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The best hotels in Stone Town let you return from the lanes, pause in a courtyard or on a roof, then go out again as the light turns the coral-stone walls gold. This shortlist takes twelve of the fourteen Stone Town properties in our stay data, ordered by fit for purpose, not price: houses and town hotels first, then waterfront hotels for travellers who want a pool and fuller facilities. The town has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Its wealth was built partly on the slave trade: Christ Church Cathedral stands on the former slave-market site, and the building histories explain that story house by house. The guided walk has its own page.
Two properties sit outside the list. Forodhani Park Hotel, the one Essential-tier option on Nobu's property list, and The Swahili House are not reviewed here. For a more modest night in town, a travel designer can advise on Forodhani Park Hotel, or on Tembo House Hotel, Dhow Palace Hotel and Zanzibar Coffee House, which we list as value options.
How to choose
House or waterfront hotel. A heritage boutique puts the building at the centre of the stay. A waterfront hotel gives you broader facilities and an ocean outlook. Every property below is a town stay; frontage does not turn it into a beach holiday. For that next chapter, use the coast guide.
Rooftop or bedroom. Choose the room before the roof: bathroom privacy, outlook and the stairs up matter after a long journey. Rooftop dining is listed on the hotel's own site where named, but a restaurant table and a hotel room are reserved separately. If stairs are a concern, request the route from entrance to bedroom.
Sound and sleep. Calls to prayer, street life and hotel dining belong to this living town, and Emerson's own site describes prayer calls in the background. Dawn sound can reach bedrooms; how much depends on orientation and windows. Restaurant music, nearby building work and the room on offer all matter here.
Family or couple. Every house here welcomes children. Request the sleeping arrangement in writing, since connecting rooms and pool supervision vary. Outside the hotel, modest dress is expected in the old town's streets; the dress guide has the detail.
The list
Emerson on Hurumzi
Elevated · urban, Stone Town · best for a rooftop-led heritage stay Choose Hurumzi if the house and its rooftop Tea House are central to your evening. The hotel's own history describes four 19th-century buildings, one the residence of the Sultan's finance minister, built to have the highest roof in town. The Tea House offers city-and-sea views with low-table and regular seating; reserve dinner separately. Its site lists a spa and a courtyard pool. Nine more rooms and a ballroom restaurant were due in spring 2026; their opening is not established here. Request which building your room is in.
Emerson Spice Hotel
Elevated · urban, Stone Town · best for courtyard character and rooftop dining Spice is a restored merchant's house, described by the hotel as the former Merchant's Palace, its individually designed rooms set around an airy courtyard with Art Deco and Zanzibari influences. The rooftop Tea House suits travellers who want their evening close to their room; the Secret Garden offers another table. Its own description includes city sounds and calls to prayer. Request the bathroom arrangement of your exact room.
Kholle House
Signature · urban, Stone Town · best for a garden-and-pool retreat Kholle House combines a walled garden and pool with a rooftop terrace and Tea House. Its Malindi address behind the Old Dispensary suits travellers who want a house with outdoor space to return to between walks. The rooftop is reached by stairs. A room facing the garden suits a quieter night than one on the street.
Jafferji House & Spa
Elevated · urban, Stone Town · best for individually styled suites Jafferji presents a historic house with individually designed suites and intimate courtyards. Bibi's Kitchen, the rooftop restaurant, catches glimpses of the ocean above the lanes. It suits couples drawn to interiors as much as an outlook. The roof's view does not extend to every bedroom, so the layout of the specific suite matters more than the rooftop photograph.
Zanzibar Palace Hotel
Elevated · urban, Stone Town · best for a small house with practical arrival access Zanzibar Palace emphasises individually decorated rooms blending Arabian, Indian and English design. Its useful distinction: the hotel's directions say cars stop at the front door in Kiponda, while town sights stay walkable, which helps with luggage. It is less suited if rooftop dinners are the point of your stay; there is no shared rooftop restaurant on its site. The number of stairs between the door and your room is the other detail that matters.
Zanzibar Coffee House
Signature · urban, Stone Town · best for café life and a daytime rooftop Coffee House suits travellers who want a small heritage hotel near Mkunazini, with the café downstairs and a rooftop above the town. The owner's website lists air-conditioned rooms and daytime public hours for the roof. It is less suited if you picture sunset drinks on your own rooftop.
