Boutique Hotel · Christmas & New Year 2026/27
Christmas and New Year 2026/27 in Zanzibar
Quick answer
Two nights is all it takes.
Christmas and New Year at Boutique Hotel Matlai is a two-night minimum stay from 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, in a room or in a whole villa. A double room is US$695 at Asili House or US$800 at Villa Kidosho per night with half board until 31 December 2026, and the restaurant serves a six-course Christmas menu on request.
| Festive season | 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 |
| Minimum stay | 2 nights |
| Stay as | A room, or Asili House (up to 8) or Villa Kidosho (up to 4) whole |
| Ages | Rooms: 14+ · whole villa: every age |
| Rack rate, double room | US$695 Asili House · US$800 Villa Kidosho, per night, half board (21 to 31 December 2026) |
| Tax | Rates include VAT · infrastructure tax US$4 per person per night extra, children included |
| Christmas dinner | Six courses, on request · open to non-guests with a reservation |
| How to book | Booking page for rooms · WhatsApp for a whole villa |
| Last verified | 26 October 2026 |
The dates
Christmas and New Year 2026/27 at a glance
Our festive season runs from 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. For those nights the minimum stay is 2 nights, the same as the rest of the year, so a short break over Christmas or a week across New Year both work. Over Christmas and New Year the minimum is 5 nights in 2027/28 (23 December 2027 to 2 January 2028); in 2026/27 (21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) it is just 2 nights.
This page is about staying with us over the holidays. If you want to know how the island itself celebrates, our post on Christmas and New Year in Zanzibar covers the churches in Stone Town, the New Year customs and what the evening looks like at Matlai.
Rooms or a whole villa
Two ways to spend the holidays
A room. Individual rooms in Asili House and Villa Kidosho are for guests aged 14 and over, with half board, a butler on WhatsApp and the beach in front. You book them on the booking page, which shows live availability. See rooms and rates.
A whole villa. A villa booked whole has no age limit, so grandparents, parents and children can share one house, one pool and one butler team. Asili House sleeps up to 8; Villa Kidosho sleeps up to 4. Whole villas are booked directly with us, by WhatsApp or the enquiry form, not on Booking.com. The family page explains how a day with children works.
Rates
What Christmas and New Year cost
These are our public rack rates, in US dollars per night, with half board. The rate follows the date of each night: the nights of 21 to 31 December 2026 are priced from the 2026 sheet and the nights of 1 to 3 January 2027 from the 2027 sheet.
| 21 to 31 December 2026 | 1 to 3 January 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Asili House, double room | US$695 | US$770 |
| Villa Kidosho, double room | US$800 | US$885 |
| Asili House, whole (up to 8) | US$2,650 | US$2,950 |
| Villa Kidosho, whole (up to 4) | US$1,525 | US$1,700 |
Rates include VAT. The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is not included and applies to every guest, children too. A 25% non-refundable deposit secures the booking; the terms are on the policies page. All seasons are on rooms and rates.
At the table and on the beach
Christmas dinner and New Year's Eve at Matlai
Christmas. We offer a six-course Christmas menu on request. It is open to people who are not staying with us as well, with a prior reservation at the restaurant.
New Year's Eve. Our tradition starts with a multi-course barbecue at Zatiny, followed by a gathering on the beach where guests and staff dance around a bonfire to traditional drumming. Hashim, one of our butlers, leads a staff acrobatics show, and the new year is welcomed with a fire, champagne and a cake. We confirm the details of the evening when you book.
How to book
How to book Christmas or New Year
For a room, open the booking page: it shows live availability and prices for your dates. For a whole villa, send us your dates, the number of guests and the ages of the children by WhatsApp, and we confirm which villa is free. Free dates change every day, so please do not rely on a date printed on any page.
Planning further ahead? Christmas and New Year 2027/28 is by enquiry only and cannot be booked online yet, so write to us and we will tell you what we can offer. Over Christmas and New Year the minimum is 5 nights in 2027/28 (23 December 2027 to 2 January 2028); in 2026/27 (21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) it is just 2 nights. To get here, see flights to Zanzibar and the best time to visit.
Good to know
Questions travellers ask
The practical questions about Christmas and New Year at Matlai: minimum stay, price, the dinner and the evening, children and dates. Free dates change daily, so for those we point you to the live tools rather than print them.
What is the minimum stay at Christmas and New Year 2026/27?
2 nights. That is the normal minimum, and it applies to every night from 21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Over Christmas and New Year the minimum is 5 nights in 2027/28 (23 December 2027 to 2 January 2028); in 2026/27 (21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) it is just 2 nights.
Do you serve a Christmas dinner?
Yes. We offer a six-course Christmas menu on request. People who are not staying with us can book it at the restaurant too, with a prior reservation. Tell us about allergies and diets when you ask and the kitchen plans around them.
What happens on New Year's Eve at Matlai?
Our tradition is a multi-course barbecue at Zatiny, our restaurant, followed by a gathering on the beach where guests and staff dance around a bonfire to traditional drumming. Hashim, one of our butlers, leads a staff acrobatics show. The new year is welcomed with a fire, champagne and a cake. We confirm the details of the evening when you book.
Can we bring children at Christmas?
Yes, in a whole villa. Individual rooms are for guests aged 14 and over, but a villa booked whole welcomes every age. Asili House sleeps up to 8 and Villa Kidosho up to 4.
What does Christmas cost?
Rates are per night with half board, in US dollars, and include VAT. From 21 December 2026 to 31 December 2026 an Asili House room is US$695 and a Villa Kidosho room US$800; the nights of 1 to 3 January 2027 follow the 2027 sheet at US$770 and US$885. The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is extra, children included.
Are your Christmas dates free?
That changes every day, so we do not print it here. The booking page shows live availability for rooms; for a whole villa the quickest check is a WhatsApp message with your dates and the number and ages of your guests.
What about Christmas 2027?
Christmas and New Year 2027/28 is not open for online booking yet and is by enquiry only: write to us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we can offer. Over Christmas and New Year the minimum is 5 nights in 2027/28 (23 December 2027 to 2 January 2028); in 2026/27 (21 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) it is just 2 nights.
Your stay at Matlai
Choose your dates and the booking page opens with them, showing live availability.
Bookings with children go by enquiry: the booking page books adults only, so send us your dates on WhatsApp and we reply with the options. Children under 14 stay with a whole villa. WhatsApp →
These dates are by enquiry only — please email info[at]hotelmatlai.com or WhatsApp +255772628833 and we will confirm availability and rates.
Indicative public rates — the engine shows live availability for your dates.
Welcome drink, kayaks, bicycles and snorkelling gear, free of charge.
Booking with the hotel itself? Ask us what we can offer for your dates.
Why guests book Matlai
- A team of butlers on call, 07:00 to 22:00. One message and it is arranged.
- Half board with a chef’s menu that changes daily: three courses, plus two à la carte kitchens at every table, Zatiny (Indian Ocean fusion) and Duyên (Vietnamese).
- Dine where you like: in the restaurant, in the garden or on your own balcony. A private table by the beach or a candlelight dinner can be arranged at an extra charge.
- Six rooms in two villas, a pool for each villa, shared by its rooms, and every room facing the sunrise over the ocean.
- Bustani, the garden spa; the sandbank in front of the hotel at low tide; a quiet beach lined with small, family-owned hotels.
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