“beautiful hotel with stunning sea views and best warm and kind staff I have ever seen. Highly highly recommended!!”

We stayed at Zoi retrait Hotel and had an absolutely wonderful experience from start to finish. The hotel itself is beautiful, with stunning sea views, elegant and very comfortable rooms, and a perfect location right by the beach. Waking up to the sound of the ocean every morning was unforgettable. What truly made our stay special, though, were the people. Dainess at the reception and the staff in the restaurant were exceptionally warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind. Their friendliness felt sincere and personal, and they made us feel at home from the very first moment. It is rare to meet people who are not only professional, but also so caring and attentive. The beach next to the hotel is gorgeous and peaceful, making it the perfect place to relax and enjoy the surroundings. The location of the hotel is ideal — everything feels close, yet the atmosphere remains calm and relaxing. We also really enjoyed the food. The chef clearly knows what he is doing: every meal was fresh, delicious, and beautifully prepared. Considering the quality, the prices were very fair and offered excellent value. Thank you to everyone at the Zoo hotel for the kindness, hospitality, and wonderful memories. We would happily come back again and highly recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a relaxing stay with amazing service, beautiful views, great food, and truly lovely people.

“A truly magical hotel nestled in the heart of Matemwe.”

This was the most incredible place my mum and I think we have ever stayed in. I surprised my mum with a trip to Zanzibar and informed the hotel in advance- they did absolutely everything to make this as special an occasion as possible. We were warmly greeted, our bags were carried to our room after a long journey, we were given a free upgrade because of the surprise, on top of countless other amazing surprises. Every single day, all of the staff were so attentive and friendly- we felt very much at home. Not to mention, the scenery around the hotel and the hotel itself exceeded our expectations in its beauty. It was right on the beach, which had the softest white sand imaginable and incredible low tides, which meant you could explore the surrounding aquatic life. We saw starfish, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, fish, coral- just to name a few. The room also was adorned with flowers, beautiful towel arrangements, complementary drinks, sun hats, beach towels and a beach bag. The internet was perfectly strong. It was even possible to get WiFi on the beach, to call friends and family while relaxing. They also had their own restaurant with drinks. The breakfast was INCREDIBLE!!!! Everyone was given their own fresh fruit platter, a selection of local pastries and a cooked meal of your choice. We seriously could not recommend this place enough to absolutely anyone and couldn’t fault it. It’s true paradise. And the price was ridiculously amazing value. Thank you to everyone for making it such a magical experience.

“This was not what we expected, we ended up not staying even one night”

“Allez y les yeux fermés”

Beautiful, intimate hotel that blends seamlessly into the lush coastal surroundings, far from the overwhelming modern constructions. We stayed in room 10. Not only is it spacious, but it also features a balcony with a stunning sea view right in front… Direct access to the beach and its sun loungers… In this very peaceful setting, only the sound of the waves will lull you from morning to evening. The food is very good, though it could perhaps be a bit more varied. The staff, from management to servers, are incredibly attentive. Take a look at our photos. Honestly, how is it possible to give any credibility to those who leave 1-star reviews?

“Marvelous”

Loved the staffs,they treated us like queens😍😍and the location is very close to the beach and exactly what I wanted ,i would like to say alot about the hospitality there but i will just recommend it just go and try it,it is like home

“This was not what we expected, we ended up not staying even one night”

“It was good we even had an amazing massage and all the staff were so friendly and attentive”

Close to Mnemba island and easy to walk to other hotels

“Top resort with lovely people!”

Splendid location right on the beach; great pool; very warm and lovely staff. Nice room. Complementary massage from Esther was great. Very quiet and relaxed. Food was good. What more do you want?

“Great value for money.”

Beautiful place to relax and enjoy life. Very friendly staff, delicious food, good breakfast. The pool was big and clean.

“Beautiful hotel, in a great area. Great facilities, need a little bit more consistency in service.”

Spacious room with a great balcony - nice swimming pool - quiet area - really reactiv team when we mentoned we had issue with ants and smell in our bathroom. Housekeeping team give an extra cleaning and extra ants treatment in the next few minutes, we understand its an island and plumbing is not always easy so we appreciated their reactivity to do their best. Big thanks to the chef who made one of our best dinner in Zanzibar on our last night.

The location of the hotel facing the sea and the delicious fresh food. The food was really mesmerizing. The staff was very kind as well.

“Peaceful without being isolated”

Lovely small hotel in a beautiful location. The restaurant is nice but there are also other good options nearby for diversity, although it is much more peaceful than Paje or Kiwendwa. The room was comfortable and the electricity was reliable by Zanzibar standards, only switching off for a few seconds at a time (presumably while a backup power source kicks in) while I was there. You can walk from your room to a pristine beach in seconds, where there are plenty of loungers to relax on and security keeping watch so you can leave your stuff unattended. Places like Zoi are the sweet spot for me. It feels luxury, but isn't going to break the bank. Past this point, spending extra money feels pointless!

“Yes!”

You will not want to leave this place! The staff are absolutely wonderful, and the food… the FOOD was hands down the best we had on the entire island. We visited several different spots around Zanzibar, and their dinner truly was the best. They also make great drinks 🍹 and are very generous when pouring the wine 🍷. The beach is incredible with the sand that is so soft and fine. It literally feels like flour. The tide is noticeable, but not a problem, you can still swim all day (we visited in February). If you’re in the mood for a drink or some live music, there are nice places just a short walk away. You must visit MARAFIKI with live music and crazy good drinks. Like in ALL parts of Zanzibar, the Maasai beach vendors will call out to you, which can be a bit tiring after a while. However, here they’re much calmer than in places like Kendwa. It’s simply part of the Zanzibar experience hahaha. You politely say no and keep walking, they will leave you alone. They never follow up in the hotel areas. We had booked 5 night but liked it so much we had to book more nights. We finally couldn’t stay longer because they were so booked. Now we live like 100 meters away, but still goes back because they literally are the best😁 HAKUNA MATATA! 🕺❤️

“Good location, the hotel service could definitely need an update”

The location is outstanding and the beach beautiful.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the central position right on the beautiful Matemwe beach was perfect.

“Welcoming and good value”

The staff were really warm and welcoming. Esther gave us wonderful complimentary massages on arrival. They were true and proper massages - she has magic hands. Abdul is a very attentive manager and also greatly assisted with our taxi arrangements on departure after we were also offered a late check out. Our dinner at the restaurant and our breakfast were really delicious. Great value for money and we would happily recommend the hotel.

Amazing stay at this lovely hotel. The food is refined and delicious at very fair prices. The whole staff is absolutely a delight making our stay smooth and idyllic- a special mention to the kitchen and restaurant crew who made our experience very enjoyable. Great location, cool and clean pool in the sun most of the day, private beach and great view on the ocean. Could not recommend enough that paradisiac and intimate hotel and its amazing staff.

The fact that the hotel is close to the beach

It has been a great visit! The service is top and the beach with it‘s view and the rooms are speaking for themselves. The food was extraordinary!

“nice hotel in a quite area”

the room and pool were nice! your also close to the beach.