Hotel investors have set their sights on Morocco for new top-end developments.
Real estate developer, Qatari Diar, which is owned by the Qatar Investment Authority, has launched a luxury resort project in Tangier, while Rocco Forte Hotels has signed a contract to manage a new five-star golf and spa resort in Marrakech.
Qatari Diar’s $600 million Al Houara Resort will span 230 hectares of coastal land and is expected to draw visitors from Europe, The Middle East and North Africa.
The development comprises two main components: a “tourist combination” including two five-star hotels (620 beds), a four-star hotel (888 beds), tourism-related apartments and villas, an international conference/exhibition centre, and an 18 hole golf club. The second component is the “real estate combination” with 199 villas and 415 apartments.
Rocco Forte’s property will be set in a “225-hectare estate of olive groves and undulating countryside traversed by ancient waterways, all set against a backdrop of the Atlas Mountains”, boasting 90 bedrooms, a spa, and an 18-hole golf course.
“We have spent our first 10 years building a collection of luxury hotels in key European cities. We therefore feel the time is right to extend our brand into luxury resorts,” said company chairman and CEO, Sir Rocco Forte.