Best Hotels in Zanzibar: Naru’s Curated Stay Guide
NARU ZANZIBAR GUIDE
Last updated: September 2026
Searching for the best hotels in Zanzibar can quickly become overwhelming.
There are beautiful resorts across almost every coast, and photographs alone rarely tell you what staying there will actually feel like.
The hotel with the most impressive room may not have the beach you imagined. A peaceful boutique property may be perfect for a honeymoon but too quiet for someone who wants restaurants nearby. A large resort may make a family holiday effortless while feeling completely wrong for a couple looking for privacy.
At Naru, we think the better question is not simply, “What is the best hotel in Zanzibar?”
It is:
“Which Zanzibar hotel is best for the way I want to travel?”
This is our curated shortlist of hotels we think are worth knowing — and, more importantly, who we think each one suits.
The best hotels in Zanzibar at a glance
If you want the quick answer, these are the properties we would begin comparing:
Zuri Zanzibar, Kendwa — best for travellers prioritising swimming, beach time and a polished north-coast resort.
The Mora Zanzibar, Muyuni — best for modern resort luxury, couples, families and travellers who want plenty within the property.
LUX Marijani Zanzibar, Pwani Mchangani — best for a polished northeast-coast resort experience.
Kappa Senses Zanzibar, Pwani Mchangani — best for travellers interested in one of Zanzibar's newer luxury resorts, with a contemporary and Swahili-inspired identity.
Anaya Hotels & Resorts Zanzibar, Pwani Mchangani — best for a newer all-inclusive resort stay on the northeast coast.
Joud by the Sea Zanzibar, Jambiani — best for design-conscious travellers wanting a contemporary beachfront stay on the southeast coast.
Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa, Paje — best for private villas, space and a more secluded interpretation of Paje.
Tulia Zanzibar Unique Beach Resort, Pongwe — best for an intimate boutique resort experience.
The Island Pongwe Lodge, Pongwe — best for couples wanting something small, unusual and very different from a conventional resort.
Baraza Resort & Spa, Bwejuu — best for villa-style luxury with a strong Zanzibari design identity.
Zawadi Hotel, southeast coast — best for adults looking for privacy, ocean views and a smaller resort.
Kilindi Zanzibar, Kendwa — best for couples and honeymooners prioritising privacy and distinctive private-pavilion accommodation.
Meliá Zanzibar, Kiwengwa — best for travellers who prefer a larger, established full-service resort with extensive accommodation choices.
Park Hyatt Zanzibar, Stone Town — best for a luxury stay in Zanzibar's historic centre.
We would not rank these from one to fourteen.
They serve different travellers, and choosing the right one is more useful than declaring one property the winner.
How Naru chooses a Zanzibar hotel
We look beyond star ratings and room photographs.
For us, the important questions are:
What is the beach actually like?
How much do the tides affect swimming?
Does the hotel suit couples, families or both?
Will you want to spend most of your time inside the resort?
Is there enough privacy?
What is realistically nearby?
How far will you travel for the experiences on your itinerary?
Does the meal plan make sense for how you intend to spend your days?
Does the property match the feeling you want from Zanzibar?
That is the approach behind this guide.
Zuri Zanzibar — Kendwa
Best for swimming, beach time and stylish north-coast luxury
If someone tells us that swimming in the Indian Ocean is one of the most important parts of their Zanzibar holiday, Kendwa is one of the first areas we consider.
And Zuri Zanzibar is one of the properties we would look at there.
Zuri sits on Kendwa Beach and offers bungalows, suites and villas set throughout tropical gardens. Larger categories provide additional privacy and outdoor space, while the villas move the experience towards a private-residence feel.
What we like about Zuri is that it can work for several types of traveller without creating exactly the same holiday for everyone.
A couple can choose a quieter room category and spend most of the stay around the beach.
A family can explore interconnected accommodation or larger options.
And travellers who simply want a beautiful hotel without sacrificing easy access to the sea may find Kendwa particularly appealing.
Naru's view: choose Zuri because the combination of hotel and beach suits you — not merely because it is a recognised luxury name.
The Mora Zanzibar — Muyuni
Best for modern resort luxury with plenty happening inside the property
The Mora sits in Muyuni on Zanzibar's northeast coast within a substantial beachfront setting.
This is the kind of property we would consider for someone who wants the resort itself to provide a significant part of the holiday.
Rather than choosing a small hotel and leaving frequently, you can build several slower days around the property and then add carefully selected excursions.
