Rooms and occupancy
66 private pool villas — contemporary African and Omani-inspired design with deck and private pool
Villa resort · incentive scale · Zanzibar
The Residence Zanzibar, Kizimkazi, south-west coast, Zanzibar
Kizimkazi, south-west coast, Zanzibar
Overview
Cenizaro’s villa-only south-west coast resort — 66 contemporary pool villas in 32 hectares of palm forest on a mile-long beach. The product when the brief needs villa privacy, a jetty sundowner bar, a 45×15 m infinity pool and enough space for a beach gala that Mnemba cannot host. Electric golf buggies move guests between The Dining Room, The Pavilion and the spa’s six treatment pavilions. The Library holds meetings up to about 60; larger setups use The Pavilion to roughly 110 — capacities confirmed on proposal. Butler service on request. Dolphin tours from Kizimkazi village are the excursion line, not the working session.
We brief The Residence Zanzibar as part of a meeting, incentive, conference or executive retreat — not as a consumer hotel checkout. Availability is on request from the Arusha desk, with Nairobi and Mauritius covering hub and island programmes.
Location
The Residence Zanzibar sits in Kizimkazi, south-west coast, Zanzibar, Zanzibar, Tanzania. There is often no street address in the bush — the pin is the property name, the airstrip, or the hotel road in town.
Map of The Residence Zanzibar.
Airports and access
- About 60–75 km / 75–90 minutes from Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ) via the south-west coast road
- Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ): Direct international plus short hops from JRO, ARK, DAR and NBO
Nearby programmes
- Stone Town walking programme · Half day
- Spice farm, done properly · Half day
- Dhow sunset and seafood · Evening
- Mnemba atoll snorkel · Half day
- Jozani forest and village · Half day
Accommodation details
Occupancy limits
Occupancy follows the inventory above: sharing versus single is the usual swing on a MICE rooming list.
Bed configurations
Doubles, twins and singles as the property actually holds them — we collect the rooming list before we lock the block. We do not invent a suite mix the lodge has not confirmed.
Room sizes
Published square metres are a consumer-hotel spec. We brief the category — tent, suite, villa or room — and any ground-floor or interconnecting need in the annex.
This stay is briefed when the list needs a working room as well as beds. Meeting-room capacity is confirmed on proposal — bush lodges are typically 80–120, not a 400-person plenary.
Services and amenities
What we actually brief for this stay. Paid extras, spa hours and meeting-room AV are confirmed in the proposal — not as a consumer extras menu.
Wi-Fi & connectivity
- — Complimentary Wi-Fi
Pool, spa & gym
- — All-villa inventory with private pools
- — The Spa — six treatment pavilions, sauna, steam and whirlpool
- — 45×15 m beachfront infinity pool
- — Library meeting space (up to ~60) and Pavilion events (up to ~110 on proposal)
- — Watersports centre and fitness centre
- — 66 pool villas
- — Spa & jetty bar
Restaurant & bar
- — 150-metre jetty lounge bar at sunset
- — The Dining Room and The Pavilion restaurants
- — Personal butler on request
Meetings & business
- — Meeting ~60 / events ~110
Family & children
- — Kids club (ages 4–12)
On property
- — Electric golf buggies across the estate
- — Floodlit tennis courts
- — Mile-long beach
- — Golf buggies
- — About 60–75 km / 75–90 minutes from Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ) via the south-west coast road
Photo gallery
Overview, main area, suites, restaurants and bar, pool, and experiences.
Policies
Check-in and check-out
Hotel hours are confirmed when we contract the block. Typical city and beach houses use afternoon check-in and late-morning check-out; we request early or late as the diary needs it, subject to the hotel.
Cancellation
Cancellation follows the programme contract and the supplier behind this stay — not a one-line website percentage. Peak safari, gorilla lodges and island peak are the least flexible lines. Force majeure and airstrip clauses sit in the annex.
Children
Family rooms and interconnecting stock are requested with the rooming list. Age rules, cots and extra beds are confirmed with the hotel — not assumed from a brochure.
