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Lodges & partnersZanzibar, Stone Town

Maru Maru Hotel

A restored town house in the lanes of Stone Town, with a pool on the roof above the old city and the sea.

01 / 06
Tier
Comfort
restored town house in the old city
Location
Zanzibar, Stone Town
Reviews
4.1 ★ on TripAdvisor
958 reviews
Read reviews on TripAdvisor (opens in a new tab)

About

About Maru Maru Hotel.

Maru Maru stands on Gizenga Street, in the middle of the lanes of Stone Town, a few minutes on foot from the Old Fort, the House of Wonders and the seafront at Forodhani. The building is a restored town house, white walled, with heavy carved shutters and a scalloped timber awning over the street. The lanes here are too narrow for a car to reach every door, so the last stretch of the arrival is usually on foot, which is part of what the old city is.

Inside, the hotel has kept the shape of the house it was. A covered courtyard holds a star shaped tiled fountain, with carved wooden galleries running round the first floor and paintings by local artists on the walls. The roof is the other half of the hotel: a swimming pool with loungers, a shaded terrace laid for meals, and a long open view over the tin and tile roofs of the old city to the Indian Ocean. Most guests end up there twice a day, once in the morning and once as the light goes.

Rooms are larger than Stone Town usually manages. Each has a four poster bed under a mosquito net, air conditioning, a safe, a fridge, a flat screen television and a walk in shower, and several keep the stained glass fanlights and dark ceiling beams of the original house. Queen rooms take one or two guests, the King and the Deluxe Twin take two, and the single Family Room is two bedrooms side by side for two adults and two children or three adults. There is a fitness room, a badminton court, an art gallery, a coffee shop with its own bakery, and two lifts, which matter in a quarter where most buildings have only stairs.

It suits the first or the last night of a Tanzania trip, when you want one proper day in the old city rather than a transfer straight to the coast, and it suits families, because of that family room and the pool. Guests consistently praise the location, the cleanliness and the roof. The honest caution is noise: music plays on the terrace in the evening, the lanes wake early, and in 2026 several guests mentioned building work nearby in the early morning, so ask for a room away from the terrace and the street if you sleep lightly.

Zanzibar's airport is about twenty minutes away by road. The ferry terminal for the boat from Dar es Salaam is close by.

Signature experiences

Why guests choose it.

  1. The roof at the end of the day

    The pool and the terrace sit above the rooftops, so the whole of the old city and the water beyond it are in view. It is the one place in a dense quarter where you get the horizon back.

  2. Stone Town on foot

    A guided walk through the lanes takes in the carved doors, the Old Fort, the House of Wonders and the noise of Darajani market. The hotel desk arranges a guide, and it is the best two hours you will spend here.

  3. Forodhani Gardens in the evening

    The seafront gardens fill with food stalls after dark and the whole town comes out. It is a few minutes from the door and costs nothing to wander.

  4. A spice farm morning

    Half a day inland among the clove, nutmeg and cinnamon smallholdings that gave the island its trade. Arranged at the hotel desk and charged separately.

  5. Prison Island by boat

    A short crossing to the old quarantine island, where giant tortoises live in the grounds and the reef off the beach is good for snorkelling. Usually taken as a half day.

Room types

Where you will sleep.

Queen Room

A queen bedded room with a four poster under a mosquito net, air conditioning, safe, fridge and a walk in shower. Sold for one guest or for two.

Up to 2 guests

King Room

The largest of the double rooms, with a king four poster, dark ceiling beams, a writing desk and a walk in shower or hamam bath. Two guests.

Up to 2 guests

Deluxe Room (Twin)

Two beds under mosquito nets in a larger room, for two guests travelling as friends or as family. The 2026 contract calls this room the Twin Room.

Family Room

The one family room in the hotel: two bedrooms side by side for two adults and two children, or three adults sharing.

At a glance

The essentials, in brief.

