By Travel News
By the second day at the new Matemwe Attitude Hotel in Zanzibar, you’ll already be familiar with a few Swahili essentials—the language of Tanzania: Jambo (hello), Karibu (welcome), Asante sana (thank you very much), Pole pole (slowly).
It’s hardly surprising: the local team at the newly opened four-star resort is exceptionally warm, open, and eager to engage.
Matemwe Attitude officially opened on 4 November 2025.
Founded in Mauritius in 2007, the family-run Attitude hotel group—now comprising eight properties—has ventured beyond its home island for the first time with this villa-style resort in Zanzibar.
After an hour-long minibus transfer from the airport to the island’s north-east, along sometimes bumpy roads, we arrive at a secluded retreat.
The lobby, restaurants, and pool areas feature playful, contemporary design, while the spacious 74 villas each offer either a private pool or direct access to a shared swim-up pool.
Each year, Attitude Hotels invites around 25 tour operators from across Europe, along with a small number of journalists, to its four-day “Like a Local” gathering.
“We wanted to move away from traditional study trips focused on individual markets,” explains Attitude Marketing Director Clémentine Katz.
“This international format, combined with collaborative workshops with our sales team, has proven very successful—providing valuable feedback and giving tour operators first-hand insight into our philosophy and products.”
Like the locals
“Like a local” is the guiding philosophy of Attitude Hotels. “Our mission is to create sustainable experiences rooted in the region and enriched by genuine encounters—holidays that are good for those who enjoy them and for those who make them possible,” says Vincent Desvaux de Marigny, describing the brand’s DNA. A key member of the team for 18 years, he has served as CEO for the past two years.
“Over the years, we have continually refined our sustainability concept, which is deeply intertwined with the local community and culture, and we are now expanding beyond Mauritius into another country for the first time.”
In today’s terms, this means that Attitude is not shareholder-driven but stakeholder-driven: it is the interests of employees, partners, guests, and local communities that shape the company—not short-term, profit-focused investors.”
Attitude has made an inspired choice with Tanzania.
The warmth of the people is genuine and deeply engaging, and almost all the materials used for the boutique hotel were sourced locally.
The timing of the opening, however, posed unexpected challenges. Following the elections on 29 October, nationwide protests erupted, resulting in numerous casualties, a days-long internet shutdown, and severe disruptions to the supply chain.
In a final logistical twist, the last curtains were delivered to the island at short notice by sailing ship—a story the Attitude team shared during a workshop with tour operators.
The resort’s 74 villas reflect Zanzibar’s rich cultural heritage. Drawing inspiration from Swahili architecture, each villa was designed with local expertise and features colourful stained-glass windows and traditional makuti roofs woven from coconut straw.
Hand-poured terrazzo floors, crafted by local artisans, help keep interiors cool, while the furniture is made almost entirely from locally sourced materials.
Some finishing touches are still underway. The buffet area at the Chakula restaurant is currently being expanded, and the landscaping will take a few more months to mature—benefiting in particular from the April and May rains.
Even so, the expansive grounds already leave a strong impression, radiating tranquillity and offering sweeping views from the restaurants and bars across the lagoon to Mnemba Island, where fishermen glide silently across the water.
A humble start
In conversation, Vincent Desvaux de Marigny is visibly relieved that the resort’s first weeks have gone so smoothly.
Operational processes at Matemwe Attitude are running well, feedback from the international tour operators attending the four-day programme has been positive, and early guest reviews on online platforms are encouraging—an important factor for a successful launch.
Travelnews asked how easily a concept that has proven successful in Mauritius can be transferred to a new destination.
“We came to Zanzibar with humility and a willingness to start from scratch,” reflects the Attitude CEO. “First, we need to establish ourselves within the local community, in the villages, and truly integrate the local culture. That said, we can rely on our experience and on a highly committed team.”
He then outlines the three pillars on which the Attitude philosophy is built—principles that are also expected to underpin the group’s success in Zanzibar.
People first: “Our employees are the heart and soul of the group. We support them through training and career development, regular health checks, benefits in kind, and profit-sharing schemes—while fostering a culture of respect for diversity.”
Sense of locality: “From the plate to the décor, we work as closely as possible with local craftsmen and suppliers. This strengthens the local economy, prioritises regional ingredients, and ensures full product traceability.”
Sustainable approach: “Protecting the local environment underpins everything we do and everything we offer.”
As a guest at Matemwe Attitude, it quickly becomes clear that time moves at a gentler pace here.
The laid-back atmosphere is contagious, and the resort distinguishes itself through thoughtful, understated details.
