Emerson Dewey Skeens is the founder of Emerson Spice Hotel. He was an American educational therapist and cultural pioneer who spent 25 years in Zanzibar from 1989 until his death in 2014.
He was highly regarded for his flamboyant style, historical preservation efforts, and extravagant hospitality. Locals and visitors alike fondly remember him as a generous patron of the arts.
He quickly became a trailblazer in Stone Town by restoring historic, crumbling mansions into the island’s first boutique hotels and famously establishing the iconic teahouse rooftop restaurants, the most renowned being our Emerson Spice Tea House.
He acquired the world heritage site that is now Emerson Spice Hotel, in 2006, meticulously restoring and combining the three crumbling buildings into the unique twelve room mansion featuring two restaurants that our hotel is today.
Emerson played a monumental role in revitalizing Zanzibar’s arts scene. He co-founded major local institutions including the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF), the Sauti za Busara music festival, and the Dhow Countries Music Academy.
Following his death in 2014, his legacy is preserved through the Emerson’s Zanzibar Foundation, which continues to support and honor local Zanzibari artists, filmmakers, and musicians in close collaboration with Emerson Spice Hotel.
Some things to do in Stone Town? Join us at one of our regular evenings of live music events in Stone Town, art exhibitions or other hosted cultural events. From food to film festivals, we are at the heart of this vibrant pulsating Zanzibar capital Stone Town.
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