A stay at Emerson Spice Hotel places you in the heart of Zanzibar Town, steps from Shakti Temple and Christ Church Cathedral. .This hotel is 0.2 mi (0.4 km) from Darajani Market and 0.3 mi (0.5 km) from Slave Market.
What's nearby
House of Wonders - 2 min walk - 0.1 miles
Christ Church Cathedral - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
Old Fort - 5 min walk - 0.3 miles
Slave Market - 5 min walk - 0.3 miles
Forodhani Gardens - 7 min walk - 0.4 miles
Getting around
Zanzibar Intl. Airport (ZNZ) - 21 min drive
Restaurants
Forodhani Park - 6 min walk
Lukmaan Restaurant - 4 min walk
House of Karafuu - 4 min walk
Livingstone Beach Restaurant - 7 min walk
Secret Garden - 1 min walk
About this property
Emerson Spice Hotel
Emerson Spice Hotel offers 10 air-conditioned accommodations with complimentary bottled water and complimentary toiletries. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. This Zanzibar Town hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Rooms have partially open bathrooms. Bathrooms include shower/tub combinations with deep soaking bathtubs. Additionally, rooms include ceiling fans and blackout drapes/curtains. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered daily. Amenities available on request include hair dryers.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
Make yourself at home in one of the 10 individually decorated guestrooms. Complimentary wireless internet access is available to keep you connected. Partially open bathrooms with shower/tub combinations feature deep soaking bathtubs and complimentary toiletries. Conveniences include complimentary bottled water and a turndown service, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Take in the views from a terrace and a garden and make use of amenities such as complimentary wireless internet access. Additional features at this hotel include tour/ticket assistance and bike storage.
Enjoy seafood at Rooftop restaurant, one of the hotel's 2 restaurants, or stay in and take advantage of the room service (during limited hours). Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge. A complimentary continental breakfast is served daily from 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Featured amenities include luggage storage, laundry facilities, and a safe deposit box at the front desk. A roundtrip airport shuttle is provided for a surcharge (available 24 hours).
A complimentary continental breakfast is served each morning between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
Rooftop restaurant - This seafood restaurant specializes in seafood and serves lunch and dinner. Guests can order drinks at the bar and enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting). Reservations are required.
Secret Garden - Overlooking the garden, this restaurant specializes in local and international cuisine and serves lunch and dinner. Guests can order drinks at the bar and enjoy alfresco dining (weather permitting). Open daily.
Room service (during limited hours) is available.
Property amenities
Internet
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Parking and transportation
No onsite parking available
24-hour roundtrip airport shuttle on request for a surcharge
Food and drink
Free continental breakfast available daily 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM
2 restaurants
A bar/lounge
Restaurants on site
Rooftop restaurant
Secret Garden
Things to do
Bicycle storage
Family friendly
Laundry facilities
Conveniences
Guidebooks
Laundry facilities
Limited-hour front desk
Luggage storage
Safe at front desk
Guest services
Housekeeping (daily)
Porter/bellhop
Tour and ticket assistance
Turndown service
Outdoors
Beach towels
Garden
Outdoor furniture
Terrace
Accessibility
No elevator
More
1 building
5 floors
At least 10% of profits reinvested in community and sustainability
At least 80% lighting from LEDs
At least 80% of food locally-sourced
At least 80% organic food
Biodegradable coffee stirrers available
Biodegradable drinking straws available
Built in 1870
Comprehensive food waste policy
Comprehensive recycling policy
Designated smoking areas
Eco-friendly cleaning products used
Local artist showcase
Local culture and ecosystem education
Locally-owned and organized tours and activities
No plastic coffee stirrers
No plastic drinking straws
No plastic soft drink bottles
No plastic water bottles
Reusable cups
Reusable tableware
Traditional architecture
Vegan dining options
Vegetarian breakfast available
Vegetarian dining options
Room amenities
Bedroom
Bedsheets provided
Blackout drapes
Bathroom
Deep soaking bathtub
Free toiletries
Hair dryer (on request)
Partially-open bathroom
Shampoo
Shower/bathtub combination
Soap
Toilet paper
Towels provided
Food and drink
Free bottled water
Limited room service
More
Air conditioning
Ceiling fan
Electrical adapters
Individual decor
Individual furnishings
Laptop workspace
Water-efficient toilets
Policies
Check-in
Check-in start time: 1:00 PM; Check-in end time: 10:00 PM
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out
Check-out before 10:00 AM
Special check-in instructions
This property offers transfers from the airport (surcharges may apply); guests must contact the property with arrival details before travel, using the contact information on the booking confirmation
The front desk is open daily from 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in
Information provided by the property may be translated using automated translation tools
Renovations and closures
The property is closed between April 21 and May 20.
