Best hotels in Arusha

Hidden away in lush montane forest with sensational views to Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro, the colour-filled gardens of this lush property are a true refuge. And yet, it's only 40 minutes away from Kilimanjaro International Airport. Accommodation is in cottages of varying sizes, their interiors furnished with homelike comfort and elegance. There's plenty to do at Rivertrees and lots to explore in the area, although you have to book early so as not to miss out.

In a hustling and very bustling city of 1.6 million people, Arusha Coffee Lodge is the perfect hideaway for a spot of pre or post safari rejuvenation. As the name suggests, coffee is a running theme and the lodge is nestled into the lush emerald bushes of Tanzania’s largest plantation in the foothills of Mt Meru and well-located for flight connections. Radiating warmth and charm, this is an elegant and relaxing stopover choice with a number of activities to keep you busy… and possibly the freshest cup of coffee you will ever taste.

Four Points Sheraton sits in a historic section of Tanzania's northernmost major city, the eponymous Arusha. The hotel itself is said to have been built in 1894 and, although it has since been renovated, it retains some of lovely relics of the past, like colonial facades, broad undercover breezeways, and a mature garden. Expect top-notch hospitality with all the mod cons, alongside somewhat dated but nevertheless clean and comfortable furnishings. Four Points is the perfect stopover treat before and after a challenging ascent of Africa's tallest mountain, just 90 kilometres away.

We guarantee the words "Out of Africa" will pop into your head as you enter Legendary Lodge Arusha, a luxury destination that's popular with visitors beginning or ending their Tanzanian odyssey. Its one fault, most say, is that they wished they'd booked a longer stay. And they have a point. The lodge sits within lush gardens, with a beautiful frangipani tree at the entrance, in the heart of a working coffee farm, and is the perfect place to unwind. Just minutes from Arusha and the nearest airport, you'll be pampered with excellent accommodation, intuitive service and fabulous food.

Eighteen acres of coffee and tea plantation in the heart of Arusha — not the setting you'd typically expect from a city hotel, and that's precisely the point. The property rises up from its own working organic farm, with Mount Meru commanding the horizon and a water stream threading through the gardens below. It's a genuine gateway hotel, sitting midway between the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro National Parks, but it earns its keep long before you board a safari vehicle. The infinity pool set against Mount Meru, the rooftop restaurant supplied in part by the farm below, the spa, the glass-blowing workshop, the staff who regularly get singled out in reviews as among the best in East Africa — there's enough here to justify arriving a day early. Which you probably will.

Koroi Forest Camp is nestled in Arusha National Park, a quilt of natural habitats puzzled together between the towering peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro and Meru, playing host to a unique blend of biodiversity and wildlife. This dramatic landscape is shaped by the ash cone and cliff faces of Mount Meru that frames the park’s volcanic crater lakes and calderas.

Lake Duluti Lodge is made up of 19 spacious contemporary African styled romantic chalets ideally positioned for maximum privacy and view inside a thirty acre active coffee farm located in a safe and exclusive area on the outskirts of Arusha. All chalets are positioned to face the coffee farm and each has a private deck with an amazing view of the ancient indigenous trees found in big number within the farm. The lodge has been designed in a way that you will feel like you are staying at home rather than at a top end hotel. Lake Duluti lodge prides itself on its finest cuisine, first class exclusivity, five star personalized excellent services, top class amenities and the ecofriendly architecture and operations.