Mandarin Oriental has signed an agreement to manage a 61-room hotel in Marrakech, following last year’s decision to withdraw its management contract on another property in the city.
The luxury hotel group is now set to open its first hotel in Morocco in 2014, with the 54-villa and seven-suite property being situated in 20 hectares of olive groves in the Palmeraie region of Marrakech.
Each villa will feature its own outdoor pool, hot tub, open-air shower and “extensive areas for sunbathing and shaded alfresco dining”, with 300sqm of individual private walled gardens.
There will be five restaurants and bars, including a signature fine dining restaurant, and meeting facilities will include a ballroom for 80 guests, and three further function rooms.
The 1,800sqm spa will feature eight treatment rooms, hammams, relaxation areas, a fitness centre and indoor swimming pool.
The hotel will be located close to three golf courses, and around 15 minutes from Marrakech Menara airport.
Mandarin Oriental had previously signed an agreement to manage a 161-room palace hotel, also situated in the Palmeraie district, but this contract was withdrawn in May 2011, with the hotel now set to open under the Taj Hotels and Resorts banner (see online news June 1, 2011).
Other new and forthcoming properties in the Palmeraie district include the Pullman Marrakech Palmeraie Resort and Spa (see online news March 19), and Oetker Collection’s Palais Namaskar (see online news October 9, 2011).
For more information visit mandarinoriental.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
