Nest Invest Global • Pemba Island, Zanzibar
NH Collection Pemba Island Resort
A 172-key wellness resort on Zanzibar’s quieter island, built by Infinity Developments and operated by NH Collection, part of Minor Hotels. I’ve walked the site, met the team and placed our first buyer. Here is what we found.
Branded, not just beautiful
The difference between a villa by the sea and an asset with a name behind it.
Zanzibar has no shortage of pretty off-plan projects. What it has very few of is resorts with an international operator contracted to run them. A brand like NH Collection brings its booking channels, service standards and guests — and it has every reason to protect the resort’s reputation for decades. That is what you are really buying here.
Why this one
I went to see for myself
I don’t put a project in front of clients until I’ve stood on the land. For this one I went further, and visited every site Infinity Developments has in Zanzibar: the resort land on Pemba’s northeast coast, the Anantara Zanzibar build on the main island, the Infinity Hills site outside Stone Town, and the heritage buildings they are restoring inside it.
What I came away with wasn’t a brochure impression. It was a developer that finishes what it starts, has the capital to keep building whether units sell or not, and seems genuinely invested in the place rather than just the plot.
Our first buyer reserved a sea-view hotel suite straight after launch, then flew out on the complimentary site visit. Inspection trips go wrong all the time. This one was the best-organised I’ve seen, and he came home happier than he left.
Liam Burke, Founder, Nest Invest Global
On the ground in Zanzibar: why only five of the 43 projects we inspected passed. Read the written version: Zanzibar Property Due Diligence: 43 Projects Reviewed, Only 5 Passed.
The resort
A wellness retreat between mangroves and a coral lagoon
Developer renders of the resort. Scroll on to walk through it.
The resort
Sea-view villa
Beach club
Medical pavilion
Hotel suite
Forest villa
Café lounge
Built around wellness, not just the beach
Most island resorts sell sun and a pool. This one is designed as a health destination, which is a longer season and a higher-spending guest.
- A medical pavilion with diagnostics, IV therapy, cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen suites
- Spa with hammam, banya, saunas, salt cave and plunge pools
- Beach club, water sports centre and rooftop bar
- All-day dining, a specialty restaurant and café lounge
- A short drive from Pemba Airport, which is being upgraded for international flights
Availability
140 hotel suites. Only 32 private villas.
The suites are the accessible entry into a branded resort. The villas are the scarce part of the release, and the part we would steer larger buyers towards first.
| Unit | Size | In the resort | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Suite, Forest View | 37.5 m² | 140 suites | $210,000 |
| Hotel Suite, Sea View | 37.5 m² | $230,000 | |
| One-Bedroom Forest Villa | 230 m² | 8 | $550,000 |
| One-Bedroom Sea-View Villa | 235 m² | 14 | $700,000 |
| Two-Bedroom Forest Villa | 310 m² | 4 | $850,000 |
| Two-Bedroom Sea-View Villa | 300 m² | 5 | $1,000,000 |
| Owner’s Villa | 740 m² | 1 | $3,000,000 |
Developer list prices. Availability changes as units sell; ask for the current availability sheet.
Who is behind it
A developer with a delivery record, an operator with a global one
With no escrow in Zanzibar, the developer’s track record is the protection that counts. Infinity Developments is one of the largest developers on the islands, and its work is visible, finished and in use.
Under construction
Anantara Zanzibar Resort & Residences
A 181-key resort on Zanzibar’s north coast, operated by Minor Hotels’ Anantara brand. The first Minor Hotels collaboration with Infinity.
Completed
Caravan Sarai, Stone Town
A historic Stone Town landmark, restored and now trading as a commercial hub for local businesses.
Launched 2026
Infinity Hills, Kikwajuni
A $250 million mixed-use community near Stone Town with over a thousand homes, retail and offices. We offer units here too.
Public–private partnership
Stone Town heritage restoration
A $12 million programme with the Zanzibar government to restore historic sites, starting with the Old Fort and the Forodhani Baths.
The operator. Minor Hotels announced the NH Collection Pemba Island Resort signing in March 2026, its brand’s debut in Tanzania. Minor owns and operates more than 640 hotels in 59 countries, and chose to work with Infinity a second time after Anantara Zanzibar.
Nest Invest Global is a sales partner of Infinity Developments. NH Collection and Anantara are brands of Minor Hotels, which operates both resorts under agreements with Infinity. Brand names are used with permission.
Why Zanzibar, why now
Zanzibar is already bigger than Mauritius was when Mauritius took off
Mauritius opened its property market to foreign buyers in 2002 and became the Indian Ocean’s benchmark for luxury real estate. Zanzibar today starts from a larger base than Mauritius had then, is growing several times faster, and is opening its doors while Mauritius makes them more expensive.
| Measure | Mauritius | Zanzibar |
|---|---|---|
| Visitors when the foreign-buyer market opened | 681,648 (2002) | 917,167 (2025) |
| Arrival growth, 2025 | 3.9% | Nearly 25% |
| Visitor spend per night | About $130 | $274 |
| Foreign buyer duty | Doubled to 10% from July 2026, plus 10% on resale | Investor residency for qualifying buyers and family |
| Villa price per m² | About $6,400 median (Q1 2025 foreign sales) | About $3,000–3,300 (Pemba sea-view villas, off-plan) |
Mauritius still leads on visitor spend, length of stay, freehold tenure and a twenty-year record, and Zanzibar’s growth has cooled in 2026. Read the full comparison, with every source: Zanzibar vs Mauritius: An Investor Report.
Sources: Statistics Mauritius and Ministry of Tourism (Mauritius); Office of the Chief Government Statistician and Zanzibar Commission for Tourism; Finance Act 2025 (Mauritius); Bank of Mauritius and EDB scheme sales data.
