Zanzibar Serena Inn is a haven of tranquility and opulence amongst the bustle of Zanizbar. It has been restored and lavishly embellished with a collection of antique clocks, crystal chandeliers, fretworks screens, carved staircases, Persian rugs and brass studded doors. Zanzibar Serena Inn, located in the heart of Stone Town, is set in two historic seafront buildings that have been integrated and restored into a unique single property echoing the grandeur of days past. The hotel is elegance itself and offers the best in island hospitality. All the bedrooms overlook the azure waters of the Indian Ocean and the lazy dhows that plough beneath the restaurant’s windows.
Location
The hotel is situated in Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar, 10 minutes’ drive from the international airport and 10 minutes’ walk from the harbour.
Accommodation
The rooms in the Zanzibar Serena Inn are havens of cool and shade. With high ceilings, shuttered windows and cool white walls, they are constructed in the traditional Swahili manner, whereby the size is dictated by the length of the mangrove poles that make up their ceilings. Adorned with arched niches, antique plates and brass lamps; and featuring traditionally carved furniture with basket weave and ceramic inlay, the rooms are predominantly royal blue and white. Four-poster, net draped beds dominate, offset by delicate side tables, vanity units and louver doors giving onto balconies, some of which feature massive free-standing hammocks.
All rooms and suites are equipped with: 24-hour room service, air-conditioning, WIFI, direct-dial phone, in-room satellite TV, mini bar, private safe, 240V/3 pin (square)sockets and shaver sockets, hair driers, mosquito nets, bathrobe and slippers, umbrellas, porter/concierge, airport shuttle and limousine service.
While most of the rooms are designated non-smoking, a number of rooms are available for smokers, but these should be booked in advance.
Standard rooms:
There are 39 standard rooms are presented in traditional Swahili style featuring traditional niches, fretwork cabinets and a cool blue and white colour scheme. Each room has either a king-sized bed with mosquito netting or twin beds.
Prime rooms:
The exceptionally spacious Prime Rooms are presented in traditional Swahili style featuring traditional niches, fretwork cabinets and brightly coloured coastal cotton soft furnishings in cool blue. The four-poster beds are draped in mosquito nets and are generously king-sized. Each room has its own spacious balcony with hammock and sea view.
Executive Suites:
Spacious and luxurious the fabulous Executive Suites offer a magnificent bedroom with four-poster bed, a sumptuous bathroom (with bath and shower) and a delightfully relaxing sitting room (with TV and private bar), which opens onto a magnificent L-shaped balcony with panoramic ocean views, its own al fresco cocktail area, and a deliciously romantic double hammock.
Presidential Suite:
Enjoying glorious Indian Ocean views from its magnificent L-shaped terrace, the Presidential Suite offers the ultimate in spacious seclusion. Boasting a regal reception room (with TV and private bar) and a palatial bedroom with king-sized four-poster, this exclusive suite also offers a supremely generous balcony, ideally suited to private cocktails or dining a deux.
Honeymoon Suite:
Honeymoon Suites don't get much better than this. Abounding in cushion-strewn Lamu beds, softly lit by brass lanterns, and enjoying a private sitting room and a delightfully spacious paneled balcony with Indian Ocean panoramas and its own double hammock, the Honeymoon Suite also boasts an unashamedly romantic ensuite bedroom subtly presented in soft cream and ocean blue.
Guest amenities: Each suite has a fully stocked mini-bar, digital multi-channel TV and direct dial telephone. 24-hour room service is available and fruit and wine will be laid out to welcome our guests.
Dining and bars
Constructed so that the waves lap to within inches of its open windows and the lateen-sailed dhows pass within metres of its tables, the Baharia Restaurant features fretwork screens, Omani carvings, Persian rugs and bright Swahili artifacts. The Zanzibar cuisine meanwhile, blends freshly caught seafood, fresh spices, luscious fruit and delicately flavoured vegetables.
The Baharia Restaurant: Lapped by the waves of the Indian Ocean, the Baharia Restaurant offers all-day international and Swahili cuisine. Weekly Swahili banquets are also held around the pool.
The Terrace Restaurant: On the roof of the Inn is our exclusive open-air Terrace Restaurant, which looks out over the bay and features a supreme selection of freshly-caught sea food.
The Masahani Bar: Presented in traditional Swahili style, the Masahani Bar also offers performances by traditional Taarab orchestras.
The Pool Terrace: Indoor and outdoor seating overlooks our pool terrace where a wide range of drinks and snacks are served all day long.
The Mdele Coffee Shop: Adjacent to the pool, the Mdele Coffee Shop offers traditional Swahili coffee, fresh-baked pastries and a wide range of international beverages and snacks.
The Mangapwani Beach Barbeque: A short drive from the Inn, the Serena's exclusive beach hideaway offers a superb Swahili seafood lunch buffet.
Room service: Zanzibar Serena Inn offers a 24-hour room service, which features an extensive menu offering everything from the classic club sandwich to a delicately-spiced curry. The hotel staff are also delighted to serve a private lunch or dinner in the room or suite; or to provide cocktails and canapés on the private terrace.
