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Zanzibar House

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Traveler (353)
Pool & Beach (116)
Room & Suite (82)

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About

#2 of 7 small hotels in Matemwe
Location
4.6
Cleanliness
4.7
Service
4.7
Value
4.5
Zanzibar House is a 7 room privately owned and ran boutique hotel situated in the beautiful location of Matemwe on the North East coast of the island, about 40km from Stone Town.The hotel opened its doors in December 2012. The materials used in the construction are found in Zanzibar, with a traditional Makuti roof, decorated with Maritaki patterns, in harmony with the nature and not to disrupt the beautiful landscape. Zanzibar House offers its guests 7 rooms. 5 Rooms with sea view and 2 have views over the rich vegetation that surrounds the area. Four posters Queen size beds in every room. Extra beds and baby cots are available upon request. Satellite TV, complimentary WIFI, minibar, air conditioning, tea and coffee making facilities are few of the amenities found in the rooms. Each and every room has a large terrace from where to enjoy the breathtaking views.The restaurant offers delicacies of international and local cuisine with extra care put into the selection of the produce, respecting the seasons and what is available in the market. The full licensed bar offers a selection of local beers, world reknown spirits brands, cocktails and much more all to be enjoyed in the porch overlooking the Indian Ocean. During the day guests are pampered by the carefully picked staff and presented with nibbles to accompany the passing hours; seasonal fruit skewers, spiced tea or coffee in the afternoon, home made savory or sweet treats according to the inspiration of the chef. Special efforts were made in choosing and making of the decorative details found across the house. All the doors were made with coconut wood, found in plentiful supply on the island; the wood was carved by a skilled carpenter in Stone Town with traditional Zanzibar motives, the floors are made of Galana, a local stone, the material used for the walls and structure is called Choka, the island's version of cement. A full menu of massages and treatments available all day along and tailor made solutions, such as custom made excursions, insiders tips to fully and responsably experience the magic of the island make of Zanzibar House an oasis of peace and tranquility, the perfect destination where to get rid of the stress of everyday's life and regenerate the senses with attentive to detail service never losing the essence and the warmth of African hospitality to make you feel truly welcomed at home.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Sauna
Free breakfast
Beach
Diving
Airport transportation
Wifi
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Snorkeling
Massage
Baggage storage
Sun umbrellas
Laundry service
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Room features
Air conditioning
Private beach
Private balcony
Room service
Safe
Minibar
Flatscreen TV
Hair dryer
Room types
Ocean view
Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Quiet
227Reviews9Q+A45Room tips
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Katharina A wrote a review Jul 2023
1 contribution
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!
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Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Bronwyn wrote a review Feb 2023
Johannesburg, South Africa4 contributions
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.
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Date of stay: February 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Miria Venturini, Proprietario at Zanzibar House
Responded Feb 15, 2023
Dear Myles, Thanks for your comments, but please let me point out some: You only eat with us on the first evening and as we do with everyone I personally asked how dinner went and I didn't get any negative comments as shown in our file, I'm sorry you didn't like our food, but as you can read from the various comments, most of our customers rate us above average. Surely it's true that I haven't talked much with you, but the only time I stop to talk to customers is during dinner (even for breakfast on the first day to find out if the room was to your liking) as you didn't have dinner with us , it is difficult to be able to speak with you, not only my wife or I are always present in the hotel, but we have never been contacted by you. Our breakfast is an American buffet we have homemade fruit juices, cold tea, sweet and savory croissants, donuts, pies or donuts, bread, butter (on request for the temperatures) jams, cheese, salami, white and fruit yoghurt (not always) fruit salad, on request fruits. From the hot: eggs of all kinds, sausages, crepes, pancakes with their sauces, Nutella but the only thing missing is bacon (Zanzibar is a Muslim country). We have a selection of at least 4 teas, chocolate and hot and cold milk, for coffee we offer an African Coffee and for a small fee we have Nespresso (espresso coffee), we do not have percolated as you tell us. However, our waiters are always at your disposal for any request not included in our menu. Regarding taxes in Zanzibar, they are given by ZRB (Zanzibar Revenue Board) we have a dollar as infrastructure tax, plus 5 or 8 dollars as hotel levy tax, in our case it is 8. I hope to see you again in our little hotel to change your mind about our food. thanks for reading me. Miria
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Roel H wrote a review Jan 2023
2 contributions
We stayed for a week in a sea view room and felt we must have picked the best place on the island. Zanzibar House is a small, cozy and quiet hotel on a beach which is still free from crowds and parties. The owners and staff were helpful and friendly, the food was very good. Swimming is good at high tide, and at low tide one can walk towards the far-away reef (if you have shoes to protect your feet from sea urchins..... ). Bicycles are available, and the hotel can help arranging trips (though you can do it yourself too). When we were half-way our stay we started to feel we should stay at least a week longer.... but alas. Maybe next time.