There are no televisions in the villas—instead, guests find yoga mats and fitness dumbbells. Single-use plastics are entirely absent across the property. The minibar contains just two glass bottles of water; drinks and snacks can be replenished from the on-site shop, a deliberate measure to reduce waste.
The solar energy system is still being completed, but by the end of 2026 the outdoor photovoltaic park is expected to cover 60 to 70 per cent of the resort’s energy needs.
Sustainability Manager David Mbaga brings the surrounding marine world to life at the Marine Discovery Centre and encourages guests to take part in beach clean-ups, armed with a bag and a sense of purpose. It is no coincidence that Attitude Hotels was awarded the demanding B Corp certification in July 2024.
A concept that appeals to Swiss guests
Tina Leuthold represents Attitude Hotels in the DACH region. She has travelled to Mauritius countless times and experienced the Attitude formula for herself.
She is thrilled with her first visit to Zanzibar:
“The good mood here is contagious and not fake. People work hand in hand, very efficiently, not ‘pole pole’ at all.
In Zanzibar, it is even more important than in Mauritius that the money that comes in here stays here.”
Attitude Hotels is already seeing good demand from Switzerland in Mauritius, “and I am sure that the new resort in Zanzibar will be well received,” says Leuthold. Matemwe Attitude can be booked through Let’s go Tours, Kuoni, Hotelplan or TUI Suisse, and she would like to enter into discussions with smaller African tour operators in the future.
“It’s good for us that Attitude Hotels already has a good reputation, and a new hotel will certainly be well received, as the first bookings show.”
Challenges for Zanzibar
As impressive as a four-day stay at Matemwe Attitude and on Zanzibar may be, certain challenges cannot be ignored.
While Zanzibar itself was not affected by the unrest on the Tanzanian mainland following the elections on 29 October—and there was no visible increase in police presence during our stay—the situation on the mainland has been far more tense.
As an expatriate who has lived in Dar es Salaam for several years told Travelnews, the protests resulted in numerous casualties. Demonstrations erupted in response to the officially reported 98 per cent election result and the ban on the opposition party.
“People are sad and intimidated; many know someone who has been affected,” the expat said. “Just last week, I was stopped three times at roadblocks on my way from the airport to downtown Dar es Salaam.”
Despite the strained situation in Tanzania’s capital, international tourists can currently travel to Zanzibar and to the country’s national parks—such as the Serengeti—without major restrictions. Nevertheless, travellers and the tourism industry alike are advised to closely monitor ongoing political developments. Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) has eased its travel warning for Tanzania as of 6 November, but vigilance remains essential.
The downside of the tourism boom
An even greater challenge for Zanzibar lies in its booming tourism industry. Over the next three years alone, around 2,500 additional hotel rooms are expected to be added to the island’s accommodation stock.
Although Abeid Amani Karume International Airport was recently expanded, Zanzibar’s infrastructure is already stretched to its limits. Our transfer from the hotel back to the airport took two hours instead of the usual one, due to damaged roads, diversions, and heavy congestion on secondary routes.
With many more hotels set to open, and countless additional transfer buses likely to be deployed, the risk of traffic gridlock on the island is growing.
Environmental pressure is another critical issue. While guests at Matemwe Attitude are actively encouraged to help remove plastic waste from the island’s beautiful beaches, new debris washes ashore with every tide.
This is not a problem that can be solved overnight. In many cases, it is impossible to determine whether the plastic originates from Zanzibar or is carried in by ocean currents.
What is clear, however, is that beyond the main roads, the island lacks a comprehensive waste management and plastic disposal system.
Looking ahead, industry insiders are already voicing concern. A product manager at a German tour operator points to yet another looming issue: “In two or three years, Zanzibar will be facing significant overcapacity.”
The right formula for the coming years
In contrast to the island’s many 300-room resorts geared towards mass tourism, Attitude Hotels positions its boutique collection firmly in the niche of quiet, authentic, and mindful travel. For now, the concept is adults-only—but from 2028, the brand also plans to welcome families.
That expansion is already taking shape.
A visit to the south of the island, where secluded powder-soft beaches still define the coastline, reveals plans for a second Zanzibar resort. Over the next three years, Attitude Hotels intends to develop a family-friendly villa hotel on Michamvi Beach.
One of the site’s key advantages is its sheltered bay location, which reduces tidal fluctuations—keeping the beach accessible throughout the day and making it particularly suitable for children.
Looking beyond Zanzibar, the Attitude team is already setting its sights on further destinations, including the neighbouring island of Pemba.
In the longer term, two or three lodges are also planned in Tanzania’s national parks. The strategy reflects a clear demand trend: most travellers to Tanzania seek a combination of a three- to five-day safari followed by a beach stay on Zanzibar’s iconic shores.