‘Beautiful architecture and thoughtful design are important, but they are only the beginning,’ says Eileen Smith, the creator of Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat in Zanzibar. Describing her vision for the hotel, she says: ‘At Xanadu, I wanted to move away from the hardness and straight lines that can make a space feel formal. The feeling I wanted to create was beautifully simple: relief.’ Speaking to SLH about the creation process and her collaborations with local makers and craftsmen, she shares the story behind the peaceful, beachfront escape, enveloped by Zanzibar’s turquoise and green scenery.
Take us through the beginnings of Xanadu.
Xanadu began with something deeply personal: a longing for peace and the desire to create a place where people could truly breathe. I was born in Congo, raised in Zambia, and later moved to Norway, so I have always carried different cultures and landscapes within me. When I first imagined Xanadu, I wanted these influences to come together naturally, while allowing the spirit of Zanzibar to guide the design. I am not a trained architect, but I have always felt a strong connection to shape, proportion, height, and the energy of a space. Xanadu grew instinctively from that. I never wanted it to feel like a conventional hotel. I wanted the buildings to have softness and movement, with nature flowing through the entire experience.
Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat Zanzibar founder Eileen Smith 
Suites feature private pools
Describe where we are.
We are in Dongwe, on Zanzibar’s east coast, where the Indian Ocean, tropical gardens and ever-changing tides shape the landscape. At low tide, the sea gently retreats to reveal the reef. Hours later, the water returns and transforms the view once again. Zanzibar has always been a meeting place of cultures: African, Arab, Indian and European influences flow through its architecture, food, craftsmanship and everyday life. This layered history inspired Xanadu’s interiors, where African colour and artistry blend naturally with Arab forms and British influences. Above all, however, the heart of this place is its people. Their warmth, resourcefulness and individuality give Xanadu its spirit and personality.
What do you think makes a good hotel?
A good hotel makes you feel genuinely cared for, without the care ever feeling staged. It knows when to be present, when to anticipate your needs and when to simply give you space. Beautiful architecture and thoughtful design are important, but they are only the beginning. What guests truly remember is how a place made them feel: whether someone noticed the little things, whether they felt comfortable enough to let go and whether the experience felt sincere.
For me, true luxury is deeply personal. It is privacy, flexibility, wonderful food, attention to detail and service delivered with genuine warmth rather than formality. Above all, a good hotel must have a soul. You should feel that it belongs exactly where it is and could never simply be recreated somewhere else.
The menu features locally sourced dishes 
Striking architecture meets turquoise waters and palms
What feeling did you want to create here?
People feel a space before they consciously begin to analyse it. They respond to its proportions, light, textures, sounds and energy, and they instinctively sense whether it has been created with genuine care. At Xanadu, I wanted to move away from the hardness and straight lines that can make a space feel formal. The domes, arches and natural curves bring softness and movement. Open spaces invite in the ocean breeze and the sound of the waves, while stone, reclaimed dhow wood, local artwork and colourful fabrics fill the property with warmth and life.
The feeling I wanted to create was beautifully simple: relief. That moment when your shoulders relax, your breathing slows and you realise that, for a little while, nothing is being asked of you. This is the heart of our words: “Now you can breathe.”
Can you share any stories that capture the essence of the hotel?
One of the stories closest to my heart comes from the building process. Day after day, a craftsman patiently chipped and shaped Xanadu’s stonework by hand. It took months and, in some areas, years to achieve what we had imagined. There were no shortcuts, and that patience can still be felt throughout the property today.
The woodwork has a similar story. We bought old dhow boats and carefully dismantled them, using the natural curves of the timber to create window frames and other details. No two pieces were alike, so the architecture had to follow the wood instead of forcing it into a standard shape. For me, these stories express the true spirit of Xanadu. It was never created from a formula. It grew through time, intuition, craftsmanship and a deep respect for the natural character of the materials.
