Mtoni Marine Centre & Hotel, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Mtoni Marine Centre originally was a contractor’s yard and staff compound that was converted into a boutique hotel in phases, starting in 1991. The hotel was sold by the original owner in 2014 and since redeveloped as a branded luxury hotel with a substantial marina by other parties.

The masterplan of 1991 foresaw a development into a 70-bed hotel, that catered for budget travelers’ up to 3-star tourist accommodation. The main assets of Mtoni Marine were the beach, the jetty, and the fully matures gardens that were laid out as botanical gardens displaying a wide variety of tropical plants. The gardens became, over time, a refugium for animal species that became endangered by the fast urbanization of the area, such as the Red Colobus monkey, the velvet monkey, Giant Fruit bats and a wide diversity of birds.

The architecture of the hotel was inspired by traditional Zanzibar architecture, with as main feature the elongated double-storied building with rooms along the busy main road – acting as a sound buffer and enclosing the beautiful garden whilst offering a view over the ocean.