Zanzibar Retreat Hotel

We were totally exhausted from ten hour Jeep drives across and around the Serengeti and NgoroNgoro Crater. It was just what we needed. Very relaxed and personable vibe provided by Jan and his staff. Straight to the beach from the hotel with sunhats and towels provided in a cute little bag. Drinks and food service also provided on the beach and by the pool. Staff were very polite and Accommodating and were always smiling. A perfect little paradise to end our trip to Africa

This is a lovely small hotel for those who seek to be outside the tourist masses. Maria and her staff are the kindest people, ensuring everyone has the best stay. We can only praise our time here, with a special focus on the food made by Hadija - some of the best we had on our entire holiday. We do recommend to take a cooking class if you enjoy cooking and getting to know the traditional way of food preparation. The hotel is located right on Matemwe beach, not even 2 steps away. Obviously the tides prevent you from being able to swim in the sea 24/7, but as we did our research we knew that about Zanzibar before. During low tide you can take a walk to the sand bank, seeing beautiful corals, fish, starfish etc (don't forget your water shoes and beware of the sea urchins). The hotel also helped us organise some trips, which was lovely. All in all I would 100% recommend staying here. A bonus was that our room (garden view) now has a balcony, which was not advertised and therefore a pleasant surprise. Do also to try out some of the local restaurants just outside the hotel, the food and the people there are also great. We felt safe inside and outside the hotel 100% of the time, even in the dark - so don't worry about safety in this area.

This has been the best hotel I’ve stayed at in a long time. I felt very safe and welcomed by the owner and the staff. They arranged everything from the spa on location to the diving and snorkeling centre. Food was amazing. Rooms were very clean and comfortable. Thank you very much. I will be back again.

This is a superb charmy, down-to-earth small hotell with excellent food and the best hosts you can imagine. After a week on safaris it was a true blessing to arrive here with its tranquillity and cues that really knew how to cook. I strongly recommend it to everyone who visits Zanzibar

If you‘re looking for a peaceful and quiet getaway, that‘s the place where you wanna be. Comfy sunbeds, excellent pool, friendly and attentive staff and a super delicious restaurant. Prices for a resort reasonable, sure at local places it‘s cheaper but the quality of the food you get is outstanding. Very good breakfast aswell as the swedish fika at 4pm. All wishes were fulfilled without any complaint. We had a wonderfull stay, thank you so much!

Quiet and super comfortable, this was my third time staying here, each stay the service is excellent, staff friendly and attentive. Rooms were clean, beds comfortable and the pool inviting. Chefs were great, breakfast lunch and dinner all were super. Highly recommended stop in Matemwe.