Kempinski to manage Qatari Diar’s project

Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company has announced it has awarded European luxury hotels group Kempinski Hotels the management contract of its beach resort in the $660m Al Houara development in Tangiers, Morocco. The Kempinski Al Houara Beach Resort and Spa will be owned and developed by Qatari Diar.

Situated on a beachfront area adjacent to a protected forested area, the property will have 250 guest rooms ranging from 50 to 200sqm, including junior and deluxe suites and one presidential suite, all with private balconies. There will also be 15 beach resort villas.

The Kempinski Al Houara Beach Resort and Spa will incorporate the natural landscape of Tangiers with all public and guest areas and terraces facing the ocean. The resort will feature a variety of leisure and guest facilities including an all-day restaurant, 2 speciality restaurants, a pool grill and an entertainment lounge along with a lobby lounge.

The property will house extensive meeting and banqueting facilities featuring a ballroom divisible into three parts, 5 meeting rooms, a fully-equipped business centre and a pre-function room as well as parking space for 325 vehicles.

The hotel buildings will be grouped together and none will be higher than 4 stories. While all of the buildings will mirror the surrounding topography, the architectural style of the hotel will respond to the strong tradition of Moroccan architecture, particularly that of historic Moroccan palaces.

Ulrich Eckhardt, President of Middle East & Africa for Kempinski Hotels, said: "Al Houara Resort project complements our resort portfolio in this part of the world including Kempinski Hotel Bahia Costa Del Sol, Estepona in Spain as well as Kempinski Hotel Soma Bay in Egypt. This is an opportunity to offer resort packages for leisure and business travelers."

Al Houara luxury tourist resort will span 234 ha of coastal land and is expected to draw visitors from Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

In addition to The Kempinski Al Houara Beach Resort and Spa, the development will include another 5 star hotel, a public beach club, residential apartments and villas, retail and entertainment facilities and a residential club. There will also be a convention centre, an 18-hole international golf course, club house, casino, forest stables and a variety of sports facilities.

via The Peninsula.