The welcome
My taxi driver can’t drop me outside, since the hotel sits in one of Stone Town’s narrow old streets inaccessible to cars. It’s about a three-minute walk from the nearest car park, and the hotel entrance is pleasantly grand: a four-storey mansion with an arched doorway, high ceilings and tiled floors. It’s delightfully olde-worlde, dimly lit and atmospheric. A staff member throws my 20-kilogram suitcase over his shoulder and disappears upstairs with it, while a staff member called Ramadan takes me to my room up three flights of wooden stairs and into an adjoining building.
The neighbourhood
Hurumzi is the name of the street, which is, like most in the old town, a mixture of Swahili-, Arabic- and Indian-style houses. This particular building is Indian in style, with several latticed wooden balconies jutting out over the street. My room has its own “teahouse” on the roof of one of the four buildings the hotel comprises, giving a view over the whole city. It’s within a five-minute walk of the port and most of the old town’s main attractions, such as the beach, the House of Wonders, the Palace Museum and the Dispensary.
The room
My room is called “Keep” and, like the rest of the hotel, is genuinely enchanting. One of only 11 rooms, it offers a huge amount of space overall, from the seating area on the landing outside the room to its semi-open-air living room and two terraces. There are numerous eccentric features, including tiled floors, two swings, plants, antique furniture and lounging areas. The bedroom is quite small, with the four-poster bed wedged into one side of it. Given its location the bedroom is quiet, and has a good aircon unit.
The scene
The hotel is popular with expatriates from the GCC, Nairobi and Addis Ababa, and with Europeans. Other guests include Americans and Japanese. It’s a less lavish set-up than its nearby sister property Emerson Spice, but no less memorable.
The food
The hotel’s rooftop Tea House Restaurant offers table and floor seating, and great views of the city. Its signature meal is a three-course menu of spicy octopus, baba ganoush and flatbread, fish and rosewater dessert (US$25 [Dh92] per person). The breakfast features mango and avocado juice, tea and spiced coffee, a gorgeously presented fresh fruit platter, toast, pancakes and a local pastry.
The service
All staff are courteous, kind and responsive.
Loved
The historic building and unique atmosphere.
Hated
The $30 (Dh110) airport transfer I booked is conducted in what seems like an individual’s personal vehicle – with broken window fittings, dirty windows and a less-than-fresh smell.
The verdict
This is a place that fires the imagination and allows you to see, hear and feel the past – it lacks modern hotel luxuries such as lifts, fluffy towels, 24-hour room service and squeaky clean furniture.
The bottom line
Double rooms at Emerson on Hurumzi (www.emersononhurumzi.com) cost from $150 (Dh550) per night including taxes and breakfast.
This review was done at the invitation of the hotel.