Access methods
Front desk (limited hours)
Pets
No pets or service animals allowed
Children and extra beds
Children are welcome
Rollaway/extra beds are not available
Property payment types
Important information
Fees
You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:
A tax is imposed by the city: USD 4.00 per person, per night
An effective city/local tax rate of 12.00 percent will be charged
Deposit is payable by bank transfer and is due within 24 hours of booking the reservation.
We have included all charges provided to us by the property.
Optional extras
Airport shuttle fee: USD 25 per vehicle (one-way)
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
Guests must contact this property in advance to reserve high chair
This property accepts credit cards, debit cards, and cash
Noise-free guestrooms cannot be guaranteed
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, and a first aid kit
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios, terraces which may not be suitable for children; if you have concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm they can accommodate you in a suitable room
We should mention
This property does not have elevators
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms
No pets and no service animals are allowed at this property
Property is also known as
Emerson Spice Hotel Hotel
Emerson Spice Hotel Zanzibar Town
Emerson Spice Hotel Hotel Zanzibar Town
Emerson Spice Hotel Reviews
Reviews
9.8
Exceptional
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
Beautiful building, great staff.
Fantastic room (Violetta)
lesley jane
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Judith
Jan 30, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
The hotel’s decor and ambience were absolutely lovely. I had a beautifully spacious room with a balcony. The rooftop provides a wonderful venue for breakfast and dinner. The hotel arranged a transfer from the airport- very helpful as the hotel is located in the midst of Stone Town’s maze of lanes.
Special place. The staff outstanding. A few remarkable days at this wonderful historic 'hotel'.
Christopher
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2025
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Iren
Jan 16, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
My room was a work of art with unique furnishings and exquisite detail
Iren
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2026
Verified
10/10 Excellent
Judith
Jan 21, 2026
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities
This is a beautiful hotel. Each room is beautifully decorated and spacious. Air conditioning plus a ceiling fan makes the room comfortable for sleeping. My room had a lovely balcony overlooking a garden. The internal courtyard makes the hotel very quiet. The rooftop is lovely for breakfast and dinner or the Secret Garden within the hotel compound is also lovely for a meal. The hotel is within easy walking distance of the seafront.
We had a wonderful stay and couldn’t have asked for a better welcome. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, we arrived very early in the morning and were pleasantly surprised when they offered us breakfast and allowed us to check in early.
The property itself is stunning: a beautiful historical building that has been thoughtfully and tastefully decorated. Our room was spacious, elegant, and very comfortable.
The location is also great, in a pretty and vibrant street and just a few minutes away from the night market and the sights.
Highly recommended!
One of the most charming places we've ever stayed at. Antique, yet very clean and safe. Food was delicious, best we had on Zanzibar. Staff wonderful. Highest recommendation.
Fantastic place in heart of old Stonetown. Beautiful unique rooms, fantastic food in a rooftop restaurant with an an amazing view, and and a very helpful staff.
Incredibly historic building with unique individually decorated rooms! Perfect location for walking around Stonetown. Delicious breakfast served on rooftop! Request Belle room if you don't want a lot of stairs. It has a huge balcony along the front of the building so it's fun to see tourists stop and take photos!
Our experience was amazing. The architecture is superb, the staff extraordinarily helpful and we had such an amazing time. The rooftop is breathtaking and all the staff is kind and polite. We want to return soon.
It is one of the best hotel I've ever stayed. Excellent room, staff, services. The hotel and the rooms are in traditional Zanzibar architecture style, which gave me great experience. Staff is considerate and detail oriented. The dinner at the rooftop is wonderful.
One minor downside is the shower had low water pressure due to my room was in the top floor. Sometimes I had to wait for 1-2 minutes until the water came, which was not good when taking shower. The staff said there will be a major work to add a pump. Hope it will be better after it's done.