(s) organized the beach wedding perfectly. Thank you!

We stayed at Zanzibar House for 4 nights during our vacation in Zanzibar. The intimate 7 bedroom hotel has a beautiful location and the beach is private and secluded. The rooms are very comfortable, well-appointed, and have gorgeous views of the sea from large, wooden balconies. The local staff are friendly, hospitable, and go out of their way to meet your every need if they are able to. The in-house massage therapist is incredible and the pool was lovely.||However, after reading a number of positive reviews before arriving at the hotel, we were disappointed in the management of the hotel as well as the quality of food. The reviews paint a seductive picture of the Italian family who owns Zanzibar House, and we were expecting a warm Italian welcome and delicious Italian and Swahili-inspired food as advertised. This was not the case and throughout our stay, the owners did not greet, engage, or communicate with us at all and we were left disappointed at meal times which (we believe) were below average. We had thankfully only booked breakfast, which was mediocre at best (filter coffee charged at an additional cost), but after two (additional) disastrous meals (a dinner and a lunch), we ate at various hotels a few meters walk down the beach front for the rest of our stay. In our opinion, there appeared to be a general disinterest in guests (unless you happened to be Italian) and the family rarely left their sleeping and dining quarters if only to attend to a group of friends who appeared to be visiting them. This was a huge disappointment as the reviews and the hotel website advertise treating their guests like family. Upon leaving, the hotel also charged us an additional $8 "city tax" (per day) over and above the obligatory $1 for infrastructure tax, which, by law, should not be paid by guests, but by the operator: Zanzibar House. We also recommend checking your bill carefully as there were a number initial errors.||Overall we enjoyed our stay in Zanzibar as we are generally quite adaptable people, but it would have been even better had our time in Zanzibar House been more hospitable and we were made to feel welcome. We never met the chef but he or she appears to need guidance. It's difficult to say whether we would recommend this hotel to travellers, as with a few changes, this could really be a top vacation spot.