Boutique properties are where Zanzibar is at its best. They are usually owner-run, usually under twenty rooms, and they carry a personality the larger resorts cannot.
In Stone Town this means restored merchant houses: carved doors, high ceilings, Zanzibari beds, a rooftop terrace for breakfast and dinner, and a location in the middle of the old town so you walk everywhere. On the coast it means small beach lodges built from coral rag and makuti thatch, with a handful of rooms facing the sea.
The trade-off is facilities. Boutique properties rarely have large pools, kids clubs or several restaurants. What they have instead is character, food cooked to order, and staff who know their guests.
This category suits couples, independent travellers and anyone who would rather stay somewhere memorable than somewhere large. Tell us your dates and budget and we will send options.