For families, that can make everyday planning easier.
For couples, the key is choosing the right room category and location within a larger resort so the stay still feels personal.
It can also make sense after a safari, when you may want comfort and choice without immediately filling another itinerary with early starts.
Naru's view: The Mora works particularly well when you want a modern resort experience and expect to spend meaningful time enjoying the hotel itself.
LUX Marijani Zanzibar — Pwani Mchangani
Best for polished resort living on the northeast coast
LUX Marijani is in Pwani Mchangani on Zanzibar's northeast coast.
We like including LUX Marijani because Pwani Mchangani is an area we frequently consider for travellers who want a comfortable resort base rather than a busy beach town.
The property is particularly relevant for couples who want a polished resort without automatically choosing one of Zanzibar's largest hotels.
As with all properties on this coast, understand the tide before booking.
At low tide, the beachfront can look dramatically different from the turquoise high-tide photographs that first attracted you to Zanzibar.
That should not necessarily put you off.
It simply means the pool, restaurants, room and overall property need to be places you genuinely enjoy throughout the day.
Naru's view: a strong Pwani Mchangani option for travellers wanting refined resort time and a quieter northeast-coast rhythm.
Kappa Senses Zanzibar — Pwani Mchangani
Best for one of Zanzibar's newer luxury resort experiences
Kappa Senses is one of the additions making Pwani Mchangani particularly interesting.
The resort sits directly on the northeast coast and combines contemporary accommodation with a large resort environment, dining, wellness facilities and direct access to the beach.
For Naru, this is exactly the kind of property worth considering because Zanzibar's hotel landscape continues to evolve.
Travellers do not always need to choose between the same established resorts that appear in every old “best hotels in Zanzibar” list.
Kappa Senses gives Pwani Mchangani another contemporary luxury option, particularly for guests who want a full resort environment with wellness, dining and leisure built into the stay.
Because it is a newer property, we would still compare the room categories, atmosphere and current experience carefully for your exact dates.
Naru's view: one to shortlist if you want to experience a newer side of Zanzibar's northeast luxury hotel scene.
Anaya Hotels & Resorts Zanzibar — Pwani Mchangani
Best for a newer all-inclusive resort option
Anaya is another newer addition to Pwani Mchangani.
Its location on Zanzibar's northeast coast makes it particularly relevant for travellers comparing the increasingly strong selection of hotels in this area.
The resort is positioned around an all-inclusive experience, which can be especially appealing for guests who prefer to know that much of the dining and day-to-day resort experience is already brought together.
This can work well for families, groups and couples who want the simplicity of staying primarily within the property.
It also gives travellers comparing Pwani Mchangani more choice than they had only a few years ago.
If you are deciding between Anaya, Kappa Senses and LUX Marijani, do not choose based on photographs alone.
Their character, scale and style of stay are different.
Naru's view: worth considering if you want a newer all-inclusive northeast-coast resort and expect to spend significant time within the hotel.
LUX Marijani vs Kappa Senses vs Anaya: which Pwani Mchangani hotel should you choose?
This is a comparison we expect more travellers to make.
All three place you in Pwani Mchangani, but we would not treat them as interchangeable.
Choose LUX Marijani if you are attracted to a polished resort atmosphere and an established luxury brand.
Consider Kappa Senses if you want one of the area's newer luxury arrivals and like the combination of contemporary resort living, wellness and local influences.
Look at Anaya if a newer all-inclusive setup with a broader resort-focused experience particularly appeals to you.
The room available for your dates should also influence the decision.
A strong room category at one property may create a better holiday than choosing an entry-level room somewhere else simply because the hotel name is more familiar.
At Naru, we prefer to compare the actual stay, not simply the hotel names.
Joud by the Sea Zanzibar — Jambiani
Best for contemporary beachfront design in Jambiani
Joud by the Sea brings a more contemporary style of hotel to Jambiani.
It sits on Zanzibar's southeast coast and combines modern accommodation with a beachfront setting and the slower rhythm associated with this part of the island.
What makes Joud interesting for our list is that Jambiani often attracts travellers who do not necessarily want a traditional large-resort experience.
You have the southeast-coast landscape and village surroundings, but with a more design-led hotel to return to.
The tides matter here.
If you are imagining deep water directly outside the hotel throughout the entire day, understand Jambiani before booking.
But if you like a beach that changes character and want a slower southeast-coast stay, it can create a very different Zanzibar experience.
Naru's view: especially interesting for couples and design-conscious travellers who want Jambiani without sacrificing a polished hotel environment.
Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa — Paje
Best for private villas and space near Paje
Zanzibar White Sand is one of our strongest choices for travellers who like Paje but do not necessarily want to be in the middle of its busier beach scene.
The resort is built around villas, privacy and generous space, including options with private pools and larger configurations suitable for couples, families and groups.
That combination is important.
You still have access to the character of Zanzibar's southeast coast, but the property provides a much more private interpretation of the Paje experience.
For a honeymoon, the private-villa concept can be attractive.
For a family or group, larger villas can make the accommodation itself part of the holiday.
And because Paje is one of Zanzibar's best-known watersports areas, it can also make sense for travellers who want that element to form part of their trip.
Naru's view: one of the strongest properties to compare if you want Paje, private space and a more secluded luxury experience.
Tulia Zanzibar Unique Beach Resort — Pongwe
Best for an intimate boutique resort in Pongwe
Tulia is in Pongwe and offers a much smaller-scale experience than Zanzibar's large resorts.
That immediately changes the character of the stay.
Instead of moving around an expansive property, the experience can feel considerably more intimate.
Pongwe itself suits travellers who are comfortable letting the hotel become the main base of the holiday.
You are not necessarily choosing this area because you want a busy strip of restaurants outside the gate.
You choose it because you want somewhere to settle.
For couples, that can be exactly the appeal.
Before booking, look at the specific room, beach and tide conditions and make sure the quieter location matches how you like to travel.
Naru's view: a strong boutique alternative to Zanzibar's larger luxury resorts.
The Island Pongwe Lodge — Pongwe
Best for couples wanting something genuinely different
The Island Pongwe is one of the most unusual properties on this list.
Built on natural coral rock just offshore in Pongwe Bay, the hotel creates an experience that is deliberately different from a conventional beachfront resort.
Even arriving and leaving can feel connected to the tide and the surrounding water.
This is a property for someone who likes the idea of the hotel itself becoming part of the experience.
It is small, romantic and distinctive.
For the right couple, that creates a memorable stay.
For someone who wants a huge pool complex, several restaurants and constant activity, another hotel will be a better choice.
Naru's view: choose The Island because you love the concept — not simply because you are searching for a hotel in Pongwe.
Baraza Resort & Spa — Bwejuu
Best for villa-style luxury with a strong Zanzibar identity
Baraza sits on Bwejuu Beach on Zanzibar's southeast coast and is centred around villa accommodation.
It deserves a place on our shortlist because it provides a different visual identity from the increasingly minimalist resorts appearing around Zanzibar.
For travellers drawn to a more decorative and romantic aesthetic influenced by Zanzibar's Swahili, Arab and Indian Ocean heritage, Baraza can be worth exploring.
This is also a resort where understanding the coast matters.
Bwejuu is tidal.
Your experience therefore involves both the hotel and the changing beach beyond it.
Naru's view: particularly appealing for travellers who want villa accommodation and prefer a resort with a strong sense of character.
Zawadi Hotel — Zanzibar's southeast coast
Best for adults seeking privacy and ocean views
Zawadi is a small adults-focused luxury property on Zanzibar's southeast coast.
This is one we would place firmly in the couples category.
The appeal is not having hundreds of rooms, restaurants and activities around you.
It is the opposite.
Privacy, ocean views and quiet are the point.
For travellers who want to disappear into the hotel for several days rather than constantly leave the property, this can be very appealing.
Naru's view: a strong property to compare for honeymooners and couples who value seclusion more than an extensive list of facilities.
Kilindi Zanzibar — Kendwa
Best for privacy and a romantic north-coast escape
Kilindi is another hotel we would consider primarily for couples.
Located in Kendwa, the property is known for distinctive pavilion-style accommodation spread through tropical grounds, with a strong emphasis on privacy and retreat-like living.
What separates Kilindi from Zuri is the feeling.
Both place you around Kendwa, but they represent different versions of luxury.
Zuri offers more of a polished resort environment.
Kilindi is the property we would look at when privacy, architecture and atmosphere matter more.
That distinction is exactly why choosing the area alone is never enough.
Naru's view: particularly strong for honeymoons, anniversaries and couples who want their accommodation to feel secluded.
Meliá Zanzibar — Kiwengwa
Best for a large, established full-service resort
Meliá Zanzibar sits in Kiwengwa and offers a broad range of accommodation and resort facilities.
This makes it useful for travellers who prefer a substantial hotel.