The Seyyida Hotel & Spa
Signature · urban, Stone Town · best for a pool and harbour-facing rooftop Seyyida combines inner garden courtyards with a pool and the Lulu Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge. Its Kiponda setting suits travellers who want a town base with places to sit outdoors rather than a room-only stop. If harbour views matter to you, ask for a room that has one.
Maru Maru Hotel
Signature · urban, Stone Town · best for a social rooftop and guest pool Maru Maru has a rooftop restaurant, bar and swimming pool, the pool reserved for hotel guests. Its own description says the evening continues with dining and live music, and its Gizenga Street address is central for exploring. It is less suited to light sleepers. If you want it anyway, request a room well away from the terrace.
Dhow Palace Hotel
Signature · urban, Stone Town · best for an inland courtyard pool Dhow Palace offers antique-filled interiors and an open-air courtyard with a swimming pool. It fits travellers who want a heritage setting and somewhere to cool off after walking, with evenings spent out in town. It is less suited if you want sea views: its Bhagani Street address faces the lanes. A room overlooking the courtyard suits the pool best.
Park Hyatt Zanzibar
Elevated · urban, Stone Town · best for contemporary comfort beside the water Park Hyatt offers an oceanfront infinity pool, several dining venues and a spa. It suits travellers who want to return from the lanes to a contemporary hotel, particularly when a pool matters more than a rooftop. It is less suited if heritage immersion is the reason you came; the old houses are a walk away rather than around you. The outlook depends on your room category; this is an urban waterfront, not a swimming beach.
Zanzibar Serena Hotel
Signature · urban, Stone Town · best for classic waterfront atmosphere Serena combines restored heritage buildings with a swimming pool and an oceanfront dining terrace. Choose it if traditional hotel character and time beside the water appeal more than a small townhouse layout. Its room categories differ in outlook. Request the category with the view you want, rather than assuming every room faces the sea.
Tembo House Hotel
Signature · urban, Stone Town · best for waterfront character with pool time Tembo describes itself as a seafront heritage hotel with a larger central pool and an infinity plunge pool. It suits travellers who want the waterfront in the picture without making a rooftop dinner the point of the stay. For young children, the pool depths and building layout matter most.
At a glance
| Hotel | Tier | House or waterfront | Rooftop | Pool | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson on Hurumzi | Elevated | House | Tea House | Courtyard pool | Rooftop-led heritage |
| Emerson Spice Hotel | Elevated | House | Tea House | — | Courtyard character |
| Kholle House | Signature | House | Terrace and Tea House | Garden pool | Garden retreat |
| Jafferji House & Spa | Elevated | House | Bibi's Kitchen | — | Styled suites |
| Zanzibar Palace Hotel | Elevated | House | — | — | Easy arrival |
| Zanzibar Coffee House | Signature | House | Daytime public roof | — | Café life |
| The Seyyida Hotel & Spa | Signature | House | Lulu rooftop | Yes | Pool and rooftop |
| Maru Maru Hotel | Signature | Town hotel | Restaurant and bar | Rooftop, guests only | Social evenings |
| Dhow Palace Hotel | Signature | House | — | Courtyard | Inland pool |
| Park Hyatt Zanzibar | Elevated | Waterfront | — | Oceanfront infinity | Contemporary comfort |
| Zanzibar Serena Hotel | Signature | Waterfront | — (oceanfront terrace) | Yes | Classic waterfront |
| Tembo House Hotel | Signature | Waterfront | — | Central and plunge | Waterfront value |
— means not listed on the hotel's own site. No prices are shown; a travel designer can give a current quote.
If none of these fit
A town stay is right for you if you want evenings in the lanes and do not mind a dawn call to prayer; it is not for you if city sound would undermine the holiday, in which case choose the coast and visit town for a day. For how many nights to give the town, see the duration guide.
Planning it with Nobu
Nobu's story-led approach treats the town hotel as part of the journey's rhythm: what you want outside the door, where you want to return, and how you like to sleep. Bring those preferences to the designer; a travel designer confirms which of these hotels can be offered for your dates.
Journeys to consider
- Shores of Zanzibar — explore the island journey and discuss where a town stay fits. → Shores of Zanzibar journey
- Southern Safari & Spice — consider the town's place between the mainland safari and the coast. → Southern Safari & Spice journey
