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Zanzibar House

3.5 star property

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December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Zanzibar House

Triple Room, Garden View | View from room
View from property
Fishing
Private beach, white sand, sun loungers, beach umbrellas
Private beach, white sand, sun loungers, beach umbrellas

Reviews

9.0 out of 10

Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Hot Tub
  • Bar
  • On private beach
  • Spa
  • Pool
  • Room service

Explore the area

Map
Matemwe, Matemwe
  • Muyuni Beach
    9 min walk
  • Pwani Mchangani Beach
    5 min drive
  • Mzee Husa Restaurant
    6 min walk
  • Zanzibar (ZNZ-Zanzibar Intl.)
    71 min drive

Room options

View all photos for Economy Room, 1 Queen Bed, Garden View

Minibar, in-room safe, individually furnished, desk

Economy Room, 1 Queen Bed, Garden View

  • 172 sq ft
  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Triple Room, Garden View

Minibar, in-room safe, individually furnished, desk

Triple Room, Garden View

  • 344 sq ft
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Twin Bunk Bed

View all photos for Double Room, Ocean View

Minibar, in-room safe, individually furnished, desk

Double Room, Ocean View

  • 269 sq ft
  • Ocean view
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Similar properties

Exterior

Zanzibar Retreat Hotel

On private beach
Pool
Breakfast included
Spa
5.0 out of 5, Exceptional, (11)
The price is $164
per night
$197 total
includes taxes & fees
Jan 9 - Jan 10
Zanzibar Retreat Hotel

About this property

Zanzibar House

3.5-star Matemwe B&B with private beach
At Zanzibar House, relax by an outdoor pool or hit the private white sand beach where you can enjoy snorkeling.
Zanzibar House offers 7 air-conditioned accommodations with minibars and safes. Rooms open to furnished balconies. These individually furnished accommodations include desks. Satellite television is provided.

Bathrooms include showers, bathrobes, slippers, and complimentary toiletries. This Matemwe bed & breakfast provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Additionally, rooms include coffee/tea makers and hair dryers. Housekeeping is provided daily.

An outdoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a private beach and a sauna.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Guests can pamper themselves by indulging in the onsite spa services. Services include body scrubs and manicures and pedicures. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy.
Step outside to unwind on the white sand beach. Lie back and work on your tan with relaxing beach amenities like umbrellas and sun loungers. After a day at the beach, enjoy amenities at Zanzibar House like an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and a sauna.

Dining options at the bed & breakfast include a restaurant, a coffee shop/cafe, and a snack bar/deli. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the bed & breakfast's bars, which include a poolside bar and a bar/lounge. Wireless Internet access is complimentary. This beach bed & breakfast also offers a garden and a terrace. Complimentary self parking is available on site.

Zanzibar House is a smoke-free property.

Onsite venue - This beachfront restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can order drinks at the bar and enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting).
Room service (during limited hours) is available.

Languages

English, French, Italian, Swahili

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • 24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Cruise terminal shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A poolside bar
  • A restaurant
  • Coffee and tea in common areas
  • Snack bar/deli

Things to do

  • Arcade/game room
  • Bicycle rentals
  • Billiards/pool table
  • Fishing
  • Library
  • Outdoor pool
  • Sauna
  • Scuba diving
  • Snorkeling
  • Spa tub

Family friendly

  • Arcade/game room
  • Laundry facilities
  • Outdoor pool
  • Snack bar/deli

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Luggage storage
  • Safe at front desk

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Multilingual staff
  • Tour and ticket assistance

Business services

  • Business center
  • Meeting rooms

Outdoors

  • Barbecue grill
  • Beach loungers
  • Beach towels
  • Beach umbrellas
  • Garden
  • On a private beach
  • Pool loungers
  • Terrace

Spa

  • Aromatherapy
  • Body scrubs
  • Manicures/pedicures

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Upper floors accessible by stairs only

More

  • 1 building
  • 2 floors
  • Built in 2012
  • Mosquito nets
  • Smoke-free property
  • Traditional architecture

Room amenities

Bathroom

  • Bathrobes
  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower
  • Slippers
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • TV with satellite channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Limited room service
  • Minibar

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Ceiling fan
  • Desk
  • Individual furnishings
  • Safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM

Special check-in instructions

This property offers transfers from the cruise terminal, ferry terminal, and airport (surcharges may apply); to arrange pick-up, guests must contact the property 48 hours prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
There is no front desk at this property
The host will greet guests on arrival
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
For more details, please contact the property using the information on the booking confirmation

Renovations and closures

The property is closed between April 20 and June 30.