Stone Town: a heritage restoration about to beginInvestment that leaves Zanzibar more itself, not less
The fear with every emerging island is that money arrives and the place disappears. What struck me most on this trip was a developer working the other way.
Infinity’s foundation has repainted and restored buildings across Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is now restoring historic landmarks with the government. The plans Infinity showed me for Infinity Hills include a hospital and a school, and the building it uses as its sales headquarters is earmarked to become a cultural centre.
That matters to an investor as much as to a resident. A destination that keeps its character keeps its premium.
The Operator Standard
Due diligence summary
Branded off-plan stands or falls on two things: whether the operator is really contracted, and whether the developer can really deliver. Here is where NH Collection Pemba stands.
Passed — title documents confirmed per buyerOperator — contracted and public
The NH Collection agreement is signed and publicly announced by Minor Hotels, not just mentioned in a brochure. Brand standards bind the resort for the life of the agreement.
Developer — finished work you can visit
Completed and trading projects in Stone Town, Anantara Zanzibar under construction, and a repeat partnership with Minor Hotels. I visited every site in person.
Funding — the real protection, because escrow doesn’t exist
No developer in Zanzibar offers escrow, whatever you may be told. Infinity states the resort is fully financed and keeps building whether or not units sell. That matters, because the payment plan asks for 80% before completion. We weigh it against Infinity’s record, not its word alone.
Tenure — long lease, registered through ZIPA
Foreign buyers hold a registered long lease rather than freehold. We confirm the lease term and registration documents for every unit before a buyer reserves.
Returns — our numbers, not theirs
The developer models returns on 60–80% occupancy. We don’t publish developer yields; we stress-test occupancy and room rates ourselves and share those figures in the investment summary.
Timeline — plan for a gap year
Construction completes in 2029 and Minor Hotels has announced a February 2030 opening. Budget for the resort to start earning in 2030, not on the day you take the keys.
Read the full report: The Operator Standard: A Zanzibar Branded Residence Due Diligence Report, or see every verdict we have published in the Due Diligence Library.
This page is due diligence, not legal or financial advice. Every buyer should instruct an independent Tanzanian lawyer — not the developer’s — to review the lease and sale agreement before committing.
Payment plan
Spread over construction, with 20% on completion
- 5% on booking
- 15% on signing the sale agreement
- 7.5% every three months for two years (eight instalments, 60% in total)
- 20% on completion
Buyers may also be eligible for Tanzanian investor residency for themselves and their family, with multi-currency banking. Eligibility depends on the unit and its value, so we confirm it case by case.
For qualifying buyers
See it before you commit — on us
Reserve a qualifying unit and we’ll arrange a complimentary four-night stay, flights and accommodation included, to see the site and meet the Infinity team. Our first buyer has already made the trip.
Check EligibilityTerms apply. Speak to Liam or Craig for eligibility.
Questions buyers ask
Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy property in Zanzibar?
Yes, within projects approved for foreign ownership. Ownership is registered through the Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA). Land in Zanzibar is held on long leases rather than freehold, so the lease term and registration documents should be confirmed for every unit before reserving.
Is there escrow for off-plan property in Zanzibar?
No. There is no developer escrow regime in Zanzibar, and any claim otherwise should be treated with caution. The protection that matters is the developer’s funding and delivery record. Infinity states that NH Collection Pemba is fully financed and proceeds whether or not units sell; its completed projects and its Anantara build are the evidence we weigh.
When will the resort be completed?
Construction is scheduled to complete in 2029. Minor Hotels has announced a February 2030 opening, so plan for hotel operations and rental income to start in 2030 rather than at handover.
Who operates the resort?
Minor Hotels will operate it under the NH Collection brand, under an agreement with the developer, Infinity Developments. Minor Hotels also works with Infinity on Anantara Zanzibar. Nest Invest Global is a sales partner of Infinity Developments, not of Minor Hotels.
How does Zanzibar compare with Mauritius?
Zanzibar received 917,167 international arrivals in 2025, more than the 681,648 Mauritius received in 2002, the year it opened its property market to foreign buyers. Zanzibar arrivals grew by nearly 25% in 2025 against 3.9% for Mauritius, while Mauritius doubled foreign buyer duty to 10% from July 2026. Mauritius still leads on visitor spend, freehold tenure and track record.
How much does a unit cost?
Hotel suites start from $210,000 (forest view) and $230,000 (sea view). One-bedroom villas start from $550,000, two-bedroom villas from $850,000, and the single Owner’s Villa is $3,000,000. Prices are developer list prices and change as units sell.
Has NH Collection Pemba passed due diligence?
Yes. It passed our Operator Standard, with lease documents confirmed for each buyer before reservation. Minor Hotels publicly announced the operator agreement, Infinity has finished projects in Zanzibar and Anantara under construction, and Infinity states the resort is fully financed. Read the full due diligence report.
Is Pemba Island a good place to invest?
Pemba is the quieter, greener island of the Zanzibar archipelago and far less developed than the main island, Unguja. Its airport is being upgraded for international flights, which would transform access. The opportunity is early entry into a branded resort before that happens; the risk is that Pemba depends on connecting flights until the upgrade is complete.
Can buying here give residency in Tanzania?
Buyers may be eligible for Tanzanian investor residency for themselves and their family. Eligibility depends on the unit and its value, so we confirm it case by case before you reserve.
Want the full picture?
Request the investment summary for NH Collection Pemba: current availability, villa and suite floor plans, the payment schedule, and our own stress-tested numbers. Ask about Infinity Hills and Anantara Zanzibar too.
Not ready to talk? Download our free buyer’s guide to the 12-Point Due Diligence Framework.
Warm regards,
Liam Burke
Nest Invest Global
www.nestinvest.global
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