The opening of the Royal Mansour Casablanca sets a new luxury benchmark for Morocco’s fastest-emerging destination.
Many travellers are familiar with Royal Mansour Marrakech, a beacon of indulgence at the heart of the ancient city’s medina. Delivering an equally indulgent but more contemporary experience, one steeped in the city’s 20th-century heyday, Royal Mansour Casablanca is one of the most exciting hotel openings of the year.
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So it’s a new hotel?
Yes and no. Located on Avenue des Forces Armées Royales, the Royal Mansour Casablanca has been developed at the site of the former El Mansour, an iconic location of the 1950s, and many elements of that era have been sewn into the new property’s hospitality persona, albeit with a silky-smooth urban finesse.
The modern iteration features 149 rooms and suites (including some intriguing spaces themed around music, film and literature) as well as a clutch of coveted ‘apartments’ (essentially larger suites).
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How about first impressions?
Making its mark from the moment you walk in the door, the hotel’s lobby sets a very different scene from that of its sibling in the south – think infinitely elegant mid-century furniture by La Maison Hugyes Chevalier, vintage-esque elevator banks, striking art installations on the walls and a sprawling aquarium that’s home to 1,000 exotic fish – be sure to look down as you walk on the richly coloured carpets, you’re walking on a bird’s eye image of the city.
How’s the Room?
In a word – spectacular. My junior deluxe suite, one of 39, features a large dressing room (complete with a watch winder), a white marble-lined bathroom with tub and walk-in shower and a butler’s pantry. Beyond, a king-size bed dominates the 80-sqm suite, with a set of sofas to one side and views of the Hassan II Mosque through full-height windows.
There are touches of Art Deco throughout, as well as contemporary art on the walls, fascinating books on glossy coffee tables and elements of technology seamlessly integrated, from the wireless charging panels to the printer and scanner secreted in the work desk. It’s the kind of suite an army of bell boys couldn’t drag me out from.
What’s there to do?
Beyond its sublime guest rooms, the hotel continues to captivate with its amenities, which range from men’s barber salon La Barbiere de Paris, an outpost of acclaimed ‘first female barber of Paris’ Sarah Daniel-Hamizi; to the expansive 2,500-sqm spa, home to a duo of hammams, a swimming pool, fitness centre, beauty salon and a clutch of opulent spa suites.
How about dining?
Like a true grande dame, there’s something for everyone, from leisurely sun-kissed breakfasts and elegant evening affairs at the 23rd-floor Le Rooftop (accessed via a glass bridge that’s not for the faint of heart), the intimate Le Sushi Bar and the dark and broodingly sexy speakeasy Le Bar, to Le Brasserie, a French restaurant helmed by chef Eric Frechon.
However, don’t leave till you’ve dined at the oh-so-sophisticated L’Table de Moroccan, where traditional North African fair is given a contemporary nudge and paired with intuitive service and views of the skyline’s soaring minarets.
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