Zanzibar hotels, by the way people actually choose them
Nobody searches for a hotel in the abstract. They want the beach that still has water at low tide, a room under 90 dollars, the whole villa for eight people, or somewhere twenty minutes from the airport for a 6am flight. Start with the list that matches your trip, then add the transfer and the tours in the same cart.
Luxury hotels and resorts in Zanzibar
These are the properties guests book when the room matters as much as the beach: five star resorts, private pool villas and design led retreats on the north and east coasts. Every one of them is a real, currently operating property we can quote and confirm.
Budget hotels and guest houses in Zanzibar
Zanzibar does not have to be expensive. These guest houses, small hotels and village lodges keep nightly rates low while still putting you on or near the sand, mostly along the east coast at Paje and Jambiani and around Stone Town.
Beach resorts in Zanzibar
A resort is the easy choice if you want the pool, the restaurants and the water sports desk all in one place. These are the full service beach resorts across Nungwi, Kendwa, Kiwengwa, Matemwe and the south east.
Boutique hotels and small lodges in Zanzibar
Boutique properties trade the buffet and the animation team for ten rooms, a good kitchen and someone who knows your name by day two. They suit couples and repeat visitors.
Private villas and apartments in Zanzibar
Renting the whole place makes sense for families and groups: your own kitchen, your own pool, and space for the children to be loud. These are the villas, apartments and houses we can book directly.
Hostels and backpacker stays in Zanzibar
Cheap beds, other travellers and a beach outside. The backpacker scene concentrates at Paje on the kite coast and in Stone Town, with a few places in the north.
The best reviewed hotels in Zanzibar
Ratings only mean something with volume behind them. These properties combine a high guest score with a meaningful number of reviews, so the score is not one happy honeymoon couple.
Hotels near Zanzibar airport
If you land late or fly out early, do not drive two hours to the north coast in the dark. These properties sit within a short drive of Abeid Amani Karume International Airport and the Stone Town ferry terminal.
Zanzibar hotels where you can swim at any tide
The single most common disappointment in Zanzibar is arriving on the east coast and finding the sea a kilometre away at low tide. The northern tip of the island is the exception: Nungwi and Kendwa hold deep water through the tidal cycle.
Where to stay for kitesurfing in Zanzibar
Paje is the kite beach: a wide, flat, waist deep lagoon with clean side onshore wind and a row of schools on the sand. Jambiani and Bwejuu share the same lagoon with fewer people.
Prefer to choose by beach?
Each Zanzibar area has its own tide, drive time and character. Read the area guides before you pick a hotel.