Sixty-six private-pool villas across a kilometre of southwest-coast Indian Ocean frontage at Kizimkazi — Cenizaro Hospitality's Zanzibar flagship and the largest dedicated-villa luxury property in the archipelago.
"Sixty-six private-pool villas spread across a kilometre of southwest-coast beach at Kizimkazi — the largest single luxury operation on Unguja and the only Zanzibar property where every villa has a private pool. The honeymoon hotel that takes families seriously."
The Residence Zanzibar opened in 2011 as the second property in Cenizaro Hospitality's Indian Ocean portfolio (sister hotels are The Residence Mauritius and The Residence Maldives) and remains the largest single luxury villa operation on Unguja. The footprint runs along roughly one kilometre of southwest-coast beachfront at Kizimkazi, in the south of the island and a sixty-minute road transfer from Stone Town's airport — a quieter coastal stretch than the high-density Kendwa or Nungwi beaches in the north and considerably less developed than the Bwejuu-Paje beaches on the east coast. The southwest's tide line is more dramatic than the north's, but the property's positioning — set back from the beach behind a 1.2-kilometre frangipani-and-baobab garden — means the swimming compromise of the southwest is less acute than at smaller properties closer to the waterline.
All sixty-six villas have private heated pools — the only Zanzibar property that runs this configuration across its entire inventory. The villa types run from one-bedroom Garden Pool Villas (the entry-tier, 250 sqm, set back from the beach) through to four-bedroom Presidential Villas with private chef and dedicated butler service. The two- and three-bedroom Family Pool Villa categories are the family configuration — interconnecting bedrooms, a dedicated children's bathroom, and a larger shared pool — and are one of the few Zanzibar offerings that take families with younger children seriously without a discount-resort compromise.
Dining runs four full restaurants — The Pavilion (the all-day open-air main restaurant), The Dining Room (Indian-Asian fine dining at dinner), The Beach Bar & Grill (lunchtime seafood and Italian), and Kim Sushi (a fourteen-seat omakase counter, the only sushi operation at any Zanzibar luxury property). The Residence's wine list runs the strongest South African and Italian inventory in the archipelago. The breakfast operation is the daily centrepiece — a buffet plus à-la-carte service in The Pavilion that runs three hours and is the most-photographed meal at the property. The Spa by Clarins runs eight treatment rooms including a couple's suite with a private steam-sauna pavilion.
Activity programme is built around the southwest-coast positioning rather than against it. The Residence runs the only Kizimkazi-based dolphin-snorkelling boat operation that is structurally part of the hotel (rather than a third-party arrangement) — morning departures, scheduled around the local dolphin-pod movements. The dive centre operates from the property and is one of the few in the archipelago that includes Zanzibar Channel dives in its weekly rotation. For a honeymoon that wants villa-with-pool privacy in a southwest-coast register, a multi-generational family that needs serious villa inventory and a children's programme, or an anniversary that wants the largest-pool inventory in Zanzibar, The Residence is the considered Unguja answer.
The Pool Villa Sunset is the named honeymoon unit — beachfront positioning, 250-sqm footprint, private pool, and an outdoor sala for in-villa dining. The hotel runs a structured honeymoon programme: a private dolphin-snorkel charter on the second morning, a private chef in-villa dinner on the third night, and a couples' Clarins treatment on the fourth day. Pair five nights here with two nights at a Stone Town heritage hotel or three nights on a Selous safari for the standard Tanzania honeymoon arc.
The Family Pool Villas are one of the only Zanzibar luxury options designed for families with younger children — interconnecting bedrooms, dedicated children's bathroom, and a larger shared pool. The kids' club runs ages four to twelve with a structured daily programme including spice-tour craft, traditional dhow building, and beach-safety swim sessions. Two- and three-bedroom configurations work for two-couple parties or multi-generational bookings.
Kizimkazi
South Unguja
Tanzania
Kizimkazi southwest coast, 60 minutes from Stone Town and Zanzibar International Airport
66 private-pool villas (entire inventory)
1-bed Garden Pool Villa: 250 sqm
2-3 bed Family Pool Villa: 380-540 sqm
4-bed Presidential Villa: 800 sqm with chef + butler
From USD 750/night Garden Pool
Family Villas from USD 1,400/night
Check-in: 3:00 PM
Check-out: 12:00 PM
Cenizaro Hospitality flagship; opened 2011
60 min road from Zanzibar International Airport
Private heated pool in every villa
Four restaurants including Kim Sushi omakase
Spa by Clarins (8 treatment rooms)
Kids' club ages 4-12 with structured programme
Dolphin-snorkel boat operation (in-house)
PADI dive centre on property
Free WiFi throughout
From USD 750/night for entry-tier Garden Pool Villas; Family Pool Villas from USD 1,400/night; Presidential Villa from USD 4,500/night. The Residence books four to six months out for July-October and December-March peaks; family weeks (Easter, Christmas-New Year, summer European school holidays) need six to nine months for villa configurations.
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