Access methods

Host will greet you

Pets

No pets or service animals allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 70.0 per night

Property payment types

Important information

Optional extras

  • Airport shuttle fee: USD 90 per vehicle (roundtrip)
  • Rollaway bed fee: USD 70.0 per night

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve rollaway/extra beds
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted

We should mention

This property does not have elevators
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments; reservations can be made by contacting the property prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property

Property is also known as

Zanzibar House
Zanzibar House B&B
Zanzibar House Matemwe
Zanzibar House B&B Matemwe
Zanzibar House Matemwe
Zanzibar House Bed & breakfast
Zanzibar House Bed & breakfast Matemwe

Zanzibar House Reviews

Reviews

9.0

Wonderful

Rating 10 - Excellent. 42 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 18 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 4 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 66 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 66 reviews" "

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

7.0/10

Amenities

9.4/10

Property conditions & facilities

10/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

6/10 Okay

Verified traveler

Traveled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Unfortunately our experience was not as nice as we had hoped. As two women in their 20s and 30s we felt that we were at times treated as children. We were informed by a male staff member that we were “not allowed” to eat breakfast at the table overlooking the ocean, even though the owner specifically informed us of this option the day prior (likely because he did not want to walk the extra distance.) Our ‘Garden View’ room was a view of the parked vehicles in front of the hotel. The room also lacked any storage space or shelves for suitcases and belongings, leaving our 4 bags blocking the door due to lack of any space. Breakfast had no fresh coffee, only instant, and ended abruptly—when I returned on the hour to refill my tea, I was told breakfast ended and the female staff would not bring back the tea kettle for hot water. I informed the owner I was gluten free on arrival, but no arrangements were made. This meant my breakfast options were limited to a fruit cup and eggs. Sauna/hammam must be requested in advance, as we were told it was “off”. The staff did not offer to turn on when we asked about it. In conclusion, beautiful hotel but not a beautiful experience.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2021

2/10 Terrible

MA, Canada

Disliked: Staff & service, amenities
This is the worst hotel experience we have had after travelling for many years across many continents. The management is poor. The owner could often be overheard berating and yelling at his staff in front of hotel guests. When issues such as a broken pool filter, slow wifi, or power outages came up, his response was to shrug and say, “This is Africa, what can you expect?” The menu at the hotel restaurant is a set menu consisting of seafood and meat dishes. As vegetarians, we found it difficult to eat here and ended up going to a hotel down the beach (Mandhari Villa - highly recommend) for dinners. We booked a “garden view” room and it was up a set up steep stairs on top of the guard house at the entrance to the hotel, completely separated from the main hotel building. Our privacy was not maintained and we had a knock on our door from housekeeping at 9pm despite not calling them for anything. There are multiple cats on the property that seem to be pets of the owners, and they wander through the lobby/restaurant/pool area at all times. The towels were not changed daily despite us having to pay an extra surcharge for a second person. This led us to wonder what the extra charge was going towards. The restaurant and pool staff however are very nice and attentive. They are working under poor management conditions and still keep a smile on their faces. All in all we would absolutely never recommend this hotel to any family or friends.
Stayed 3 nights in Feb 2020

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful place; nice and helpful owners, tasty food. The beach is peaceful...but fyi, has serious tides and seaweed. But there are a few lovely spots to float around at. It is an easy day trip to other more swim-happy beaches and about an hour to Stonetown. This is a place to go an relax. But options through hotel or beach dudes are plentiful if you want activities.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018

10/10 Excellent

Caitlin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Our host Maximo was great! Food was spectacular. Service was decent.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2018

8/10 Good

Becca

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful, well-decorated property. Relaxing atmosphere with plenty of lounge chairs, daybeds and tables on a beautiful beach. The four-course dinners were leisurely and tasty. The staff was very welcoming.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

8/10 Good

Kira

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely
My stay was pleasant from arrival till departure. Everyone was nice and accommodating. Thank you and Happy Holidays. To anyone out there looking for “a feel at home” this is the place to stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2017

10/10 Excellent

Loren

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The best hotel we stayed in in Zanzibar
We stayed in 5 hotels while making our way around Zanzibar and really enjoyed 4 of them. Of the 4, this one really was the best, a cut above in every respect -- fantastic atmosphere, gorgeous property, great management and staff. As you drive down the horrible dirt road that leads from the highway to the property, you'll think you must have made a wrong turn. But you haven't -- keep going.
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2017

10/10 Excellent

Kelly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
My "Zanzibar House" in Matemwe
The whole place is amazing. Unlike the 50+room hotels this is a smaller establishment which adds to the peaceful beach front atmosphere. It's in a great location to go south for a day trip to the spice farms, caves, or fishing communities. Or go North to Membe Island for diving/ snorkling or Nungwi for a big party. Extremely warm artistic decor and the food was fantastic.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2017

10/10 Excellent

The Travel Guru, Los Angeles

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Hidden Gem
Zanzibar House is an exceptional place and a beautiful experience. Georgia treated me like family from the moment I arrived. The location is inspirational, meditative and a place to disconnect from the stresses of the world. Thank you.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2017

10/10 Excellent

agata

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stay in Zanzibar house
We had lovely time in Zanzibar House. The place is clean and nicely decorated. Owners are amazing. Everyday we were spoilt by great Italian food. Staff are friendly and helpful.We had very memorable experience. Highly recommended!

