Boutique Hotel Matlai

In our opinion this hotel was unsuitable for us who are in our 70s. Swimming in both the hotel pool and in the sea was disappointing due to the rocky beach and sea urchins as well as a pool which was uncomfortable for more than one couple. The restaurant lacked atmosphere and the half board choices were underwhelming. Definitely more suitable for honeymoon couples.

A wonderful property. When first entering the common area of the Asili house ‘ the view took our breath away. Our rooms were perfectly appointed - the most spectacular bathrooms were in the two groundfloor rooms. All staff, be it housekeeping, butlers or servers were outstanding. We (3 couples) had booked breakfast and dinner included. The food did not disappoint - very very good. We had a fabulous four nights and can definitely recommend Matlai Boutique Hotel 100% especially to those wanting an intimate and laidback yet luxurious location. We’ll be back ! The Vitiello Family and Annie Diehl and Dr. Achim Kramer

Our stay was absolutely perfect! Hotel Matlai is a stunning property down to every detail. The property looks out onto a gorgeous and serene section of the beach, and you can take long walks from the property along the beach. The service, food, and spa were also incredible. Highly recommend!!

The place and the staff were excellent. The rooms are incredible. The setting is beautiful, as are the views. Awesome pool and easy access to the ocean for swimming, wading and snorkeling. The tide swings were crazy. Highly recommend this spot!

MY WIFE AND I STAYED FOR ONLY THREE NIGHTS (WISH IT HAD BEEN LONGER!) AFTER A LENGTHY STAY ON THE MAINLAND AT VARIOUS SAFARI CAMPS. OUR WONDERFUL HOLIDAY ON ZANZIBAR, ESPECIALLY AT THE BOUTIQUE HOTEL MATLAI, WAS A PERFECT AND RELAXING ENDING TO A MEMORBLE VACATION. WE VISTED THE SPA AND WERE SO GLAD WE DID. THE STAFF WERE VERY FRIENDLY, THE FOOD QUITE GOOD, AND THE VIEWS WERE SPECTACULAR OF THE INDIAN OCEAN. WE DID VISIT THE JOVANI FOREST TO SEE THE RED COLOBUS MONKEYS (GO EARLY!) AND WE HAD LUNCH AT THE ROCK RESTAURANT RIGHT DOWN THE BEACH. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ALSO! WE STAYED IN THE MOON SUITE AT THE VILLA KIDOSHO SIDE OF THE RESORT.

We recently spent two magnificent weeks at the Boutique Hotel Matlai. In a nutshell this an oasis that provides for your all your holiday needs on immaculate grounds with exceptional staff. If you’re looking for that personal touch, then Matlai is it. What makes this hotel unique is its size. There are a total of 6 rooms spread over two ‘homes’ (4 rooms in the palapa-styled home, and 2 rooms in the white-house) on the grounds and a whole team dedicated to ensuring your stay (without being obtrusive) is the best possible. The rooms are all well appointed with plenty of space for your belongings, each room having a beautiful view of the Indian Ocean. What really sets this hotel apart is the staff and level of attentiveness to your every need. The staff were superlative - Ramadan, Martin, Derrick, Gideon, Tatu, Mariam, Anna, Asi, Emmanuel, and the front-desk staff all provided personal touches – such as fixing a broken mask of mine, preparing the meals a specific way, ensuring our health was okay (got sick from diving too deep), etc. It is this level of service you wouldn’t find at a regular hotel that really made this place stand-out. They honestly made us feel like we were family, they were all so warm and welcoming. The grounds of the hotel are immaculate, with lush gardens throughout. Two infinity-style pools provide stunning views out across the Indian Ocean. The hotel provides delicious meals – breakfasts can be ordered in your room or front balcony (ordered however you like and whatever you like). Dinners can be had anywhere on the grounds of the hotel – they were varied – with no same meal had in the two weeks we were there. The hotel can provide personalized tours through a 3rd party – Chiddy Tours. I highly recommend working with the hotel for any tour. Chiddy’s tours were personal down to just us as a couple so we could do anything we wanted and spend as much time on things as we desired. It wasn’t like being packed on a bus like a sardine with 100 other folks. Chiddy Tours worked with what you wanted to do/see and tailored the tours accordingly. In addition, the hotel has on-ground massage/spa services which were very good, especially after or prior to the long journey home Mariam and her team do an outstanding job of ensuring you’re comfortable and relaxed. If anyone is an avid swimmer/snorkeler – about a mile out (1.6km) are outstanding reefs/fish. Go at high-tide (you definitely need fins as it is a long slog) straight out from the hotel, past the sand-bank you see at low-tide another 400-600 metres straight out (before the waves), you’ll find a plethora of reef with outstanding tropical fish. The water (even at high tide) is never particularly deep (no more than 5 metres at the deepest). We found the reef here to be even better than at Mnemba Atoll, mind you, at Mnemba the boats take you instead of the long swim