Amenities

  • Rooftop Swimming Pool
  • Rooftop terrace with sea and town views
  • Terrace Restaurant
  • Coffee Shop And Bakery
  • Fitness Centre
  • Badminton Court
  • Free WiFi
  • Air Conditioning
  • Two Lifts
  • Laundry And Valet Service
  • Concierge
  • Room Service Until 22:00
  • Art Gallery
  • Two conference rooms and a boardroom
  • Baby Sitting On Request
  • Tea and coffee facilities in every room
  • Safe and fridge in every room
  • Flat Screen Television
  • Mosquito Nets
  • 24 Hour Electricity
  • Medical Services On Call

Best for

  • First or last night in Zanzibar
  • Culture And History
  • Families
  • Couples
  • Short City Stays
  • Good Value

Wildlife and nature

  • Red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest, about an hour south
  • Dolphins off Kizimkazi on the south coast
  • Giant tortoises on Prison Island, a short boat ride out
  • Reef fish and coral at Chumbe and Bawe islands

Best time to visit

When to go.

  • January: best
  • February: best
  • March: not a best month
  • April: not a best month
  • May: not a best month
  • June: best
  • July: best
  • August: best
  • September: best
  • October: best
  • November: not a best month
  • December: best
Best months

Best months: June to October and December to February.

Location & access

Getting there.

Location

Zanzibar, Stone Town

Arriving by air

Fly Kilimanjaro International to Zanzibar in about an hour and twenty minutes, then about twenty minutes by road to Stone Town. There is no airstrip closer; Zanzibar is the arrival airport for the whole island.

By road

Zanzibar is reached by air. From Kilimanjaro International it is about an hour and twenty minutes in the air to Zanzibar, then roughly twenty minutes by road into Stone Town. The last stretch to the door is on foot, as the lanes are too narrow for a car.

On the map

Where it sits.

6.162° S, 39.190° E

What's included

What the rate covers.

Included

  • Buffet Breakfast Daily
  • WiFi Throughout The Hotel
  • Access to the rooftop swimming pool
  • Access to the fitness centre and the badminton court
  • Daily Housekeeping With Evening Turndown
  • VAT

Not included

  • Infrastructure, city and tourism fee of 4 USD per person per night, collected by the hotel at check in
  • Lunch and dinner, 25 USD per person per meal
  • Optional festive dinners on 24 and 25 December, 70 USD per person
  • Compulsory Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 USD per adult
  • Airport And Ferry Port Transfers
  • Laundry and items charged to the room
  • Early check in and late check out charges
  • Tips And Gratuities

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

Where exactly is Maru Maru Hotel?

On Gizenga Street, inside the old quarter of Stone Town, a few minutes on foot from the Old Fort, the House of Wonders and the Forodhani seafront. The lanes around it are too narrow for cars, so the last part of the arrival is on foot.

How do guests get there from the airport?

Abeid Amani Karume International Airport is about twenty minutes away by road. Airport and ferry port transfers are not included in the room rate.

What is included in the rate?

Buffet breakfast, WiFi, the rooftop pool, the fitness centre and VAT. Lunch and dinner are charged at 25 USD per person per meal, and the hotel collects an infrastructure, city and tourism fee of 4 USD per person per night at check in.

Are families with children welcome?

Yes. The hotel has one Family Room of two bedrooms side by side, sold for two adults and two children or three adults, and baby sitting can be arranged. A child up to 4 sharing a bed stays free, a child of 5 to 11 pays for an extra bed, and from 12 a child is charged as an adult.

Is there a pool?

Yes, on the roof, with loungers and a shaded terrace beside it and a view over the old city to the sea. There is also a fitness room and a badminton court.

When is the best time to stay?

June to October and January to February are the driest and the busiest. March to May is the long rains, when the island is green and quiet and rates are at their lowest. The hotel is open all year.

How many nights are worth planning here?

One or two. Most guests use Stone Town as the first or last night of a trip, which gives a full day for a walking tour and the market before moving to the coast or to the airport.

Is it noisy?

It can be. Music plays on the rooftop terrace in the evening and the lanes wake early, and some guests in 2026 mentioned building work nearby in the early morning. Ask for a room away from the terrace and the street if you sleep lightly.

What's nearby

Worth the short trip.

  • House of Wonders and the Old Fort

    The two landmarks of the seafront, both within a short walk of the hotel door.

  • Forodhani Gardens

    The waterfront gardens and the evening food market, a few minutes on foot.

  • Darajani Market

    The working market of the old city, loud and worth seeing early in the morning.

  • Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park

    About an hour south, the last stand of the island forest and the place to see the red colobus.

  • Prison Island

    A short boat ride offshore, with giant tortoises and a reef for snorkelling.

Nearby

Other places to stay nearby.

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