Villa Umande
40 m²Sleeps 2Garden view, beach access
Swahili for Dewdrop: the smallest and cosiest of the nine, with an outdoor sitting area, private bathroom and its own plunge pool a few steps from the beach.
Net rates on request
PRIVATE VILLAS · FIVE STARS
Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat
Nine private-pool villas on Zanzibar's south-east coast at Dongwe, each built to its own sculpted design, with a beachfront spa and a private butler for every stay.
Nine villas, one private stretch of coast
Xanadu occupies a quiet stretch of Zanzibar's south-east coast at Dongwe, a few minutes north of Bwejuu village. Nine villas, no two alike, are set through established gardens behind the beach, each finished in the property's signature sculpted, curved architecture and each with its own private plunge pool.
Meals are taken wherever a guest chooses: at Ganda, the resort's pool-side restaurant under a soaring Makuti roof, in the privacy of the villa, or out on the sand. A dedicated butler is assigned to every villa, rates are all-inclusive, and the whole property can be taken exclusively for up to 36 guests.
LOCATIONDongwe, south-east coast, near Bwejuu
ROOMSNine private-pool villas
BEACHPrivate beachfront on a coral lagoon
STYLESculpted, Swahili-Arabian architecture
BEST FORHoneymooners, couples & family groups
The nine villas
Each villa at Xanadu is individually designed, with its own private plunge pool, outdoor living space and dedicated butler. Listed from the smallest to the largest.
Villa Kimwondo
50 m²Sleeps 2Garden view, rooftop pool
Swahili for Shooting Star, and said to be the architect's own favourite: a compact villa built around a rooftop plunge pool and dining deck for stargazing dinners.
Net rates on request
Villa Mawimbi
100 m²Sleeps 3Oceanfront
Swahili for Waves: a cosy one-bedroom villa set right on the beach, close enough that the sound of the surf carries into the room.
Net rates on request
Villa Alfajiri
120 m²Sleeps 3Beachfront, ocean-view balcony
Named for the Swahili word for dawn and set up as the honeymoon villa, with a ground-floor lounge and a first-floor bedroom balcony looking out to sea.
Net rates on request
Villa Mawingu
120 m²Sleeps 3Oceanfront
The largest of the one-bedroom villas, Mawingu (Swahili for Clouds) is beachfront with an ocean-view balcony, outdoor lounge and private plunge pool.
Net rates on request
Villa Korongo
210 m²Sleeps 6Garden view
Swahili for Canyon: a two-bedroom sister villa built for friends or family travelling together, with an oversized living and dining area and its own plunge pool.
Net rates on request
Villa Mlima
225 m²Sleeps 6Garden view
Mlima (Swahili for Mountain) pairs with Korongo as a second two-bedroom garden villa, with a supersized living area, outdoor shower and its own plunge pool.
Net rates on request
Villa Mbingu
300 m²Sleeps 6Beach access, two plunge pools
One of Xanadu's two presidential villas: two bedrooms over three floors, each with its own ocean-view balcony, and two private plunge pools, one set on the roof.
Net rates on request
Villa Nyota
400 m²Sleeps 5Oceanfront, two plunge pools
The newest and largest villa at Xanadu: two ocean-view bedrooms, a domed lounge, waterfall showers and two private plunge pools, one set on the rooftop.
Net rates on request
At the retreat
A beachfront spa, a private stretch of reef and a butler for every villa, all within nine villas' worth of grounds.
Kiota Spa
Built directly on the beach, with a couples' treatment room and a private deck for treatments in the sea breeze, using Africology and locally sourced products.
Private Beach
A private stretch of white sand on Zanzibar's coral lagoon, with the reef a short swim out and calm, shallow water at the shoreline.
Water Sports & Excursions
Snorkelling, stand-up paddleboarding and sunset dhow cruises arranged straight from the beach, with diving, kite-surfing and Safari Blue trips further along the coast.
Private Butler Service
A dedicated butler assigned to every villa for the length of the stay, arranging meals, excursions and the small details of each day.
Where to eat
One restaurant serves the whole property, though meals can be taken in the villa or on the beach on request.
INTERNATIONAL · POOLSIDE
Ganda
The resort's restaurant and bar, set beneath a soaring Makuti-thatched roof beside the main pool, serving all-inclusive breakfast, lunch and candlelit dinner from a kitchen team of Tanzanian, Kenyan and South African chefs.
HOTEL GALLERY
Inside Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat
Send a client to Xanadu
Tell us the villa and the dates. We will hold space at net rates, brief the butler team, and manage every detail before your clients land.