The Residence Zanzibar is a 66-villa beach resort on the south-west coast, set in about 32 hectares of gardens along a mile-long beach. The listing says each villa has its own plunge pool, and the resort has a kids club and a long activity list.
The Oloi Selects view of The Residence Zanzibar
This is a large, full-service resort, so the useful questions are about privacy, tides and what is included. These notes come from a trade listing, and we mark the points we verify.
At a glance
- Sixty-six villas, including garden villas, ocean-front pool villas and presidential pool villas.
- A large glass-sided communal pool, a spa with its own pool and treatment pods in the gardens.
- The Dining Room, the Pavilion (Middle Eastern and Mediterranean) and a pool bar, with private dining in villas or on decks.
- An on-site dive centre, snorkelling, kayaking, kite surfing, sailing, deep-sea fishing, floodlit tennis, a gym and bicycles. Day trips run to Stone Town.
- Opening dates and tidal conditions are not stated on the listing we checked. We confirm this in your quote.
Who it suits
Couples and families who want a large, full-service beach resort with private pools and plenty to do.
Who it does not suit
Guests who want a small, secluded stay. A property of 66 villas is likely to take group bookings, so privacy-minded clients should let us check your dates.
Its place in a route
The beach leg after a safari, usually four or five nights so there is time to use the facilities.
Families
The listing says children under 12 are welcome. There is an air-conditioned kids club with multilingual caretakers, and babysitting is available. The minimum age for the kids club is not stated. We confirm this in your quote.
Getting there
Via Abeid Amani Karume International Airport. The listing gives no transfer time. We confirm this in your quote. Zanzibar and Pemba are malaria areas, and our quotes include yellow fever and malaria guidance.
What the rate usually excludes
The listing does not say what the rate includes, so we confirm whether meals, drinks, activities and transfers are included. We confirm this in your quote.
What we would choose instead
For a smaller property on the east coast, we look at Baraza Resort & Spa or The Palms Zanzibar.
Last checked against the property’s own information: October 2026. Details change, so we confirm them again when we quote your itinerary.