Emerson Spice Hotel

We stayed in a room called Kate after Katherine Hepburn, it has to be the most stunning room we've stayed in. The decor is beautiful, the bed super comfy and the outside bath a shower a unique treat. The staff are polite, helpful and couldn't do enough for us. We had cocktails on the roof top at sunset and also sampled the 7 course taster menu also all cooked on the roof by an amazing chef. A beautiful oasis in the centre of old Stone Town.

A stunning hotel. A former merchant's house dating back to the 1860s, it stands out even amongst all the fantastic old buildings in Stonetown. Tour groups were stopping outside the hotel to take pictures and to learn about it's history. It's a unique property with only 11 rooms, each decorated in beautiful styles utilising local Arabic furniture and fittings. We stayed in the roomed called Kate which was on the fourth floor. (I advise that if you struggle with steps then book a room on a lower floor). It with a floor to ceiling doors opening up onto a large terrace on one side while the bathroom opened up to a smaller terrace containing an outside bath and shower. Breakfast was served in the restaurant on the roof overlooking the houses, mosques and spires of the city. It was a magical way to start each day with great coffee, fresh tropical fruit and eggs cooked to order. The staff in the hotel was impeccable in every details, helping take our bags up the stairs to our room, arranging transportation and taking care of anything that we needed. The hotel in situated centrally and you can walk to the market in a little over five minutes or down to the port in about ten. I can't recommend this hotel highly enough.

Emerson Spice. Of all the places we stayed in Zanzibar, this is by far the best on all fronts. The rooms are lovely, beautifully decorated and furnished - each crammed with character, the food is lovely and the service excellent. Because it is in the heart of the Old Town, vehicles can’t get right to the door, but it is only a five-minute walk from where the taxi stops and the hotel staff will help with bags if you arrange this. The central location means that Darajani market is a few minutes walk in one direction, Hurumzi Street’s souvenir shops run the other way and the brilliant Zanzibar Coffee House is 20 yards away. If you want to explore the less touristy northern districts of Kiponda and Kikoni, these lie to the north and the Anglican Cathedral and slave exhibition to the south. You can view the town’s rooftops laid out around you from the rooftop restaurant, where Breakfast is served. We would definitely stay here again.