There is more choice in how the stay is configured, which can be particularly helpful for families, groups and travellers who want dining and facilities available within the resort.
It is not the property we would choose for someone specifically asking for a tiny boutique hotel.
That is precisely the point.
The best hotel is the one that matches the traveller.
Naru's view: a good option when resort scale, accommodation choice and established facilities are more important than boutique intimacy.
Park Hyatt Zanzibar — Stone Town
Best luxury hotel for experiencing Stone Town
Park Hyatt is the property on this shortlist that we would choose primarily because you want to experience Stone Town, not because you are looking for a resort beach holiday.
Its waterfront location places you within Zanzibar's historic centre and makes it particularly useful at the beginning or end of an island itinerary.
Spend a night or two here, explore Stone Town properly, then move to the coast.
You avoid turning culture into a rushed excursion from a distant beach hotel and get to experience the town at a more relaxed pace.
For a first visit to Zanzibar, we think that combination can work extremely well.
Naru's view: one of the first properties we would compare when a client wants an established luxury base within Stone Town.
Which Zanzibar hotel is best for couples?
There is no single answer.
For privacy and honeymoon atmosphere, start with Kilindi Zanzibar, Zawadi Hotel or Zanzibar White Sand.
For swimming and a polished beach resort, consider Zuri Zanzibar.
For modern resort luxury, compare The Mora.
For a contemporary southeast-coast stay, look at Joud by the Sea.
For something small and unusual, The Island Pongwe offers a completely different experience.
Read our Zanzibar honeymoon guide before making the final choice.
Which Zanzibar hotels are best for families?
For families, practical details matter more than romantic descriptions.
We would begin by comparing properties such as The Mora, Meliá Zanzibar, Zuri Zanzibar, Kappa Senses, Anaya and selected villa categories at Zanzibar White Sand.
But the correct property depends heavily on your children's ages.
Look at:
Room configuration.
Connecting options.
Meal plan.
Pool setup.
Children's facilities.
Walking distances around the resort.
Beach conditions.
Transfer times.
How much time you intend to spend away from the hotel.
A family with a two-year-old may need something completely different from one travelling with teenagers.
Read our Zanzibar with kids guide for a fuller breakdown.
Which Zanzibar hotel is best for swimming?
If being able to enter the sea easily throughout your holiday is a major priority, we would start the search in Kendwa.
Zuri Zanzibar is one of the properties we would compare first.
Specific stretches of Nungwi can also be worth considering.
On the east and southeast coast, the beach experience is much more influenced by the tides.
That does not make those hotels less beautiful.
It simply creates a different holiday.
Read our Zanzibar tides guide before choosing.
Which Zanzibar hotel is best for an all-inclusive holiday?
If you want a resort-centred all-inclusive experience, Anaya deserves particular attention as one of Pwani Mchangani's newer options.
We would also compare larger full-service resorts such as Meliá Zanzibar and other properties depending on the meal plans available for your dates.
Do not compare the words “all-inclusive” alone.
Look at what is actually included:
Dining venues.
Drinks.
Premium items.
Activities.
Room service.
Children's arrangements.
Speciality restaurants.
Two all-inclusive hotels can create very different holidays.
New Zanzibar hotels worth knowing
One reason we wanted this guide to be more useful than a generic hotel roundup is that Zanzibar's accommodation scene continues to change.
Kappa Senses and Anaya are important newer additions in Pwani Mchangani, while Joud by the Sea gives travellers another contemporary option in Jambiani.
This is why we would not rely on a “best hotels in Zanzibar” article written several years ago.
New properties open.
Existing hotels evolve.
And the strongest option for your trip may be different by the time you travel.
Boutique hotel or large resort?
Choose based on how you spend a holiday.
A boutique hotel can give you:
More intimacy.
Fewer guests.
A quieter atmosphere.
A stronger feeling of retreat.
A large resort may give you:
More restaurants.
Larger pools.
More activities.
Children's facilities.
More room categories.
More options on days you stay at the hotel.
Neither is automatically more luxurious.
For some travellers, true luxury is a private villa with almost nobody around.
For another, it is having several restaurants, a large spa and enough facilities that they never need to leave the property.
Know which traveller you are.
How much should Zanzibar's tides affect your hotel decision?
A lot, if swimming matters to you.
This is one of the most important things we want travellers to understand before booking Zanzibar.
Much of the east and southeast coast sits behind broad, shallow reef areas.
At low tide, the ocean can retreat dramatically.
At high tide, the same beach can look completely different.
