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Lodges & partnersZanzibar North

The Z Hotel

Forty rooms on Nungwi beach at the northern tip of Zanzibar, with an infinity pool that runs straight onto the sand.

01 / 06
Tier
Comfort
Location
Zanzibar North
Reviews
4.7 ★ on TripAdvisor
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About

About The Z Hotel.

The Z Hotel sits on Nungwi beach at the very northern tip of Zanzibar, about an hour and a half by road from the airport and Stone Town. It opened in 2010 as one of the first boutique hotels on the island and it still feels like one: forty rooms rather than four hundred, a garden of palms between the building and the sand, and an infinity pool whose far edge drops straight onto the beach.

The rooms are built around the same few things: four poster beds made of coconut wood, marble floors, Italian designed bathrooms, glass doors that fold onto a balcony or terrace, air conditioning and ceiling fans. Garden view rooms on the ground floor are closest to the pool and one of them takes three guests. Garden rooms on the first floor look into the palms, and sea view rooms on the upper floors face the ocean, some of them through the trees. Higher up are three rooftop suites with beamed ceilings and wraparound terraces, two cottages on the shore with a private deck over the water, and The Z Suite, which takes an entire rooftop.

Rates are bed and breakfast. Lunch and dinner are taken at the seafood restaurant on a timber deck above the beach or at Cinnamon, a first floor room with sea views and an Asian leaning menu, and both can be booked as half board or full board. The Sky Spa has two treatment rooms and a terrace, there is a gym with a trainer on request, and guests can also use the pool and restaurant at The Z2, the newer sister hotel next door. Diving, snorkelling at Mnemba, boat trips and riding on the beach are booked through operators in Nungwi.

It suits couples and friends who want a lively northern beach with a well run hotel behind it, and anyone ending a safari who wants the sea on the doorstep. It is not a family hotel: no guest under sixteen is accepted. The hotel closes every year in April and May for the long rains, and asks for a minimum of three nights, five over Christmas and New Year.

Signature experiences

Why guests choose it.

  1. The infinity pool and the beach

    The pool runs to the edge of the garden and drops onto Nungwi beach, with loungers under the palms.

  2. Dinner on the deck over the sand

    The hotel seafood restaurant is a timber pavilion raised above the beach, open for lunch and dinner. Booking a table for sunset is worth doing on the day you arrive.

  3. An afternoon in the Sky Spa

    Two treatment rooms and a terrace on the third floor above reception, open from half past nine in the morning to eight at night.

  4. Snorkelling at Mnemba

    Mnemba Atoll is about half an hour by boat from Nungwi, with clear water over coral and a good chance of turtles and dolphins. The hotel tour desk books the trip with a local operator.

Room types

Where you will sleep.

Garden View Rooms (Ground Floor)

Ground floor rooms a few steps from the pool and the beach, sold for one or two, and one room for three.

Garden View Rooms (1st Floor)

First floor rooms with a balcony over the palms and the garden.

Sea View Rooms

Upper floor rooms with a private balcony facing the sea, in some rooms through the palms.

Rooftop Suites

Three open plan suites on the top floor with beamed ceilings and wraparound terraces over the ocean.

Oceanfront Cottages

Two cottages on the shore over two floors, with a private deck built out over the sea.

The Z Suite

The signature suite, taking a whole rooftop, with a sitting room and a long terrace.

At a glance

The essentials, in brief.

Amenities

  • Oceanfront Infinity Pool
  • Private beach area on Nungwi beach
  • Sky Spa with two treatment rooms
  • Gym with a personal trainer on request
  • Seafood restaurant on a deck over the beach
  • Cinnamon Restaurant With Sea Views
  • Reading Room With A Computer
  • Tour desk for diving, snorkelling and boat trips
  • Wi Fi Throughout
  • Air Conditioning And Ceiling Fans
  • Balcony or terrace in every room
  • Use of the pool and restaurants at The Z2 next door

Best for

  • Couples
  • Honeymoons
  • Beach After Safari
  • Friends Travelling Together
  • Beach And Pool Days
  • Snorkelling And Diving Trips

Wildlife and nature

  • Turtles and dolphins on boat trips to Mnemba Atoll
  • Reef fish on the coral off Nungwi and Mnemba
  • Sunsets over the sea from the west facing tip of the island

Best time to visit

When to go.

