13 Best Hotels in Tanzania

Climbing up the winding steps rotating around the trunk of a baobab tree, the tree houses of Chole Mjini will satisfy anyone with an island castaway fantasy. The lodge is as unique as the people who visit it, with open-air tree houses set among the overgrown ruins of an ancient trading station and open-air showers built around local vegetation with a unique kerosene-heating method to get the shower going. Coffee arrives every morning on a pulley system in your own baobab tree house. Dinner service is rotated between the lodge and inside the ruins, which are decorated by the roots of strangler fig trees. Head to the Red Herring Bar to watch the sunset (and get Wi-Fi). For rooms with the best views, choose Sita, Tano, and Nne.

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. 

In Swahili, pole pole means to go slowly, and at this intimate little resort this is very much encouraged. One of the smallest resorts on the island means you will have a lot more privacy and access to facilities. Spend days reading in the shade on daybeds on each balcony or kayaking in the intertidal mangroves around the small tide-dependent beach. Built around eco-principles the property is unpretentious and laid-back and has some of the best food on the island. Pole Pole may be rustic in construction, but is terrific for privacy and service.

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.

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. 

On the edge of an escarpment, this lodge presents a cluster of clean, en suite, double-story rondavels with breathtaking views over the lake. Good for a short stopover, the decor is slightly dated and the showers tiny, but what it lacks in aesthetics it makes up for in a program of varied activities. You can take Swahili lessons, amble along a gentle nature walk, or jog around the demarcated track of the lodge. There's also hiking nearby where you can explore thickly forested hillsides. A special outing is a village walk to the nearby town of Mto wa Mbu, which is home to more than 100 different tribes and one of the richest linguistic mixes in Africa.

The main attraction of this secluded bush camp, apart from its reasonable price, is its location in an indigenous forest just 2 km (1 mile) from the town of Mto wa Mbu and only five minutes from the entrance of Lake Manyara National Park. En suite tents with hot-water showers are basic and comfortable, and meals are included in the price. There's a bar and restaurant, and the staff will arrange game drives and other activities for you. It's a no-frills, no-fuss kind of place, with clean, comfortable tents that blend into the surrounding forest, providing plenty of privacy.

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.

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.

Situated high on a hill with superb views over the central Serengeti, the two-story thatch cottages are shaped like Maasai huts and are set among indigenous trees. Each is individually decorated with handcrafted African furniture and colorful Africa-theme soft furnishings with upper level rooms having balconies for you to spend evenings gazing over the plains. If you're in a sociable mood, head to the huge bar and dining area, also rondavel-shaped, which is supported by tall pillars embellished with traditional Makonde (traditional Tanzanian) carvings. There's a gorgeous horizon pool with another great view. All the Serengeti activities are an added cost, but it's worth spending those extra pennies on an exclusive balloon safari and Champagne breakfast.

Although this popular lodge is attractively located around huge rocks and boulders next to numerous waterholes, it's also plumb in the middle of Serengeti—an ideal place for superb wildlife viewing—but don't expect the levels of service and luxury you would get from some of the smaller, more exclusive camps. Bedrooms are in serious need of updating (small, rather drab en-suite rooms) and the lodge could do with a facelift, however, it's cheaper than most accommodations in the park. A large cafeteria-style restaurant and bar comes alive in the evenings when the day's game-viewing or ballooning experiences are shared. (You're only five minutes from balloon lift-off here.) You'll certainly see lots of game at close quarters, but you'll also see lots of other visitors and vehicles, too.

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.