This affects properties in areas including Pwani Mchangani, Jambiani, Paje and Bwejuu.
It is not a problem to solve.
It is a characteristic of the coast to understand.
If you love the changing landscape and have a beautiful pool, you may prefer the east coast.
If you want to wake up and swim in the sea without organising your day around water levels, look more closely at Kendwa and suitable northern locations.
Read our Best Beaches in Zanzibar guide together with our Zanzibar Tides guide.
Should you stay in Stone Town and at a beach hotel?
For many first-time visitors, we think this is one of the best ways to experience Zanzibar.
Spend one or two nights in Stone Town.
Then move to the coast and slow everything down.
You do not need to choose between culture and the beach.
They can be two chapters of the same trip.
Park Hyatt is one of the properties we would consider for the Stone Town portion, followed by whichever coastal hotel best matches the rest of your priorities.
For a short four-night escape, however, changing hotels may not be worth it.
One excellent coastal base can be enough.
Read our guide to how many days you need in Zanzibar before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best hotel in Zanzibar?
There is no single best hotel for every traveller.
If swimming is the priority, we would begin with Kendwa and properties such as Zuri. For privacy, consider Kilindi, Zawadi or Zanzibar White Sand. For a modern full-service resort, look at The Mora. For newer Pwani Mchangani options, compare LUX Marijani, Kappa Senses and Anaya. For Stone Town, Park Hyatt is one of the strongest luxury options.
What is the best area of Zanzibar for luxury hotels?
Luxury hotels are spread across the island.
Kendwa offers strong options for travellers prioritising swimming. The northeast coast around Pwani Mchangani, Muyuni and Kiwengwa has several substantial luxury resorts. Paje and the southeast offer private villas and boutique properties, while Stone Town provides a completely different historic luxury experience.
Start with our Where to Stay in Zanzibar guide.
What are the newer luxury hotels in Zanzibar?
Kappa Senses and Anaya are notable newer resort options in Pwani Mchangani, while Joud by the Sea adds a more contemporary choice in Jambiani.
Because newer properties can evolve quickly during their early seasons, compare the exact facilities, room categories and experience available for your travel dates.
Is Kendwa or Pwani Mchangani better for hotels?
Choose Kendwa if swimming and the beach are among your highest priorities.
Choose Pwani Mchangani if you want a northeast-coast resort experience and are comfortable with the changing tidal landscape.
The hotel itself should then decide the final choice.
What are the best hotels in Pwani Mchangani?
Our current shortlist includes LUX Marijani, Kappa Senses Zanzibar and Anaya Hotels & Resorts Zanzibar.
They appeal to slightly different travellers, so compare the room, meal plan, atmosphere and resort style rather than simply choosing the newest or most expensive.
Where should honeymooners stay in Zanzibar?
For privacy, we would look closely at Kilindi Zanzibar, Zawadi Hotel, Zanzibar White Sand, Zuri Zanzibar and selected boutique properties depending on your preferred coast.
Your ideal honeymoon hotel depends on whether you want to swim, explore, dine outside the property or barely leave your room.
Is it worth staying in Stone Town?
Yes, if Zanzibar's history, architecture and food are meaningful parts of the trip.
One or two nights can give you a much more relaxed experience than driving in and out from a distant beach resort.
How many hotels should I stay at in Zanzibar?
For most trips, one or two is enough.
A Stone Town hotel followed by one beach hotel works particularly well for a first visit of around seven nights.
Adding several beach hotels usually creates more packing and transfers without necessarily improving the holiday.
How Naru helps you choose the right Zanzibar hotel
We do not begin by sending the same hotel list to everyone.
We start with your dates, budget, number of travellers and the kind of holiday you actually want.
Then we consider the coast.
The beach.
The tides.
The room.
The meal plan.
Your experiences.
Your transfer times.
And how all of those pieces work together.
Sometimes the answer will be a well-known Zanzibar resort.
Sometimes it will be a newer hotel you had never considered.
And sometimes the best decision is spending slightly less on the room and using the difference to create a better overall journey.
That is the difference between booking a hotel and planning a Zanzibar trip.
Explore our Where to Stay in Zanzibar guide, compare the Best Beaches in Zanzibar, or return to The Naru Zanzibar Travel Guide.
Find the right Zanzibar hotel for your trip
Tell Naru your travel dates, budget, number of guests and what matters most to you.
Our team can help you compare the right coast, hotels and experiences and build a Zanzibar journey around the way you want to travel.
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