Pets
Not for MICE rooming lists unless the property and the brief both say otherwise. Service animals are a named conversation, not a website toggle.
Payment
Payment is through Serengeti Experience DMC as part of the programme invoice: a confirmation deposit to hold the block, staged supplier payments, and a final payment before arrival. This is not a consumer booking engine and we do not take card payments on this page.
Other terms
The Residence Zanzibar is contracted subject to availability. Park fees, conservancy fees, gorilla permits and internal air are separate lines unless the proposal says they are included.
Planner notes
We do not publish star ratings or scraped guest reviews. Fit is scale, access and the operations annex — not a 4.8 average that we did not collect.
Cenizaro’s villa-only south-west coast resort — 66 contemporary pool villas in 32 hectares of palm forest on a mile-long beach. The product when the brief needs villa privacy, a jetty sundowner bar, a 45×15 m infinity pool and enough space for a beach gala that Mnemba cannot host. Electric golf buggies move guests between The Dining Room, The Pavilion and the spa’s six treatment pavilions. The Library holds meetings up to about 60; larger setups use The Pavilion to roughly 110 — capacities confirmed on proposal. Butler service on request. Dolphin tours from Kizimkazi village are the excursion line, not the working session.
Programmes we brief with this stay
FAQs
How do groups reach The Residence Zanzibar?
About 60–75 km / 75–90 minutes from Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ) via the south-west coast road Zanzibar airports we actually use: Abeid Amani Karume International (ZNZ) — Direct international plus short hops from JRO, ARK, DAR and NBO
Can we hold a meeting at The Residence Zanzibar?
Yes, at lodge or hotel scale — a closed board or incentive debrief, not a 400-person plenary unless this is already a city or beach house with that room. Cenizaro’s villa-only south-west coast resort — 66 contemporary pool villas in 32 hectares of palm forest on a mile-long beach. The product when the brief needs villa privacy, a jetty sundowner bar, a 45×15 m infinity pool and enough space for a beach gala that Mnemba cannot host. Electric golf buggies move guests between The Dining Room, The Pavilion and the spa’s six treatment pavilions. The Library holds meetings up to about 60; larger setups use The Pavilion to roughly 110 — capacities confirmed on proposal. Butler service on request. Dolphin tours from Kizimkazi village are the excursion line, not the working session.
When should we contract The Residence Zanzibar?
June–October and January–February are the incentive defaults. Avoid the long rains unless the rate story is the brief. Flagship safari and gorilla inventory still wants 12–18 months. City board nights can often be placed in 6–9 months.
Do you publish a nightly rate for The Residence Zanzibar?
No. Availability and the commercial are on request through Serengeti Experience DMC as part of a meetings, incentive, conference or retreat programme. We will not invent a website price the lodge then contradicts.
Can we book The Residence Zanzibar without a MICE programme?
This page is for incentive houses, corporate travel buyers and event planners contracting through Serengeti Experience DMC. We confirm the block, the rooming list and the operations annex together.
Can The Residence Zanzibar take an incentive-sized group?
Yes — 66 villas is genuine incentive scale with villa privacy. Split villa tiers for qualifiers versus VIPs; confirm buy-out sections in the contract. We will not sell it as a 500-room all-inclusive factory.
Does The Residence have meeting rooms?
Yes — The Library for smaller working sessions (about 60) and The Pavilion for larger setups (about 110). AV and layouts are confirmed with the hotel against your agenda.
How far is The Residence from the airport and Stone Town?
Allow 75–90 minutes from ZNZ to Kizimkazi. Stone Town is a separate day trip — not a same-evening transfer after long-haul.
Do we need yellow fever certificates for Zanzibar?
Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Zanzibar require a yellow fever vaccination certificate upon arrival. We collect it with passports on the rooming list — do not leave it to the airport queue.
Do guests need Zanzibar inbound travel insurance?
Zanzibar requires all non-resident foreign visitors to purchase mandatory inbound travel insurance issued exclusively by the Zanzibar Insurance Corporation (ZIC). Buy it online before travel at https://inbound.visitzanzibar.go.tz/