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

Best months: January to February and June to October. Closed in April to May.

Location & access

Getting there.

Location

Zanzibar North

Arriving by air

Scheduled flights from Kilimanjaro and Arusha reach Zanzibar airport in a little over an hour. From there it is just over an hour and a half by road to Nungwi, which the hotel can arrange by private vehicle.

By road

Kilimanjaro International is on the mainland, so Zanzibar is reached by a short flight from Kilimanjaro or Arusha to Zanzibar airport, then by road to Nungwi. The hotel puts that drive at just over an hour and a half from the airport or Stone Town.

On the map

Where it sits.

5.731° S, 39.292° E

What's included

What the rate covers.

Included

  • Accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, per room per night
  • Breakfast Each Morning
  • Wi Fi Throughout The Hotel
  • Use of the hotel pools, the private beach area and the gym
  • Air conditioning, ceiling fans and daily housekeeping
  • Inaya coconut bath products made on Zanzibar

Not included

  • Zanzibar government infrastructure tax of 5 US dollars per person per night, paid at the hotel
  • Lunch and dinner. Half board is a supplement of 40 US dollars and full board 60 US dollars per person per night from June 2026 to March 2027, rising to 45 and 65 US dollars from June 2027 to March 2028
  • All Beverages
  • Airport transfers, which the hotel arranges by private vehicle for up to five guests at 65 US dollars one way or 125 US dollars return from the airport or Stone Town
  • Spa treatments, excursions, diving and water sports
  • Tips And Gratuities
  • Tanzania inbound travel insurance, 44 US dollars per adult, compulsory from 1 October 2026 and bought online before travel
  • Items Of A Personal Nature

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

How many rooms does The Z Hotel have?

Forty: thirty four rooms and six suites. They run from garden rooms on the ground floor to sea view rooms, three rooftop suites, two cottages on the shore and The Z Suite on the roof.

Can children stay at The Z Hotel?

No. The hotel accepts guests of sixteen and over. Families with younger children can look at Kidoti Villas, a short drive away and run by the same people, where children of all ages are welcome.

How do I get there from Zanzibar airport?

By road to Nungwi at the northern tip of the island. The hotel puts the drive from the airport or Stone Town at just over an hour and a half, and arranges a private vehicle for up to five guests if you want it.

What is included in the rate?

The room and breakfast each morning, Wi Fi, the pools, the beach area and the gym. Lunch and dinner are extra, as half board or full board, or ordered as you go. The government infrastructure tax of 5 US dollars per person per night is paid at the hotel.

Is there a minimum stay?

Yes. Three nights for most of the year and five nights over the festive season, from 23 December into early January.

When is the hotel closed?

Every year from 1 April to 31 May, during the long rains. It is open from the start of June through to the end of March.

What do I need to know about money and power?

There are no cash machines in Nungwi, so bring what you need from Stone Town or the airport. Sockets are the British three pin type at 220 to 240 volts.

Is there anything else I must arrange before I travel?

Tanzania requires inbound travel insurance for every visitor from 1 October 2026, 44 US dollars per adult, bought online before you fly. Your Expert will remind you when you book.

Is the beach good for swimming?

The hotel sits directly on Nungwi beach with its own private beach area, and the infinity pool runs right to the sand. How far the sea goes out changes with the tide, so ask your Expert about tide times for your dates.

What is there to do apart from the beach?

The Sky Spa, the gym, and trips booked through the tour desk: snorkelling at Mnemba Atoll, diving, boat trips along the coast and riding on the beach with the Zanzibar Horse Club.

What's nearby

Worth the short trip.

  • Mnemba Atoll

    About thirty minutes by boat. Known for its snorkelling, with turtles and dolphins often seen on the way.

  • Nungwi village and the dhow yards

    A short walk along the beach. Boats are still built by hand on the sand here, and the turtle sanctuary at Mnarani is at the northern point.

  • Kendwa beach

    A few kilometres south along the west coast, with a long stretch of soft sand that is easy to walk to at low water.

  • Stone Town

    About an hour and a half by road. The old town, the House of Wonders and the spice farms on the way are a full day out.

Nearby

Other places to stay nearby.

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