The Serena Inn; Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Serena Inn

The Serena is in Zanzibar Stone Town presently provides the most upmarket luxury accommodation and service in Stone Town, operated by the Serena Hotel Group and owned by the Aga Khan. The Aga Khans Fund for Economic Development have carried out a loving restoration of the old British-built Extelcoms building and the older, neighboring Chinese Doctors Residence deliberately keeping the outcome in keeping with the surroundings while raising the profile in bid to regain some of the old splendor.

The Serena Inn – The Facts

The Serena Inn - The Detail

The grand hall has been entirely decked out with antiques and artefacts, including an ancient old telephone from its external communications days, with a view to recreating a sense of the opulence of the Zanzibari hey-days. It occupies a prime location on the waterfront near the town centre, and is the only hotel in town with a particularly inviting swimming pool. It is spaciously grand and expensive, but service and ocean-view dining are reliably good.

The Serena provides a range of facilities befitting a hotel of its class, including air conditioned accommodation and a fully equipped business centre.

The Serena Inn – Our View

One of the small luxury hotels of the world, the Serena Inn is not so in keeping with Stone Towns character but quite frankly, that is a good thing! It offers a great escape from what can be quite a hectic little town. The pool is the nicest in Stone Town with great views out to sea and a great place for sunset cocktails. Again, attention has to be paid to which room you book. The prime rooms are especially good value.