Luxury Boutique Hotel in Zanzibar with Private Beach Villas
Boutique Hotel Matlai – Rooms, Suites & Private Villas in Zanzibar
​A peaceful hideaway for honeymoon, couples and luxury travelers
Boutique Hotel Matlai is a luxury boutique hotel in Zanzibar designed for travelers seeking privacy, space and a truly personal experience. Guests can choose between individually designed rooms and suites or book entire private beachfront villas for exclusive use.
Our oceanfront villas offer direct beach access, personalized service and a calm atmosphere far removed from typical resort tourism. Whether you are planning a honeymoon, a romantic getaway or a beach escape after a Tanzania safari, Matlai creates a unique balance of comfort, intimacy and natural beauty.
Why Stay at Boutique Hotel Matlai
Boutique Hotel Matlai offers a rare combination of privacy, space and personalized service that is difficult to find in Zanzibar. With only two private villas and a limited number of individually designed rooms, guests enjoy a quiet and intimate atmosphere throughout their stay.
Each villa is set within tropical gardens and directly on the oceanfront, creating uninterrupted views and a strong connection to nature. Asili House reflects natural African and Swahili design, while Villa Kidosho combines elegant architecture with modern comfort.
Guests can enjoy relaxed beach days, sandbank walks at low tide, snorkeling in clear waters and unforgettable sunsets — all without the crowds found in busier areas of Zanzibar.
This makes Boutique Hotel Matlai one of the most exclusive boutique hotels in Zanzibar for travelers seeking privacy and authentic experiences.
Guests can stay in individual rooms and suites or enjoy exclusive use of a private villa, depending on their travel style.
Rooms, Suites or Private Villas – Your Choice
At Boutique Hotel Matlai, you can choose the type of stay that fits your travel style. Book a single room or suite within one of our beachfront villas and enjoy a boutique hotel experience, or reserve an entire villa for complete privacy and exclusivity.
This flexibility makes Matlai ideal for couples, honeymooners, families and small groups.
Private Villas in Zanzibar – Asili House & Villa Kidosho
Both villas at Boutique Hotel Matlai can be booked either by individual rooms and suites or as an exclusive private villa, offering full flexibility for couples, families and groups.
Asili House is a spacious beachfront villa in Zanzibar with four ensuite rooms, offering flexibility for both individual room bookings and exclusive villa stays.
It is ideal for couples, families or small groups looking for privacy, space and a relaxed atmosphere by the ocean.​
Guests can choose to stay in one of the individually designed rooms or enjoy the entire villa as a private residence. Surrounded by tropical gardens and inspired by natural African and Swahili design, Asili House offers a unique and authentic Zanzibar experience.
Villa Kidosho is an elegant beachfront villa with two exclusive suites, perfect for couples, honeymooners or guests seeking a quiet and intimate stay.
The villa can be booked by suite or entirely for private use.​
Blending Swahili inspiration with modern elegance, Villa Kidosho offers a refined and peaceful atmosphere.
Whether as a romantic suite stay or a fully private villa, it is one of the most exclusive options in Zanzibar.
Boutique Hotel Matlai – A Hidden Gem in Zanzibar
Boutique Hotel Matlai offers an intimate luxury experience with only two beachfront villas and a small number of individually designed rooms. The focus is on privacy, personal service and a relaxed atmosphere directly by the ocean.
Many guests combine their stay with a Tanzania safari, creating the perfect balance between adventure and beach relaxation. For planning your trip, explore our Zanzibar travel guides and itineraries to discover the best time to visit, where to stay and what to experience on the island.
Top-Rated Boutique Hotel in Zanzibar
Our guests consistently rank Boutique Hotel Matlai among the very best in Michamvi and across Zanzibar. With top scores on major travel platforms, these ratings reflect our dedication to personalized service, comfort, and unforgettable beachfront experiences.
Come and experience why travelers love staying with us.
The Beach at Michamvi Pingwe
Pingwe Beach is one of the most peaceful and scenic beaches in Zanzibar, known for its calm atmosphere and extraordinary colors of the Indian Ocean. At low tide, a white sandbank appears in front of the hotel, creating a unique landscape perfect for walking, relaxing or photography.
