Boutique Hotel Matlai
Rooms and Rates
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The short answer
What does a night at Matlai cost?
Boutique Hotel Matlai has 6 rooms in 2 villas, and every rate is per room per night for two people with breakfast and dinner included. In 2026 a room costs from US$535 in low season, a Villa Kidosho suite from US$655, and a whole villa from US$1,240. The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is extra.
| Rooms | 6 in 2 villas: 4 in Asili House, 2 suites in Villa Kidosho |
| Meal plan | Half board: breakfast and dinner |
| A room from | US$535 a night for two (low season 2026) |
| A whole villa from | US$1,240 a night (Villa Kidosho, 4 guests) |
| Check-in / check-out | 14:00 / 10:30 |
| Minimum stay | 2 nights; 5 in the festive season |
| Children | Rooms from age 14; any age with a whole villa |
| Last verified | October 2026 |
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 →
Indicative public rates — the engine shows live availability for your dates.
Rates by season
What does each room cost by season?
Every price below is per room per night, in US dollars, for two people on half board. The season dates are not the same in 2026 and 2027, so find the year of your stay first and read across. The four Asili House rooms share one rate and the two Villa Kidosho suites share another; a whole villa has its own rate for up to its full number of guests.
| Villa | Rooms | Size | Sleeps | Low season15 Mar – 15 Jun, 16 Oct – 20 Dec | High season4 Jan – 14 Mar, 16 Jun – 15 Oct | Festive season21 Dec – 31 Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asili House — one room | Hewa, Moto, Maji, Dunia | about 56 m² | 2 | US$535 | US$620 | US$695 |
| Villa Kidosho — one suite | Jua, Mwezi | about 80 m² | 2 | US$655 | US$730 | US$800 |
| Asili House — whole villa | all 4 | — | 8 | US$2,050 | US$2,370 | US$2,650 |
| Villa Kidosho — whole villa | all 2 | — | 4 | US$1,240 | US$1,390 | US$1,525 |
| Villa | Rooms | Size | Sleeps | Low season1 Mar – 14 Jun, 1 Nov – 22 Dec | High season4 Jan – 28 Feb, 15 Jun – 31 Oct | Festive season1 Jan – 3 Jan, 23 Dec – 2 Jan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asili House — one room | Hewa, Moto, Maji, Dunia | about 56 m² | 2 | US$550 | US$670 | US$770 |
| Villa Kidosho — one suite | Jua, Mwezi | about 80 m² | 2 | US$675 | US$790 | US$885 |
| Asili House — whole villa | all 4 | — | 8 | US$2,100 | US$2,550 | US$2,950 |
| Villa Kidosho — whole villa | all 2 | — | 4 | US$1,275 | US$1,500 | US$1,700 |
Rack rates for two people per room, breakfast and dinner included. The infrastructure tax and the airport transfer come on top.
The booking page shows live availability and the price for your exact dates, and you can ask us anything on WhatsApp first. Check dates and price
The rooms
Which room is which?
All six rooms face the ocean, and each has its own balcony or terrace, air-conditioning and a ceiling fan. What sets them apart is the floor, the outdoor space, the bed and the light. The four rooms of Asili House are named after the elements; the two suites of Villa Kidosho after the sun and the moon.
Asili House · four rooms, all facing the ocean
Villa Kidosho · two suites, one pool between them
Can we book a whole villa?
Yes. Asili House sleeps 8 and Villa Kidosho sleeps 4. Booked whole, the villa’s pool and lounge are for your group alone, and children of any age are welcome. In 2026 the whole of Villa Kidosho costs from US$1,240 a night and the whole of Asili House from US$2,050, both on half board; the season rows are in the grid above. Take both villas and you have the whole hotel, from US$3,290 a night at these rates.
Read about our two villas, or how to book the whole hotel.
What is included, and what is not?
Everything in the left column comes with every stay, however you book it. Everything in the right column is paid separately, and we would rather you read it here than discover it on the day.
Included in every stay
- Half board as standard: breakfast and dinner. Bed and breakfast on request; full board for a supplement.
- A welcome drink on arrival: a fresh coconut, or a Malibu if you prefer.
- Two kayaks for the whole hotel, free to use.
- Two bicycles for the whole hotel, free to use.
- Drinking water, free of charge; other drinks are charged.
- A kettle in every room, with instant coffee and tea.
- A WhatsApp group for your room and a small phone to reach your butler.
