The Z Hotel, Zanzibar | the full details (2024)

Located in northern Zanzibar, on the popular Nungwi peninsula, The Z Hotel is right next to one of Nungwi’s ...

... best beaches on this busy section of the island. Its owners, who have close links to the UK, appear to have had a ‘smart soho set’ in mind as clientele as they tried hard to make the Z Hotel a modern ‘boutique’ hotel, with much use of chic design, and designers.

Set amid lush tropical gardens, all of the rooms at The Z Hotel have been finished to a high spec by a team of interior designers. The bespoke furniture, including four-poster beds, is made from locally sourced coconut wood, designed by Philippe Starck, and exclusive to The Z Hotel. Each air-conditioned room has floor-to-ceiling glass doors leading to a balcony, which has a garden, beach, or sea view and comes equipped with LCD flatscreen TVs with DSTV, WiFi, a telephone, a minibar, a safe, and iPhone docking stations. Complimentary toiletries by Inaya Zanzibar are provided in the bathrooms.

More experienced African travellers will realize that executing very precise, minimalist designs in this (or any!) corner of Zanzibar hasn't been at all easy – and the owners have some revealing stories of pitfalls along the way. Equally, it's one thing to build a hotel that appears 'smart and boutique-y', but quite another to provide the impeccable standards of service and food which most travellers will expect from a boutique hotel – without the pool of highly experienced staff that cities like London, Paris and New York would have.

In practice, we've found that The Z Hotel has tried very hard, and is a good hotel – but travellers shouldn't expect the standards that they might usually associate with a 'boutique hotel' in Europe or the USA.

The Z hotel organizes its 39 rooms into a range of categories: 17 deluxe seaview rooms, 16 deluxe garden-view rooms, three rooftop suites, two oceanfront cottages and one Z Suite – as follows:

• The deluxe garden-view rooms are situated on the ground and first floors of the hotel and have views over the landscaped gardens, or the sea. The rooms are a little on the small side however they are all stylishly decorated and have tea/coffee making facilities, mini bar, electronic safe and hair dryer, as well as their own private deck. Some of the garden-view rooms benefit from a partial sea view, however this cannot be guaranteed.
• The deluxe seaview rooms offer all the facilities of the deluxe garden-view rooms, but are located on the second floor. Unsurprisingly, they all have sea views!
• On the third floor of The Z Hotel, is the large rooftop suite. As well as having all the amenities of a deluxe room, there's also an outside shower, a plasma satellite TV, a DVD player, a sitting area and a private deck overlooking the garden or the coastline.
• The 70m² Z Suite spreads across the entire rooftop of the hotel, giving it fabulous sea views from the two terraces. It includes the same facilities as the rooftop suite, plus a king-size bed, an outside shower and Jacuzzi, and a lounge area complete with co*cktail bar.
• The oceanfront cottages are totally separate from the rest of the accommodation at The Z Hotel. Built into the side of a cliff and arranged over two floors with a view out to sea, the rooms are furnished with a king-size bed and their own kitchenette, plus outdoor showers. To top it all off, there's a floating deck from where you can soak up the sun as you listen to the lapping waves.

• Raised up on a deck, overlooking the sea, is the Cinnamon Café Bar, here they serve a range of drinks, snacks and light lunches; the menu features a ranges of Asian influenced dishes as well as western dishes such as burgers, fish and chips and salads.
• For something fancier, the Saruche Restaurant offers a four-course menu of Africa/European cuisine with an emphasis on fresh seafood.
• On the second floor you can find Rooftops co*cktail Bar, which has an extensive menu of co*cktails and champagnes, as well as a selection of tapas and sharing platters. With its elevated location this is a great place to come and watch the sunset.
• The Z Café Terrace is a new addition to the Z Hotel and serves a ranges of savory snacks, cakes, coffee and ice-cream.

That said, many will spend their time in the very compact space beside the pool, or perhaps on the adjacent beach – see our Satellite map of the hotel to get a feeling for this busy area.

For those preferring to relax at the hotel, there is a mini spa offering massages, manicures, pedicures and facials. Sun loungers are dotted along the beach, as well as surrounding the tanga-stone infinity pool on the edge of the gardens. Hidden amongst the foliage you can find a number of sculpted animals; hippos lurk in the bushes whilst a monkey hangs from the roof.

The Z Hotel is located is the lively area of Nungwi in the north of the island. This is a bustling little town, and guests who wish to escape the hotel can easily walk along the seafront where they can find a number of different bars and restaurants to sample. It is also possible to walk to the Mnarani Marine Turtle Project; this is an excellent conservation initiative that works with local villagers and fishermen to conserve Zanzibar’s native turtles. Turtles caught in fishing nets are rescued by the project and looked after at their conservation pond, each February the turtles are then released back in the ocean.

Geographics

Location

Northern Zanzibar, Zanzibar

Ideal length of stay

4–5 nights is recommended. Note that there is a minimum 3 night stay here year round.

Directions

Flights from Dar es Salaam to Zanzibar take 20 minutes. The Z Hotel is about an hour’s drive from Zanzibar International Airport.

Accessible by

Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis

Half Board

Food quality

The Z Hotels serves African-European fusion food and this can include anything from burgers and chips and salads and sandwiches, to seafood curries and fresh fish, all washed down with a wide selection of international wines.

With a varied selection of local restaurants the Z Hotel is often best booked on a bed and breakfast basis, however a half board option is also available.

Dining style

Individual Tables

Dining locations

Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Further dining info, including room service

Yes

Drinks included

Drinks are not included.

Children

Attitude towards children

Children over the age of 12 are welcome.

Property’s age restrictions

No children under 12.

Special activities & services

None

Equipment

None

Generally recommended for children

No, the atmosphere here is somewhat adult, and more suited to couples.

Notes

Not recommended for children

Communications

Power supply notes

Electricity runs off the mains; plugs are the square three–pin variety (as used in the UK).

Communications

WiFi is found throughout the hotel, and computers for guest use are found in the reading room. All rooms have telephones, which can be used for internal calls.

TV & radio

All rooms have TVs with satellite channels.

Water supply

Transported in

Water supply notes

Bottled water is supplied in the rooms.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended

Yes

Medical care

Staff are trained and there is a first-aid kit on site. The hotel has close links with a local doctor and there is a hospital in Nungwi.

Dangerous animals

Low Risk

Security measures

There is a guard and a pool guard on site 24 hours.

Fire safety

There are smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in the main areas.

Activities

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  Birdwatching

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  Boat trip

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  Scuba-diving

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  Snorkelling

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  Watersports

Extras

Disabled access

Not Possible

Laundry facilities

A laundry service is available for an extra charge of between $3 - $5 per item.

Money

The hotel does not accept cash payments. All bills must be paid using either credit or debit cards.

Accepted payment on location

Visa, MasterCard and Amex are accepted with a 2% charge on all cards.

Other lodges in Northern Zanzibar

Alternative places to stay in this same area.