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Date of stay: November 2022
Location
Service
Room Tip: Take a sea view room.
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Linda G wrote a review Dec 2022
Zanzibar House is heaven on earth! We recently spent a week at this wonderful place and our only regret is that we didn't plan to stay longer. Max and Miria and their wonderful staff went above and beyond to make our stay memorable. The beautiful Italian themed dinners that we enjoyed every night were beyond compare and always prepared with the freshest ingredients. We were truly pampered. The rooms were lovely and very clean. The beds were comfortable and we had a magnificent view of the pool below and the ocean beyond from our large veranda. We loved that the resort was small, more like a B and B and we felt like we were in our own private villa. Do yourself a favor and experience Zanzibar House.. Thank you Max and Miria for making our trip to Zanzibar extra special!
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Date of stay: November 2022
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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ancababy wrote a review Nov 2022
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania3 contributions
Poor customer service. Waiter almost shouting at us. Non hotel guests wanted to have dinner there. The place is beautiful but service is unprofessional . Left the place as felt uncomfortable. Can’t believe the low quality of service for such a fancy place.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Miria Venturini, Proprietario at Zanzibar House
Responded Nov 25, 2022
we did not have any clients left the hotel, in the last 10 years, our waiters never shouting with the clients (the owner is always there during the dinner) and our waiters have at least 7 or 8 years professionality. Is quite a bad way to defame an Hotel. Obviously you didn’t manage to describe the hotel that you are speaking about because you didn’t been here as a guest. Sorry to see as usual that trip advisor allowed anyone to write whatever.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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BLC wrote a review Nov 2022
Abbotsford, Canada3 contributions2 helpful votes
There are no words to fully explain our stay in Zanzibar House. We were 3 couples, taking the front, ocean view rooms for7 days. As the B and B is so small, we felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. Our rooms were cleaned and refreshed twice a day and the staff everywhere called us by name and, after a day, knew our preferences for drinks etc. With the mosquito nets on the bed, we left our patio doors wide open to catch the ocean sounds and cool, fresh breezes….priceless. We have travelled extensively and the dinner meals at Zanz House rivalled the best! Each dinner had an Italian flair with a local mix of fresh seafood of the day. Superb would be an understatement. Max even sent his Chef to BBQ a lunch on the beach for us after snorkelling, consisting of prawns, calamari, skewered fish and lobster ( and a few bottles of chilled Prosecco to wash it down). There is an amazing lady at the hotel ( beachside) that is available for very reasonable and wonderful massages. This week with Max’s family and staff was the perfect conclusion to our trip of a lifetime in Africa. Giving this facility a 5 star is an understatement!!
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Date of stay: October 2022
Service
Room Tip: Front rooms with ocean view
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Ed Young wrote a review Oct 2022
Johannesburg, South Africa6 contributions
Wow , wow . Wow . If you are thinking about a boutique hotel run with passion and people . Don’t think further you can’t go wrong this experience was amazing and we will be back again ! Loved every minute and the staff went out of their way to assist in every way possible WELL DONE !!!!
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Date of stay: October 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Response from Miria Venturini, Proprietario at Zanzibar House
Responded Oct 26, 2022
Thanks. We look forward to see you again in Zanzibar House.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Nicole S wrote a review Mar 2022
1 contribution
perfect little hotel with GREAT service. friendly staff, super clean, local interior. The owner ar Italian and very service orientated - if you have any problem just ask. I had a lot of problems ( outside the hotel), and they saved my holiday with their tips and support. Beach is pretty empty, not crowded as in other areas, perfect to walk and enjoy nature. Transfers to any action you like can be provided. Will never forget these days and the hospitality! Also food is very special ( Italian mixed with some local speciatlties and fresh fishes). Water is served to every meal, you can even have icecream and Aperol Spritz ;-)
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Date of stay: March 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
Room Tip: try to catch a room with view to the sea, open the window at night ( no mosquitos), and listen...