The area is one of the most peaceful parts of Zanzibar, ideal for travelers who prefer quiet beaches over busy resort areas. You can explore more activities and experiences in our Things to Do in Michamvi guide.
The Garden
The Garden is huge and a feast for all the senses with plenty of palm trees, fruit trees, tropical flowers, butterflies, birds and ... Several dining areas, loungers and hammocks invite you to relax, Open-air cinema with a wide range of DVD's, Recreation area for volley ball, boule, ladder golf and other outdoor games.
Wedding & Honeymoon
in Zanzibar
Boutique Hotel Matlai is an ideal setting for intimate weddings and honeymoon stays in Zanzibar. With its private villas, direct beachfront location and personalized service, it offers a relaxed and elegant atmosphere for special moments.
The peaceful surroundings, ocean views and exclusive use options make it perfect for small weddings, elopements and romantic celebrations by the sea.
Who is Boutique Hotel Matlai Perfect For
Boutique Hotel Matlai is perfect for:
– Couples looking for a quiet and romantic boutique hotel in Zanzibar
– Honeymoon travelers searching for privacy and oceanfront villas
– Guests combining a Tanzania safari with a beach stay
– Travelers who prefer peaceful locations over busy beach resorts
Team
Dedication. Expertise. Passion.
It's the heart that gives,
the fingers only give away.
(from Africa)
​
Hotel Matlai is personally managed by the owner, Inge Becker-Boost, and her son Tim Hennig. Tim Hennig is a certified hotel expert and has a university degree in tourism and event management. The other members of our team are chosen and trained carefully not only for professional competence but also in accordance with our team philosophy, ensuring an exceptional guest experience at one of the best hotels in Zanzibar for honeymoon stays.
In the Kiswahili language of Zanzibar Matlai means the first wind in the early morning that blows into the sails. For the Zanzibari, especially the fisherman, this is a very special moment. Our philosophy is to give our guests many special moments every day, creating a memorable Romantic Getaway defined by intimacy, nature, and thoughtful details. At the same time it is very important for us to protect the beauty and uniqueness of this wonderful place and to meet the Zanzibari people in mutual respect and acceptance. Principles that define us as a Zanzibar eco-friendly luxury hotel.
Both construction and furnishings, as well as the care of our guests, are guided by individualism and careful attention to detail, reflecting the calm and refinement of a true Spa Hotel Zanzibar. As a family business, it is our greatest concern to pamper our guests within a warm and friendly atmosphere and to make their stay in our hotel an unforgettable vacation of their dreams, which is the essence of a Zanzibar private luxury getaway, complemented by signature experiences such as a Floating Breakfast enjoyed in complete privacy.
For those in search of the best hotels in Zanzibar for honeymoon, our personalised approach and serene beachfront setting offer a perfect start to your journey together. Recognised by many as the best hotel in Michamvi and Zanzibar, we take pride in crafting stays that are as meaningful as they are memorable.
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History
In January 2008, during a trip to Cameroon and the ZAR to visit low land gorillas and forest elephants, the idea was born to get involved into some tourist business in Africa. The first idea of Inge was to take over and run a former hunting lodge deep within the rain forest in the ZAR about 600 km away from civilisation. However, the rest of the family was not too enthusiastic about working in such a remote location. Tim’s dream, who had then nearly finished his university studies in tourism, was to run a small hotel at the seashore. Doing business in Cameroon proved to be too complicated, so Inge undertook an internet research for „a plot in Africa“. Answer came from an estate agent in Dar es Salaam, who suggested to "just come and see". At that time, our daughter worked for the GIZ (German Society for International Cooperation) in Dar Es Salaam, but otherwise we had no connections whatsoever with this part of Africa. Inge flew to Tanzania and looked at some objects. Later, she and her husband came again looking more closely into the matter. In 2010 a „shamba“ (plot) in Michamvi on Zanzibar’s east coast was acquired, only populated by coconut trees. It took about a year for Inge for planning and getting all necessary permissions, and a further year for the construction itself, finished with Tim's active support. In May 2012 the hotel with the first building „Asili House“ was opened with still improvisation necessary. In 2015 the second house „Villa Kidosho“ opened. Over the years, much effort has been put into the surrounding and the cultivation of the garden, transforming it from a shamba into a lush tropical garden unique in the area.