Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat Zanzibar

Xanadu was a dream of its own. This magical Afro-Arabian oasis of dhow wood, adobe, palm trees and pure white sand embraces you with its solitude, calm and its pure inherent magic. I've never seen a place like it before where you feel at home instantaneously. There is no separation between the interiors and the exteriors, the spaces just flow effortlessly and continuously as one big comforting presence surrounding you everywhere. The beach flows into your rooms and your room flows back to the beach, in one stunning continuum. Have you stayed in a place where you didn't even need a key for your room and you just felt THAT SAFE? Xanadu was that precedent for me. Complimenting this mesmerizing architecture, art work and the most beautiful beach I've seen, is the grace of its staff, at the head of which is the wonderful and one-and-only, the lady herself - Miss Leigh, from her receiving us every time we're back from an excursion to her faring us goodbye at 3:00am in the morning, she was the constant maestra that kept the cadence and rhythm of this magical place running like a clock. Our wonderful butler Mr. Mike, was a prince of his own right, made us comfortable and taken care every minute during our stay. He's a ninja who knows when you need something and makes it happen with a snap. The food itself needs another chapter of praise, everything is freshly produced, farm-and-sea-to-table style. I've had the tastiest lobster thermidor in my life in Zanzibar! this for the books for sure. Thanks to the amazing local chefs and farmers affiliated to this gem. Xanadu, Miss Leigh, thank you for painting this unforgettable and beautiful portrait for our stay in Zanzibar. We're forever indebted. I would like to extend special thanks to the wonderful manager Issa, our drivers Carlos and Juma, masseuse Violet for being a part of this dream. Asante sana!

The food in this hotel is absolutely outstanding. The service from arrival at the airport all the way through to leaving was outstanding. Jesca was our designated "butler" and she was brilliant from start to finish.

We stayed for 3 nights (part of our honeymoon) and we couldn’t be happier with this decision! The hotel itself is amazing but the staff is next level. Our private butler Simon was literally the best.

A little piece of Paradise, some way from Stone Town, but so worth it. Fabulous jungle location with a stunning beach. Meals can be eaten wherever you want (and are lovely!). Huge beautiful rooms/villas, everything very very private, and the personal butler is just a dream, I wanted to take ours home!

Pre-payment was a bit of a kerfuffle, but i'm really looking for something to write here...

-Breathtaking location and unique Villas.-Mike, Michelle, and our driver Abu Bakar were amazingly kind. The manager was also kind enough to give us a tour of the property. -The beach felt private -The food was great-We had fun playing with the resort cats and baby goats.

-The bed headboard has a big hole in its design that unfortunately lets your pillow slip while you are sleeping.-The transportation prices are high.

I dont' want to sound like one of those who say "We stay in the best places", but we do stay in some amazing properties, and Xanadu, might have just topped every other place and spoilt every future holiday! We aren't sure how we will top this!We were welcomed by huge smiles and the team made us feel at home within seconds guiding us to our villa. We stayed in Villa Nyota it is unbelievable, it's like something out of Arabian Nights, a movie set or AI-generated. It doesn't look real, its fantasy, luxury, and escapism all rolled into one. Directly on the beach, it has a huge pool, lots of outside space surrounded by lush green trees, and tall pots with flowers, honestly, it's beautiful! We both joked about how are we going to describe this to our friends.The beach is beautiful, quiet, with sand so white and powdery it beats the Maldives and the Caribbean. When the tide is out you see the odd local in the distance fishing, and when the tide comes in the sea creates your own private beach.Our butler, Simon, was amazing, always smiling, if you need anything, pick up the phone and within seconds you have it. We only had to tell him about our "dislikes" once, and they were never mentioned again. A true credit to Xanadu!The food was very good, and I am a foodie. I am always hesitant about "all-inclusive" and never really book them as I don't wan't mass-catered, but this is far from the all-inclusive image. The amazing exec-chef produces a new menu every day with 3 options for each course, we stayed there for 8 days and never saw the same thing on the menu twice (apart from breakfast), which was also delicious. If you want something off the menu that was also prepared and the snacks throughout the day and fresh coconuts were amazing. The drinks were all good, cocktails great!Overall everything was breathtaking!I have never left a property without a couple of minor faults - until now.

There wasn't one issue with anything!

We stayed at Xanadu as part of our honeymoon trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar. It was certainly our most luxurious accommodation, no detail is left out. Ismael who looked after us during our stay couldn’t do enough for us and really made us feel at home during our stay. The food was also incredible, definitely a highlight of our stay

Amazing staff, Toby, Michelle, and Ali, our butler, were absolutely amazing and thoughtful

Our stay at Xanadu completely exceeded all expectations. From the moment we got there we relaxed thanks to the fantastic guest relations staff who greeted us. Xanadu is beyond peaceful, it's architecture and setting make you feel like you're the only people there. The service we received from our personal butler, the food we ate, the rest we had was more than we could have ever asked for.