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Andrea M wrote a review Jan 2022
2 contributions1 helpful vote
We stayed in the hotel for last few nights of our stay in Zanzibar. The location is perfect if you want to relax and disconnect from the outside world. The hotel is tastefully decorated emphasizing the local culture and traditions. The kitchen is amazing with delicious homemade food. The staff was very helpful and always there for us. We decided to have a small wedding ceremony that the owners helped us to organize and it was more beautiful than we could have imagined.
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Simon wrote a review Oct 2019
Dublin, Ireland6 contributions50 helpful votes
We are a couple in early 30's that stayed for 2 nights. We picked Zanzibar house for its proximity to Mnemba (for a dive), its excellent reviews online, and generally as a base to explore that part of the island. We were left feeling disappointed. Food - was pretty average, there is a fixed menu for dinner . We were treated to some strange combinations that sounded interesting but didn't taste good (a prawn and veg type soup/bisque starter, octopus curry main). Breakfast was OK, served Omlettes/eggs as well as standard fruit & breads. Atmosphere - weird feeling that was difficult to put a finger on. The place was eerily quiet for large parts, with no music at times and feeling of being on a ghost ship. The staff, whilst polite, could have been more attentive. Cost - it worked out to be relatively expensive. We upgraded to a sea view for an extra $30 per night. For 2 nights, x1 lunch, and x1 dinner it was $320. Area: Matemwe area lacked an energy. If you want a quiet time its exactly that. Positives, the room was nice. We had a lovely spacious balcony & sea view, bed & bathroom was also comfortable & clean. They have bikes available for guests, so we had a good laugh using the tandem bike on the beach to laughs from locals. We booked Mnemba diving through the hotel which was great. In summary: Maybe we were unlucky at the time we visited, but reviews overhyped this spot for us. I would be reluctant to recommend staying here to friends, If your time was limited I would suggest Nungwi/Paje over staying in this part of the island.
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Date of stay: September 2019
Cleanliness
Service
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Response from massimiliano b, Proprietario at Zanzibar House
Responded Oct 5, 2019
Dear Simon and Muireann, Thank you for your review, I am sorry that you did not like our dinner, but as you can see from the reviews our food is one of the strengths of our structure and I don't think we can judge our kitchen with just one dinner. Matemwe is known for its beaches and tranquility and our structure fully responds to the area, we have a private beach, a massage area, a hammam, a sauna and a jacuzzi. Regarding the cost of your stay I remind you that the included breakfast the room cost usd 109 per night. The next time you are in Zanzibar, I invite you to be with us for another dinner and I am sure you will enjoy our food. Thanks Massimiliano
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
$112 - $157 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
TanzaniaZanzibar ArchipelagoZanzibar IslandMatemwe
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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ZANZIBAR HOUSE $118 ($̶1̶2̶8̶) - Prices & Hotel Reviews - Matemwe, Tanzania

Frequently Asked Questions about Zanzibar House
Which popular attractions are close to Zanzibar House?
Nearby attractions include Matemwe Beach (1.7 miles), Muyuni Beach (1.8 miles), and Mateza Tours & Safaris (1.2 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Zanzibar House?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
Which room amenities are available at Zanzibar House?
Top room amenities include a minibar, air conditioning, and a flat screen TV.
What food & drink options are available at Zanzibar House?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Zanzibar House?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Zanzibar House?
Conveniently located restaurants include La Capannina Zanzibar, Bin Jabir Restaurant, and Furaha Local Restaurant.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Zanzibar House?
Yes, guests have access to a pool and a sauna during their stay.
Does Zanzibar House have airport transportation?
Yes, Zanzibar House offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Are there any historical sites close to Zanzibar House?
Many travelers enjoy visiting Fukuchani Ruins (9.6 miles) and Datch Excursions Zanzibar! (6.2 miles).
Does Zanzibar House have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the ocean view available here.