Which family hotels in Zanzibar fit your children?

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The best family hotels in Zanzibar solve daily decisions: where children sleep and swim, and what happens while adults take a breath. This shortlist is ordered by fit for purpose, not price, using the names and tiers in Nobu's own property list, and current hotel websites for facilities. A resort club, a connecting cottage and a pool villa offer different holidays. For the wider questions about travelling with children, start with Zanzibar with kids; this page helps you choose the building you return to afterwards.

How to choose

Frontage and the pool. Beachfront describes a location, not a child's swimming conditions. Read the property frontage shortlist and how Zanzibar's tides work first, then look at pool depth and shade near your room.

Water at the door. A private plunge pool sits a few steps from the bedroom, often with no fence. Agree one house rule before the first evening, that non-swimmers never go onto the terrace alone, and a gate or pool cover is worth requesting before arrival.

Bedrooms before floor area. A family room can mean one shared space; a two-bedroom suite gives a different evening. How any interconnecting option actually joins, and where the cot fits, are the details that matter. The Mora Zanzibar and Gold Zanzibar Beach House & Spa publish room counts that differ from Nobu's property list, so treat a resort map as the reference rather than either number.

Club ages and atmosphere. Eligibility is set against each child's age on arrival, and the sign-out rules matter as much as the age band. A resort club runs group activities; it is not individual babysitting. Choose shared play for children who enjoy company, or cottage space for family time.

Life outside the gate. If eating out matters, compare Nungwi and Kendwa. For a resort-centred eastern stay, read Matemwe or Kiwengwa; for the quieter peninsula, read Bwejuu and Michamvi. Older children's priorities belong on Zanzibar with teenagers. Off the hotel sand, cover shoulders and knees in village areas, and explain it to children before you walk out; the dress guide has the detail.

The list

— = not published on the hotel's own site. Ask before you book.

Hotel Riu Jambo

Signature · beachfront, Nungwi · best for organised play and a children's pool A children's pool sits beside its four outdoor pools, so the youngest splash in their own water, and RIULand splits activities into ages 4–7 and 8–12, so a six-year-old is not playing with a twelve-year-old. The hotel opens directly onto the north-west beach. Start here for scheduled entertainment and meals without leaving the resort. It is a large resort, not an intimate one: choose it for facilities and company. Its Family Room label alone does not promise a separate bedroom. Riu Jambo pools and RIULand.

The Mora Zanzibar

Elevated · beachfront, Matemwe · best for separate bedrooms and resort activities Its two-bedroom family suite with a balcony or terrace sits on Muyuni Beach frontage, with six pools, including shallow water for younger children. Its Outliners club lists trained childcare staff, but the resort page says ages 3–12 while the club FAQ says 4–12, so plan around the stricter age if you have a three-year-old. Separate sleeping space with resort activities is the appeal; the sea still follows the Matemwe tide.

Zuri Zanzibar

Elevated · beachfront, Kendwa · best for connecting accommodation and shared family time Zuri's interconnecting option pairs two bungalows, each with a king or twin beds, a private terrace with hammocks and indoor and outdoor showers, set in tropical garden. Kids' activities and pool snacks are included, alongside couples rather than instead of them. Its Kendwa setting makes it worth comparing when beach time matters. Reserve the paired units specifically: a standard bungalow is not the same thing. Zuri bungalow options.

Gold Zanzibar Beach House & Spa

Private Collection · beachfront, Kendwa · best for generous room space beside a main pool Gold's main pool and Kendwa beachfront come with large rooms: Deluxe rooms start at 70 square metres and suites at 90. It suits families who want space and a beach resort setting without making a club the deciding feature. Floor area is not a second bedroom, and the site publishes no family occupancy, so the beds in each category are the thing to compare. Gold accommodation.

Bluebay Beach Resort & Spa

Signature · beachfront, Kiwengwa · best for a club and a pool on the eastern coast Bluebay welcomes children from 3 to 12 into its Kids Club, the only club here whose official pages agree on a start at 3; its property page shows beachfront gardens and a swimming pool. It suits families for whom resort activities matter more than flexible sea swimming. The room page lists Deluxe rooms and suites rather than a connecting layout, and the club page gives an age band but no hours. On Kiwengwa's tidal shore, the pool carries the swimming. Bluebay activities.

Baraza Resort & Spa

Private Collection · beachfront, Bwejuu · best for separate-bedroom villas and a private plunge pool Listings say Baraza welcomes children of all ages and describe 30 villas, each with a private plunge pool; several have two bedrooms, the garden version sleeping up to four. A travel designer can confirm the age policy and villa count with Baraza. There is a main resort pool, while the spa's lap pool is adults-only. Bwejuu is a tidal shore, with reef and sand flats exposed as the water drops. The official site lists no children's club or childcare, so treat any you read about elsewhere as unconfirmed. Baraza family and beach FAQ.

The Residence Zanzibar

Elevated · beachfront, Kizimkazi · best for a pool villa with a published club age band Its two-bedroom Frangipani villas each have their own private pool, plus a 45-metre infinity pool and a free Kids Club for ages 4 to 12 with cooking classes and Swahili lessons. It is the strongest pairing here of separate bedrooms and organised play. This is a spread-out villa estate rather than a village hotel, so the villa's position relative to the club and restaurant is worth knowing. Residence facilities.

Flame Tree Cottages

Essential · beachfront, Nungwi · best for a connecting cottage and an independent stay Flame Tree's family cottage has two ensuite rooms joined by a lockable internal door, with a patio, refrigerator and air conditioning. A garden pool sits just inside the gate that opens onto Nungwi's beach. It suits families who value a useful sleeping arrangement over a resort programme. No supervised club is published, so plan the days yourselves. Flame Tree family cottage.

If none of these fit

For a larger household, compare Zanzibar villas and private houses, where sole use is the decision. If your brief is mainly swimming frontage, use the dedicated hotel list above; if it is a town chapter before the beach, use Stone Town hotels. The island hotel overview widens the choice.

Planning it with Nobu

Nobu's story-led approach starts with the family rather than a star rating: who needs company, who needs a door that closes, and whether this is the whole holiday or the finish after safari. A travel designer can talk through the childcare options at each property once the ages and dates are known.

Right for you if…

• A club resort (Riu Jambo, Bluebay, The Mora) suits children aged 3 or 4 to 12 who want company and a timetable, and parents happy with a large resort.
• A pool villa (Baraza, The Residence) suits families who want two bedrooms, a living room and their own water, and who will hold the line on supervision.
• A connecting cottage or bungalow (Zuri, Flame Tree) suits families who prefer their own rhythm to a programme.

Look elsewhere if your youngest is below every club's starting age and you were counting on the club; if you need sea swimming at every hour of the day, which no coast here offers; or if you want one shared room at the lowest cost, where a simpler beach hotel fits better than a family suite. Share your children's ages and the layout you need through Plan Your Journey.

Journeys to consider

• Shores of Zanzibar — an island journey to shape around the chosen family stay. → Shores of Zanzibar journey
• Southern Safari & Spice — a safari-and-island shape for a family enquiry. → Southern Safari & Spice journey