A magical, historical hotel. We felt privileged to stay there. All staff were wonderful as was the food and rooftop dining experience. A great spot to walk around and discover Stone Town.

Breakfast was good!

Personalen fantastisk

Expert and attentive staff. Beautiful historic building. Roof top restaurant set menu was divine experience at sunset.

ストーンタウンの中心というロケーションで、朝から晩まで遊べます。 歴史ある建物でお城のよう。ホテル自体の雰囲気も楽しめます。 スタッフのサービスもしっかりとしていました。 ぜひまた宿泊したいです。

My favorite hotel in Zanzibar, By far

I was completely blown away by this charming, one-of-a-kind hotel in Stone Town that far exceeded its 2-star rating in every possible way. What was meant to be a simple stay turned into one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. The hotel is not just a place to sleep—it’s a piece of history. Converted from a monument once owned by the British, tied to the abolition of slavery, it now stands as a semi-attached three-building hotel filled with character and soul. The architecture is absolutely captivating, full of old-world charm with a touch of Zanzibar magic. Our room was magnificent, spacious, and unlike anything you’d find in today’s trendy, cookie-cutter hotels. The bathroom, too, had its own distinct style—refreshingly unique and reflective of the local design rather than the sterile sameness of modern chains. Every corner of the hotel is decorated with thoughtful, culturally rich details that give it life and authenticity. The staff? Incredible. Truly some of the warmest, most helpful people we’ve encountered. They went above and beyond, not only in their hospitality but in arranging tours for us at very reasonable prices—we even cross-checked them online and found their rates to be more than fair. And then there’s the rooftop restaurant. Hands down one of the best places to eat in Stone Town, and for good reason. Overall, this hotel may only be rated two stars, but it delivered a five-star experience from start to finish. 10/10 would recommend.

Quaint historic building right in stone town. Staff is great a dinner at the rooftop is really nice.

The hotel is located in Stone town. There is significant noise from call to prayers. The room is large and furnished with period furniture. The stairs are high. There is no elevator and the hotel staff is helpful in taking the luggage up the stairs. The breakfast is served from the top terrace of the hotel which has a nice view of the ocean. However the quality of the food could be significantly improved (plate of fruit, mediocre egg - avoid the omelette, two small triangles of wheat bread) juice, tea/French press coffee. The water in the faucets is not potable. On the second day we asked for an additional bottle of water twice and it was never delivered. The staff is very friendly. There were fresh flowers in the room.

Stayed there in 1994, so almost exactly 30 years ago. Same charm, but a little more run down. Our sense was that it showed the consequence of not having a strong manager on site. Little things were a bit amiss and staff could probably use some training in customer relations appropriate to a place with Emerson's storied history and its cost

Beautifully unique rooms. Super friendly and kind staff. Definitely recommend the dinner on the rooftop. Everything was amazing!

Rent og pent og svært hyggelig personale.

Me encantó el hotel, está hermoso, te transporta al pasado, en excelente ubicación, personal muy amable; lo recomiendo mucho!

La localisation est très centrale; ceci dit, Stone Town est très petit donc il y a plusieurs hôtels bien localisés.

Beautiful hotel and the staff were friendly and helpful. Went in with high expectations and this stay exceeded them all!

Rundum ein gelungener Aufenthalt! Das Team ermöglicht einem jeden Wunsch und organisiert alles was man braucht! Frühstück ist super lecker und schön gesund! Wir kommen auf jeden Fall wieder!

Séjourner à l'Emerson est un véritable voyage dans le temps. L'hôtel est authentique et tout est choisi avec beaucoup de soin. C'est vraiment une expérience à vivre : la chambre entourée de fenêtre, la baignoire spacieuse, le lit à baldaquin ... Le petit déjeuner est excellent, tous les espaces de vie commune de l'hôtel sont très agréables. Le staff est disponible et professionnel, il saura vous guider sur votre séjour à stone town. Nous avons également diner sur le rooftop. C'est une expérience à ne pas manquer, le lieu est exceptionnel, des musiciens animaient le diner, j'y retournerai sans hésiter. Peut-être prévoir des bouchons d'oreille pour dormir.

A beautiful hotel with lovely service! The only issue is it can be quite loud at night but definitely would stay again if back in

I would recommend for a couple. The service and rooms are spectacular. Location is in the center on Stone Town and be sure to catch the sunset from the roof with a drink.

Exceptional hotel with very personal service. The room was beautiful, clean, well appointed with attention to detail. I loved the locally handmade soaps and towels! The rooftop restaurant was amazing!