The customer service, hospitality, cleanliness, ambience, and tranquility from before, during and after our trip was first class service. Xanadu goes above and beyond to ensure your stay is perfect!! Not once were we bombarded with bills. We accorded the respect and treated like royalty!!! Best vacation and highly recommendable - definitely a value for money!!!

nothing!!! everything was perfect

The villa was beautiful, stylish and comfortable. Our butler Rashid was exceptional, he was extremely courteous and efficient without being too intrusive. He was very good at listening to our requests,remembering and responding.

The only thing we did not like about the villa was the shower arrangement. It was not possible to shower without wetting hair, the spray diameter was wide and so did not provide a good central pressure but also, because of this, it caused considerable areas of the floor to get very wet which then became very slippy, especially if wearing the slippers provided.

hidden gem, perfect to relax, incredible service, beautiful villas, probably the most luxurious experience in Zanzibar.The food is unbelievable, approaching michelin star quality

the beach isn’t really nice, so you spend most of the time at your villa or go for a tour. it’s perfect if you like relaxing, otherwise you can get bored after some nights

We stayed in Xanadu for five nights / six days and loved it. Prior to arrival we have asked for female butler ( as my wife is hijabi ) and to ensure that all the meals served were halal. From the arrival when we were picked up at the airport we were treated with utmost respect and custom which we usually experience in five star, well established hotels in London. Jesca - our butler and helper was extremely attentive to every request we’ve had and made our stay a literal heaven. Now, few days after returning we constantly mention her and it won’t change for sure.Beach and tides: there’s a special website where you can check the tides timing and simply make your day around it. It’s not the hotel’s fault whatsoever. Beach during the low tides period is cleaned up from what we have noticed and it’s the only one without seaweed.Food: Not sure where to start or end - every meal was simply amazing and not only tasted great but also presented in five star manner. Wife took additional cooking lesson with the Chef which I observed and honestly - experience was entertaining and end result astonishing.Villas: We stayed in Kimwondo which is quite private and have additional pool on the rooftop. Massive space for a couple ( although I don’t see the point of staying in Villa when you have such a beautiful grounds and amazing beach to explore ). Anyway - spacious room and bathrooms, cleaned up with bed made and towels replaced EVERY time we left for the meal were simply “something else”.Additional: we’ve had problems with PCR tests arranged through the government website but hotel management moved earth and sky to sort it out for us! Extremely grateful as our next stop unfortunately required the recent swabs.Security and safety: Team of Masais keeping an eye on the property and beach 24/7 and making sure nobody from the outside sneaks in or tries do the “beach sales”.

Absolutely no negatives.

We were upgraded to the Mawingu villa which was incredible! We had no reason to leave our villa which had a beautiful outdoor lounge looking out on the beach, a plunge pool, waterfall shower, and plenty of space. The architecture/design was very pleasant. We had amazing service from our dedicated staff member Mambo who organized our meals/space and always added a special touch. The food was phenomenal both healthy and delicious; we continuously looked forward to the next meal which was all covered in the package. They provided a list of additional activities and management went out of their way to help us plan a special day that worked for us; we enjoyed snorkeling, massages, and a sunset cruise. Once you consider everything provided in the package, we felt we received good value. Highly recommend!

From the moment you arrive to the moment you leave absolutely everything at Xanadu is perfect. Leigh’s (hotel manager) warm welcome and continuous 5* care hit every note perfectly, she delivered professional yet extremely personal care. Watson, our “butler” who became more of a friend by the end of the week was another example of how to deliver perfect customer service. He looked after us at all times and we were truly sad to say goodbye at the airport! From incredible meal time service, accompanying us on all excursions as well as popping up with drinks just when we wanted them - we have never known service like it!The rooms are out of this world. The food might as well be Michelin starred. You can eat wherever, whenever you want (beach, villa, main pool). Every member of staff is incredibly friendly. It really doesn’t get any better! Put it this way, we booked for 3 nights and then cancelled our second hotel to stay here for the whole time we were in Zanzibar! Don’t hesitate and book here for as long as you can and if you’re truly lucky, ask for Watson!

The architecture of the rooms and main lobby is unique and so beautiful Friendly and helpful butler

The food

We were there for our honeymoon and everything was just perfect. Real butler service (we had Watson who did more than his job). Food was amazing, chefs adapt the menu for you.

Xanadu is perfect for everyone looking for a private piece of African paradise. Very stylish, spacious and cozy villas, each with its own pool, private area of white sand beach, great food and 24/7 available butler make your staying maximum comfortable. Everyone is very friendly and helpful, you can feel personal care on every step. Special thanks to our butler Jessica and owner Eileen!

We chose Xanadu as the last part of our stay in Zanzibar and it was exactly what we expected - beautiful white soft sand beach, amazing food, professional friendly service and unique style all over the retreat. If you want to have few days to calm down and get relaxed, this is the right place for you. Special thanks to Leigh and our butler Mwambo.

The ocean here is not the best for swimming - too shallow - which didn’t bother us as every Villa has own pool.

We couldn’t have wished for more. Staff go out of their way to give you the best holiday possible. The food is absolutely delicious, nearly everything is homemade. From ice cream to bread, dips, chocolate truffles. We were blown away. Really short distances between rooms, pool & beach. Our 6-year-old absolutely loved it too and had a fantastic time.

Nothing. Everything was perfect.