10/10 Excellent

Karsten

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

8/10 Good

Frances

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful location
Zanzibar House was super charming and quiet, great secluded place to relax. The rooms have fantastic balconies with hanging chairs and a view of the sea. Beautiful beach right outside and really nice pool/garden area. $15usd gets u a 4 course dinner- mine was baked prawns, crab linguini, grilled lobster and mille feuille- can't beat that! Great breakfast too- try the homemade papaya cinnamon passion fruit jam and banana yogurt. Would definitely stay here again!

10/10 Excellent

Eartha Guerra, Abu Dhabi, UAE (Atlanta Native)

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
ZANZIBAR HOUSE WONDERMENT!
I have been to many countries, and the stay here was my son's favorite vacation! We had a room with ocean veiw, worth every penny! the beauty of the island greeted us every morning. The owners were exceptionally accommodating. They made sure the kids were happyily fed each night and made alternate meals to their liking Every morning we had a wonderful breakfast which is a set menu that included pancakes, crepes, and homemade doughnuts!!! Each evening was a culinary exploration of 4 course Italian meals of local fish and seafood, fresh beef, homemade breads, homemade pastas and local vegetables. You could also order something more to your liking and they will acoomodate you to their best. ( The Half board option is more than worth the deal especially since the hotel is not close to any restaurants. Guests from other hotels along the beach would regular Zanzibar House for lunch and Massages!) The staff are very friendly. The massages are AWESOME with the beach right in front of you! The ocean there is beautiful and is worth a swim. There is a turn down service everynight which includes fresh towels if you need them, bottled water, and spraying and arranging of your mosquito net for your health and safety. (The spray is very mild and did not trigger my allergies). We had a VERY early flight on our departure and they made sure we had some homemade doughnuts for the boys! My son and I were very reluctant to leave. THANK YOU ZANZIBAR HOUSE. WE WILL BE BACK!

10/10 Excellent

thurstan, london

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice boutique hotel on the beach.
Excellent service. Nice boutique feel. Not perfect but a real home from home. Staff and management are on hand and helpful. Recommended.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Small family run hotel on beautiful private beach.
Only 7 rooms, when these are occupied by single people or couples it's a tranquil paradise. When the rooms are occupied by 4 people / families the hotel can seem overcrowded, noisy & too busy. The pool area is quite small and it's difficult to find a quiet outside area to relax if many children are playing in the pool. The boutique style hotel offers lovely little touches, beach baskets with fans & slippers, extra large super soft bath towels and treats like pastries and pizza at certain times of the day. It must be difficult to keep on top of the maintenance due to the close proximity to the sea and the climate but some areas would benefit from a little bit of work. Family run hotel and I found a warm welcome from all the staff. The upgrade to a sea view room was very much appreciated. Wonderful tour guide on the beach called Mustafa will help you make the best of any trips by tailor making yours to your particular requirements - he is very knowledgeable, speaks good English & has a good sense of humour.

8/10 Good

Cssalee, New York, NY

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful, secluded Bed and Breakfast on the Beach
My stay here was really lovely! The home is directly on the beach in a very quiet area. The setting is beautiful and I was able to watch the sunrise from the beach and the sunset from my room. The food was very good, lots of fish, which I loved. Do the half board! The staff was glorious! Nina was with me most days and has such a sweet smile and demeanor. Yokobo, the Massai guard, was awesome and the drivers and other staff were great! Only two negatives: the internet did not work in my room for my entire stay. I asked several times for a solution but the owners just shrugged it off. I was able to use the internet in the common areas and there it was reliable, but was disappointed to not be able to use it in my room. While I know that some people like to disconnect while on vacation, I don't :) I travel solo so I like to be able to read the news in the morning from bed, or plan my day as I'm getting ready especially since I also didn't have cell service. The other small issue is the very high price from travel outside of the hotel. It's nearly impossible to get around without a car. They called a driver for me who normally would have charged no more than $40 to take me to The Rock Restaurant. I was told that the cost was $40 for a 4 hour trip and I would pay an additional $10/hour...but the trip to The Rock, one way was an hour and 45 minutes! So without even eating, I had basically used my allotted time. I suggest finding your own driver and using them to go offsite.

