A twelve room hotel created by restoring three derelict nineteenth century buildings in the heart of Stone Town, including a former Swahili ruler's mansion.
Accommodation Eco Score
1.5/5Accommodation Eco Score
Throne Standard 2.2 · Evidence coverage 100% · Evidenced performance 11.3%. Weighted sources are shown below.
Recorded research, grouped by subject; claims remain unverified unless linked to reviewed evidence. Blue bars show how much information is held; they are not positive or negative scores. Fields with nothing behind them are counted, not listed.
8 groups · 27 fields
Features1 of 8
What to do generally
The hotel sits in the historic centre of Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a few minutes walk from the seafront. Guests explore the alleys, markets and carved doors on foot, and dine at the rooftop Tea House at sunset.
Scan result2 of 4
Eco Score
2
Eco Score Label
Developing evidenced performance
Certification1 of 2
Certificates
Status requires reviewed source evidence
Ownership and legal entity1 of 16
Owner Name
Current shareholders (not named); founded by Emerson Dewey Skeens
Identity1 of 4
Closest Airport name
Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, Zanzibar
Claims and evidence1 of 5
Verified
Researched and source checked in three passes, Oct 2026
Room Types
11 Swahili designed rooms with small fridge, air conditioner, fan, and high ceiling mosquito net
People Targeting
Adult-Focused Eco-Chic
Secluded / Isolated
Urban Sounds
Activities to do
While at Emerson Spice, you can explore the labyrinthine streets of the ancient city, enjoy rooftop sunsets at the Tea House, and dine in the romantic Secret Garden courtyard.
Food Options
Emerson Spice Tanzania has a rooftop restaurant and a second garden dining space.
Food Type
Swahili high tea, rooftop Tea House and Secret Garden restaurants
2/4 · One specific practice, such as a historic building reused, local natural materials, or passive cooling design
7.5 / 15 points
The hotel was created from 2006 by restoring and combining three derelict historic buildings, including a mansion built by the last Swahili ruler of Zanzibar, inside the Stone Town World Heritage Site.
Throne Standard for stays 2.2. Accommodation Eco Score weights: Nature, biodiversity and regeneration 30%, Energy and climate 15%, Water 10%, Waste and plastic 10%, Food, farming and sourcing 15%, Buildings, heritage reuse and land use 15%, Measurement, transparency and certification 5%. Each pillar earns its weight times its level divided by four. The score is 1 plus 4 times the evidenced performance, shown to one decimal, so 0% is 1.0 and 100% is 5.0. A pillar the stay does not disclose, after we read its own pages, counts as 0 and is shown as Not disclosed, with every page we read linked, because silence is an answer too. Every finding quotes its source word for word. Below 85% coverage, below 70% performance, or with less than half the weight at level 2 or above, the score is held under the next whole number (3.4 or 2.4). A 5.0 band needs 90% coverage and performance, level 4 evidence on half the weight and the key pillar at level 3 or above. Green flags are pillars at level 3 or 4. Every level can be earned from public, dated evidence; no score requires a visit. Evidence must be rechecked within two years. Guest travel is not scored; everyone gets there how they can.
Throne Standard for stays 2.2. Purity Score weights: Water you drink and bathe in 25%, Food on your plate 20%, Grounds and pest control 15%, Cleaning, laundry and fragrance 15%, Linen, towels and mattresses 10%, Air and quiet 10%, Pool and bathing water 5%. Each pillar earns its weight times its level divided by four. The score is 1 plus 4 times the evidenced performance, shown to one decimal, so 0% is 1.0 and 100% is 5.0. A pillar the stay does not disclose, after we read its own pages, counts as 0 and is shown as Not disclosed, with every page we read linked, because silence is an answer too. Every finding quotes its source word for word. Below 85% coverage, below 70% performance, or with less than half the weight at level 2 or above, the score is held under the next whole number (3.4 or 2.4). A 5.0 band needs 90% coverage and performance, level 4 evidence on half the weight and the key pillar at level 3 or above. Green flags are pillars at level 3 or 4. Every level can be earned from public, dated evidence; no score requires a visit. Evidence must be rechecked within two years.
2/4 · A named community programme, such as a school, fund or training
10 / 20 points
The founder page names a foundation that supports local Zanzibari artists, filmmakers and musicians together with the hotel.
“his legacy is preserved through the Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation, which continues to support and honor local Zanzibari artists, filmmakers, and musicians”
2/4 · Local food, crafts or language presented with named makers
5 / 10 points
The dining page presents live music from local Zanzibari artists, and the about page describes the restored historic mansion, though no makers are named.
“On Wednesdays and Fridays, the garden comes alive with live music from local Zanzibari artists.”
Throne Standard for stays 2.2. People Score weights: Ownership and control 30%, Local work and fair pay 25%, Community benefit 20%, Access to beach and land 15%, Culture and heritage 10%. Each pillar earns its weight times its level divided by four. The score is 1 plus 4 times the evidenced performance, shown to one decimal, so 0% is 1.0 and 100% is 5.0. A pillar the stay does not disclose, after we read its own pages, counts as 0 and is shown as Not disclosed, with every page we read linked, because silence is an answer too. Every finding quotes its source word for word. Below 85% coverage, below 70% performance, or with less than half the weight at level 2 or above, the score is held under the next whole number (3.4 or 2.4). A 5.0 band needs 90% coverage and performance, level 4 evidence on half the weight and the key pillar at level 3 or above. Green flags are pillars at level 3 or 4. Every level can be earned from public, dated evidence; no score requires a visit. Evidence must be rechecked within two years.
You have the verdict. The working is behind the pass.
The summary and the instant check are free on every record, always. Members also get the results table item by item, the certificates as checked on each register, and information that has not yet been independently verified.
These source pages were captured on 2026-10-02. Capturing a page does not establish a rating or verify its claims. Only the reviewed pillar evidence above earns assessment points. Missing findings remain unavailable.