Conference and event facilities
The sumptuous Zanzibar Inn Conference Suite is located on the ground floor of the Inn and has been decorated in traditional Zanzibar style. It can accommodate up to 40 participants in a range of different room layouts and offers a wide range of services which include:
• PA system, table microphones, cordless microphones, TV/Video/DVD, LCD projector/screen, podium, white boards/flip charts and markers
• WiFi connectivity
• Delegate pads, pens/pencils and 1-litre mineral water
• Modern, modular events furniture, which can be tailored to your specifications.
• Business support (secretarial services, photo-copying, WiFi and a full range of global communications)
• Registration staff and conference organization support
• Floral services
• 24-hour generator back-up
• Travel desk for onward bookings or local safaris
• Concierge services
• Limousine and taxi services
• ‘Meet and greet' services
• A wide range of CEO suites
• Health and spa services
• Team-building programmes.
Outside catering will be happily provided by Zanzibar Serena Inn for entertainments, dinners, receptions and cocktails in a venue of your choice within Zanzibar.
Weddings and honeymoons
Few venues can be more romantic than the spice island of Zanzibar, where the Zanzibar Serena Inn stands in prime position on the sea front. It offers a sublime selection of wedding venues within the Inn and around its grounds, as well as some unique historical venues. Formalities that can also be arranged by the hotel include registrar to certificate, cake to champagne. Zanzibar Serena Inn offers some unique family and friends accommodation packages, ‘his and hers' pre-wedding grooming, flowers for the venue and the bride, wedding planning service, professional banquet catering and limousine service.
Wedding options Include:
• Flower-bowered, sea-terrace ceremony
• Swahili bedecked cocktail reception by the pool.
• Wedding reception in the former Sultan Hamoud's residential palace, the ‘House of Wonders' or in the newly-restored Old Dispensary, one of Zanzibar's finest historic buildings
• Wedding on a traditional dhow
• Wedding on a deserted island in the Zanzibar Channel
• Traditional henna body decoration for the bride
• A beach wedding at our Mangapwani Serena Beach Club
• Swahili cultural entertainment, dance and song
• Taarab orchestra or local choir
• Photography and videoing of your special day.
• Special accommodation packages for the entire wedding party.
Child-friendly
Zanzibar Serena Inn appreciates the importance of quality family time and is committed to ensuring that guests can relax, secure in the knowledge that the children are having as great a holiday as the adults are. The hotel offers a wide range of family-friendly room options; children's dining; baby-sitting, and plenty of adventure, sports and educational entertainment for children of all ages and baby sitting services (with prior booking)
Children's meals: All meals are generous buffet-styled presentations, with something to suit absolutely everyone. High-chairs can be provided, as can baby-friendly food and slightly earlier children's meals (as early as 12 noon and 6.30 pm) - tailored to suit children.
Children's entertainment: The hotel offers its own swimming pool (supervised by a qualified life-guard but not suited to small children other than under parental supervision).
Additionally:
• A selection of board games and cards
• A children's playground (in the square in front of the Inn)
• Guided Stone Town Walks
• Day trips to the surrounding island
• Dolphin, turtle and whale spotting
Activities
The activities on offer at Zanzibar’s Indian Ocean beach resort choices include water sports (swimming, snorkelling, sea kayaking, diving, kite-surfing, wind-surfing, sailing and more), and dhow trips
The hotel can also arrange cultural visits to fishing villages, dhow workshops and Tanzania artisans markets.
Cultural activities
The heart of Zanzibar, Stone Town is the only functioning historical city in East Africa and is much the same today as it was 200 years ago. A city within a city, Stone Town is the oldest section of Zanzibar Town, and is made up of winding lanes and unique stone houses, many of which feature magnificent carved doors and overhanging fretwork balconies. Places of cultural interest in Stone Town and around include: the Portuguese Fort, Sultan’s Palace, old Dhow Port, Old Slave Market, Zanzibar House of Wonders, Stone Town Old Dispensary, Livingstone’s House, slave caves/slave market, The Hamamni Bath, The National Museum of Zanzibar, The Chukwani Palace, Jozani Forest (the last sanctuary of the red colobus monkey in East Africa), Mtoni Palace and Maruhubi Palace ruins, and the Persian Baths of Kidichi.
The Spice Tour
Most hotels offer access to the Spice Tour, a tour of the spice-growing fields and orchards of East Africa’s most famous spice exporter, which lie just outside Stone Town. Typically lasting half a day, the tours usually end up with shopping for spices and oils, or a visit to the slave caves and beach resort options.
Jozani Forest Tour
The Jozani Forest Reserve is the last sanctuary in the world for the rare red colobus monkey, which is endemic to this East African island. 35 kms from Stone Town, the reserve is also home to other key East Africa species including Syke's monkey's, bush pigs and nocturnal Zanzibar leopards. Jozani has an excellent nature trail and the guides are well trained and informative.