Located deep in the heart of Zanzibar’s historical Stone Town, Jafferji House is an elegant boutique hotel. Recapturing the romance of travel, it beautifully combines modern luxury with the mesmerizing heritage that has shaped Zanzibar’s history. Taking its name from its owner who once used the building as his family home, Jafferji House has been lovingly restored and styled to reflect its original splendor.
Personal attention to detail is apparent throughout the hotel, and just as easily as it embraces the charm of the ancient world, it also proudly pays homage to the comfort, luxury and hospitality of the modern world. They say that when you travel, the magic of your experience starts with your hotel. Javed Jafferji and his wife Kulsum warmly invite you to experience the magic of Jafferji House. Come experience a hotel dedicated to exceptional style and service. Come experience the one place in Stone Town where true heritage and luxury meet.

The building was originally built by Walliji Dossaji and family about 100 years ago. It was later bought by Karimjee Jivanjee and then sold to my grandfather, Hassan Bhai Jafferji (and sons). Hassan Bhai Jafferji came to Zanzibar in early 1900, from Kutch, Anjaar. They were merchants in cutlery who then ventured into the hardware business.

Without much money, the late Hassan Bhai Jafferji bought the property in 1960’s by paying in installments over three years on the basis of trust. Luckily the family home was not nationalized after the Zanzibar Revolution (1964) and stayed within the Jafferji family.

In 1993 Javed Jafferji established a shop on the ground floor – Zanzibar Gallery – and lived there with his family until in 2007, out of three shares, he bought it. This is when the dream of converting this house into an intimate boutique hotel, fit for future kings, became reality. Now after three years of dedication and restoration, it is now ready to begin a new chapter as Jafferji House & Spa.

Located in the heart of Stone Town, it has taken three years to restore this family home to the highest standards sought after by the modern traveler. The hotel’s opulent interior instantly whisks you away to a far away time and place. It allows you to experience the true essence of Zanzibar history, and envisage the splendor of Sultans and merchants of days gone by.

Each piece of furniture, each door, and even the hotel’s carved windows are genuine antiques collected from all over the world. From Morocco to Afghanistan, India to Mozambique, each item evokes a blissful sense of the life of the Sultans who ran a trading empire which encompassed the entire Indian Ocean and often called to port in Zanzibar.