10/10 Excellent

Joshua, Florida, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Paradise! Take me back!
Zanzibar House is a paradise. The hotel is beautiful and immaculately clean. From arrival to departure the owners and their staff are available at all times. The pool and beach area feel like your own little slice of heaven. The evening meals are a real treat as well. They are served Italian style (4 courses) and are homemade from scratch. Its like dining in Rome with a beautiful beach backdrop. The only thing you should be aware of is that this place is very remote from other hotels and restaurants. It was perfect for us because we wanted rest and relaxation. If you want a party, look somewhere else.

6/10 Okay

GR, Florida

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A classical rustic european style multi-room house
Great location but be prepared for an off road experience getting there. Once you do it is well worth the drive. It's about an hour from the airport. Breakfast and dinner are included. No menu for dinner. The owner serves you a four course meal including dessert that smacks of european style cusine. It has many amenties such as a swimming pool, bicycles, pool table, ping pong table, snorkeling gear and more. Owner arranges tours, and provides shuttle service from/to airport. Cost is $40 USD. Downside for me... the Italian owner wasn't cordial with me, nor very accommodating as he was with the European guests staying at the same time. Maybe being there on my own might have been a factor. All and all, I rate my experience a 3 out of 4 because of the owner. The staff was great, the house very clean and inviting with balconies and views of the ocean. You walk off the steps of the resort home and you are on the beach. The food was unique and delightful. It felt more like a home not a hotel. GR

10/10 Excellent

MAHA, Egypt

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
yummy relaxed stay :)
amazing house managed by a lovely italian family. perfect stay with ocean view to all kind of travellers. can't describe how great was the food .. they kept surprising me each day.don't forget to taste their crepe ... yummyyy to the max !

10/10 Excellent

Robert, Evansville, Indiana.

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
allowing your customers to have some of the easy l
My remarks and observations in the overall, hotel service and condition categories as well room comfort and cleanliness are based on a hard working couple's way of training and creating jobs for young people in hotel work and service(bed prep and floor cleaning as well as towel service and for a 5 star cooking presentation and quality in the evening dinner experience).The room comfort included mosquito nets in each room and bed prepared and pulled back everyday...cleanliness and comfort and neiborhood(included sweeping all the floor spaces everyday whether it was sweeping up the white small grains of sand or redoing clean artistic bed covering beauty.

10/10 Excellent

Sara, New York City

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Beautiful and relaxing
I stayed at this hotel for 3 nights for a solo getaway. It's a beautiful place! Run by a lovely Italian couple. Service and room were great. Airport shuttle super convenient (as this place is about an hr away from the airport). Included breakfast and dinner were delicious! The ocean can have seaweed, I'm guessing depends on the time of the year, as most beaches, but it was still very nice. Would recommend this hotel to anyone, and stay here again.

10/10 Excellent

James, Portland, Oregon, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
A Little Slice of Paradise
After a mediocre stay in Stone Town, we were ecstatic to find this hidden slice of paradise on the east side of the island. As you drive up, the place looks a bit suspect but don't be fooled. Beyond the gate there is a magnificent oasis waiting for you. With only 7 guest rooms, the place is cozy and quiet. There is a nice pool, fantastic area enjoy the sun, and easy access to a relatively private beach with the softest powder white sand. The staff was attentive and quick to provide service. They even provided an ice bucket to keep my beer cold. The meals were exceptional, especially the four-course dinners. I would most certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a place to just relax and enjoy paradise. Not to mention the 6:30AM sunrises are phenomenal and not too early.

10/10 Excellent

Guillermo, NYC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect Zanzibar getaway
If you're looking for a small, intimate oceanside hotel in Zanzibar, this is the place to go! The owner Maxi has done an excellent job in creating a quaint, relaxing atmosphere on the beach. He is also very helpful in helping you set up day excursions, like a great day snorkeling. He was extremely helpful in setting up our flight back to Dar at the last minute! The hotel staff is friendly, helpful and the hotel has multiple amenities at the guests' disposal. The food is a great: breakfast, multiple snacks during the day, and four-course dinner at night are all delicious. We were very impressed with the service and meals provided for the price. We were extremely happy with this hotel and would recommend it to anyone.

10/10 Excellent

Giuliana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Amazing place!!!
We had a great stay at Zanzibar House! It is a wonderful boutique hotel, beautiful, clean, comfortable, and is situated in a very quiet beach. The food is delicious and the staff is very nice and polite. I'm very picky to eat and every night they come to me to say the dinner menu with options if I didn't like something. The owners are very friendly. We strongly recommend.

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
relaxing stay at zanzibar house
Relaxing!