17 Best Hotels in Tanzania

Known as the Kilimanjaro, this hotel has carved out a niche for itself as the premier hotel in Dar es Salaam in both unique style and service; even the Obamas stayed here in 2013. The downtown cityscape unfolds around you with harbor and city views—don't miss the fantastic views from the upper restaurant and bar called Level 8. Rooms are elegant, sharp, and a modern blend of African and European styles. The lobby and lounge areas, with a modern design aesthetic and quirky ambiance, are an utter delight to hang around in.

This stylish boutique hotel, housed in a beautifully restored 19th-century Zanzibari town house, manages to combine old-fashioned authenticity—steep wooden staircases, high ceilings, an inner courtyard, and pretty rooftop restaurant—with modern touches, such as the contemporary art on the walls, flat-screen TVs, and large, modern, luxurious bathrooms that have bathtubs as well as showers. Large windows allow in plenty of light and fresh breezes. The rooftop dining area is magical under the town lights reflected off the stylish copper and brass fixtures. 

The city hotel to its sister beach hotel in Mchumvi, Upendo House has fast become the cool kid on the winding Stone Town alleyways. Each of the 8 rooms has been individually styled with an eclectic mix of quirky tropical patterns, rich, modern linens, and some have private terraces. Add on an air-conditioner, mini bar, and shower (some with bathtubs) and all the amenities that tick the box of a luxury boutique hotel are provided. The restaurant on the 4th floor is not to be missed---scrumptious plates of Indian, Mediterranean, and Swahili mixes with modern twists; there's even a unique and ample kids menu. Take advantage of the free airport taxi which takes away any stress and strain on your arrival.

If you are in need of a short stay with some modern hotel amenities before heading off into the savanna, the safari-themed Tulip is a good option outside the bustle of Arusha. Geared mostly for safari travelers and businesspeople, it has all that you would expect from a midrange hotel but without the crowds. The menu features good South Indian food. Relax with a cold Kilimanjaro beer in the charming Zanzibar Lounge amid the dark, rich carved wood and share your travel stories.

Just 5 km (3 miles) from town, and five minutes from Arusha Airport, the lodge is a great option for pre- or post-safari layovers. Situated in the middle of Tanzania's largest coffee plantation, the rooms are split-level and sprinkled among the coffee bushes, furnished in the Victorian style, with big balconies and your own coffee percolator to try out the local produce. There's a fine-dining restaurant as well as an outside garden buffet for lunches. Stop by the Traders Walk, a mini experience of five different retail and food outlets that showcase Tanzanian specialities.

For the ultimate beach escape where time stands still, where sand, sea, and horizon melt into each other, where there's exclusivity, total relaxation, and impeccable food and service, it would be hard to find anywhere in the world as alluring as Mnemba Island Lodge. You'll be transported from Zanzibar by 4x4 and speedboat to a deluxe, Swiss Family Robinson–style beach house—one of only 11 on the island—hidden between strips of coastal forest and the turquoise sea. Delicate coconut matting covers the walls and floors of your bedroom, dressing room, en suite bathroom, and covered veranda, which is furnished with handmade Zanzibari furniture and crisp white cotton linens. A feature of this superlative lodge is its imaginative use of recycled glass—check out the blue glass bead shower curtain, your soap dish, your champagne flute. Try to spot the rare Suni antelope, one of the tiniest in the world, scampering past your suite or while you're sipping sundowners on the beach under your private canopy.

When it comes to seafront views at a price that won't break the bank, the Coral Beach Hotel is the place to head. With sweeping views out over the bay and simple, yet tastefully decorated rooms, the hotel has all the modern amenities you would need for a great stay in the city. A popular waterfront patio restaurant serves up tasty and hearty lunches and dinners; expect some lively entertainment on the weekends at the bar area.

A towering feature of the cityscape for many years, the Serena stands in the center of Dar es Salaam with all the amenities one would expect from a luxury hotel, including a business center, a variety of restaurants, a large pool with outside gazebo bar, and a rather spectacular Arabic-style fitness center with sauna and steam rooms. If you're looking for some expensive, but tasty, seafood like chili crab and grilled prawns, then the high-end, on-site Jahazi Restaurant is the place to go. And even though it's a favorite spot for business travelers, there is still an air of old-world grandeur in the spacious grounds. 

