Luxury in Zanzibar means space and privacy rather than marble lobbies. The best properties on the island are small: eight to twenty rooms, spread along a private stretch of beach, with a pool per villa and a team who learn your name on day one.
The strongest luxury locations are Matemwe and Michamvi for privacy, Kendwa and the north-west for swimming and sunsets, and a handful of restored merchant houses in Stone Town for the first or last night of a trip. Pemba, the quieter sister island, has a small number of exceptional properties for anyone wanting to go further.
What you should expect at this level: airport transfers included or arranged, a dedicated host, high-quality food using local seafood and produce, a spa, and staff who arrange excursions properly rather than handing you a leaflet.
Tell us your dates, your party and your budget and we will send a short list rather than a catalogue. We book through local partners and hold direct relationships with most of the properties worth staying in.