- Your butler, from 07:00 to 22:00.
- Wi-Fi in both villas and the restaurant, fast enough to stream video, on battery-backed routers.
- Drinking water from refill stations in both villas and the restaurant.
- Snorkel gear and reef shoes, through your butler.
Not included
- The airport transfer: US$60 per car for up to 6 people, paid to the driver’s company.
- The Zanzibar infrastructure tax: US$4 per person per night.
- Lunch: half board covers breakfast and dinner.
- Premium dishes such as lobster.
- The minibar, which is charged.
- Laundry, at cost.
- Treatments at Bustani Spa, paid to the spa directly.
The drive from the airport to Michamvi Pingwe takes 1h15–1h30. We help you arrange the car with a local driver’s company, and you pay the driver directly.
Is Matlai all-inclusive?
No: every rate is half board, breakfast and dinner at Zatiny, our restaurant by the beach, with both of its kitchens on the menu at every table. Full board adds US$30 per person per night. Bed and breakfast, on request, costs US$35 per person per night less. Lunch and premium dishes are charged as you go.
What do children and extra guests pay?
Rooms are for guests aged 14 and over. Families with younger children book a whole villa, where every age is welcome and a cot can be arranged. An extra bed in a room costs 25% of the room rate, and one person alone in a room pays 80% of the rate for two.
How do deposit, payment and cancellation work?
A deposit of 25% secures the booking and is not refundable; the balance is due 30 days before arrival. What a cancellation costs depends on how far ahead you cancel, and the full terms are on our policies page. We take Visa and Mastercard, and cash in US dollars or Tanzanian shillings. American Express is not accepted.
Which discounts apply?
Two standing offers apply to rooms. Book 6 months or more before arrival and the rate drops 10% (early bird); book 2 weeks or less before arrival and it drops 10% (last minute). Both are for bookings made between 16 January and 15 December, and they never combine with each other or with any other offer. Current offers, the honeymoon packages and our open dates are on the offers page.
What does late check-out cost?
Check-out is at 10:30. Keeping the room until 18:00 costs US$100 per room in Asili House and US$150 in Villa Kidosho in 2026, and US$120 and US$180 in 2027. Until midnight it is 50% of the room rate with dinner included; after midnight, the full rate.
Need every fact on one page, from the address to the ratings? Read the Matlai fact sheet.
Before you book
Questions about rooms and rates
Is the price per room or per person?
Per room per night, for two people, with breakfast and dinner included. A third person on an extra bed adds 25% of the room rate; one person alone pays 80% of the rate.
Are taxes included in the rate?
No. The Zanzibar infrastructure tax of US$4 per person per night is a government charge and is paid on top of the rate. There is no resort fee and no service charge.
Is Matlai all-inclusive?
No, it is half board: breakfast and dinner are included. Full board costs US$30 per person per night more, and lunch and premium dishes such as lobster are paid as you go.
Can children stay in a room, or only in a whole villa?
Rooms are for guests aged 14 and over. Children of any age are welcome when you book a whole villa: Asili House for up to 8 guests or Villa Kidosho for up to 4.
Is the airport transfer included?
No. A car costs US$60 for up to 6 people and you pay it to the driver’s company. We help you book it before you arrive, and the drive takes 1h15–1h30.
Is there a minimum stay?
Yes: 2 nights, and 5 nights in the festive season. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by 10:30.
Do the early-bird and last-minute discounts combine?
No. Each takes 10% off the rate on its own, for bookings made between 16 January and 15 December, and neither combines with any other offer.
Your stay at Matlai
Choose your dates and the booking page opens with them, showing live availability and the price for your stay.
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 →
Indicative public rates — the engine shows live availability for your dates.
Every stay includes
- Half board as standard: breakfast and dinner. Bed and breakfast on request; full board for a supplement.
- A welcome drink on arrival: a fresh coconut, or a Malibu if you prefer.
- Two kayaks for the whole hotel, free to use.
- Two bicycles for the whole hotel, free to use.
- Drinking water, free of charge; other drinks are charged.
- A kettle in every room, with instant coffee and tea.
- A WhatsApp group for your room and a small phone to reach your butler.
- Your butler, from 07:00 to 22:00.
Booking with the hotel itself? Ask us what we can offer for your dates.
Send us your dates on WhatsApp Booking policiesFact sheetOffers and packagesCheck dates and price
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