Bang in the middle of town, opposite the clock tower, this historic hotel was built in 1894. It retains a colonial feel, with spacious and elegantly decorated rooms and lovely gardens running down to the Themi River. A popular meeting point for all the well-to-do's and business elite of Arusha, the expansive poolside area and lobby are often buzzing with people. Guests can store luggage if they arrive overloaded before their safari. 

Located in the Slipway, a shopping-and-leisure complex in a converted boatyard, this hotel of the same name is a great place for an overnight or home base in Dar. The large, modern block rises three stories above the shopping complex providing views of Msasani Bay. The simple, but comfortable rooms—a welcome respite from the craziness of the city in calming shades of blue and white—have balconies, free Wi-Fi, satellite TV, and air-conditioning. The complex has some great restaurants, a small mini market and curio shops for souvenir shopping.

On a hill overlooking the lake about 2 km (1 mile) from Kigoma's town center, this hotel makes an ideal base for your chimpanzee trekking. You'll stay in a comfortable cottage with a/c, a mini-refrigerator, satellite TV, and an en suite bathroom. What puts the hotel above any other in the area is the spectacular Sangara Restaurant built out on the cliffs overlooking the lake. There are business services and a large pool.

No alcohol is sold on-site, but you can buy your own in town and store it in the in-room mini-refrigerator.

Scattered through the winding pathways of a 750-acre coffee plantation that was once owned by a 19th-century German settler are a series of thatched cottages nestled around a generous main farmhouse. After a dusty day of game-viewing take time out to sit by the pools, take a garden tour, or enjoy the views over the valley facing the Oldeani volcano. Only 5 km (3 miles) from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate, the lodge has rooms that are simply decorated, spacious, and include log fires and verandas to while away the evenings. Food is sourced from the beautiful gardens surrounding the working farm and served as either a buffet or a set menu.

Ask for a valley-facing room; it is some distance from the main lodge but the views are worth it.

Once the home of a 17th-century businessman, the Park Hyatt occupies the desirable beachside location near the winding streets of central Stone Town. Spread across two buildings that blend seamlessly, the historical complex of Mambo Msiige and the more modern addition of Zamani Residence are centered around an ancient orange tree that still, in season, produces juice for the hotel. High-quality finishes are used throughout the upscale rooms including four-poster beds; some rooms overlook the dhow harbor and ocean beyond. Service is efficient without being obtrusive and the elegance in the decorative finishes pairs well with all the things you would expect from a luxury hotel—satellite TV, Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, a gym and a beautiful spa, oceanfront dining, and a swimming pool overlooking the sea.

Formerly known as the Best Western Plus and renamed the Peninsula, this hotel is an excellent value with friendly staff and a decent on-site restaurant. Catering mostly to a business clientele, the rooms are incredibly spacious and modern with comfortable beds and good showers and air-conditioning. There is a decent business center and gym, and there are plenty of restaurants and bars in nearby Oyster Bay. An enormous nightclub is directly next door; make sure you close your windows on a Friday night.

With traditional Arabic wooden balconies, glass-stained windows, and a lush courtyard, this welcoming hotel is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Rooms, which all face inward toward a delightful courtyard that resembles an Arabian fairy-tale at night, have many of the amenities of a five-star hotel—air-conditioning, plush bedding, Wi-Fi, and traditional four-poster beds.  

Only 15 minutes from downtown on the edge of the Msasani Peninsula, this classy hotel has commanding views of the sea and good-size, comfortable rooms (insist on one with a sea view). On-site there are two restaurants, a casino, a pool, and a fantastic gym, and there's an adjacent shopping mall with more restaurants, curio shops, and a hairdressing salon. Like most hotels in Dar, the Sea Cliff caters mainly to business travelers, but the option to take day tours, Maasai cultural trips, and scenic helicopter rides offer something for tourists, too. Children under 12 are free if sharing with adults.

On one side of Shangani Square, on the fringe of Stone Town, this beautiful hotel is the result of the restoration of two of Zanzibar's historic buildings: the old Telekoms building, an original colonial-era building, and the Chinese doctors' residence. As you step through the front doors, polished stone floors with inlaid tiles, carved arches, fountains, antique furniture, and high ceilings will take you back to a time when gracious living was the norm. The sea-facing rooms look out over a small beach or a huge palm-filled courtyard with an inviting, if not a bit dated, pool. Rooms are decent, albeit quite small if you do not have one on the upper levels, nevertheless each has an en suite bathrooms, hand-carved four-poster beds, and cool stone floors.