Royal Mansour opens in Rabat and looks to Italy

 A growing group looking at expansion in the country first and, for the future, also across borders.

Royal Mansour, the hotel chain of the Moroccan royal family, is also taking the opportunity of the 2030 World Cup, which is also partly hosted by the country, along with Spain and Portugal, to accelerate its strategy of new openings.

The project is ambitious and aims to make luxury tourism an economic and social driver for Morocco. The hotel chain, founded in 2010 and wholly owned by the Moroccan royal house - the project was strongly supported by King Mohammed VI -, has structured an expansion plan that sees the national territory as a strategic priority. Three properties are already operational, Royal Mansour Marrakech, launched in 2014, Royal Mansour Casablanca and the Tamuda Bay property, both opening in 2024, while the next project concerns a fourth property in Rabat, the booming political capital, with an opening scheduled for 2029. "Rabat is a new district to be developed in terms of tourism," Jean-Claude Messant, general manager of Royal Mansour Collection, tells Il Sole 24 Ore. "That is why we have chosen to invest in the location. We also plan to open in other areas of the country, locations that need help to grow and attract tourists'.

Royal Mansour now employs around 2,400 people, a significant proportion of whom are trained in-house through the Academy, an institute that aims to create outstanding professionalism and strengthen local skills. "The group represents an important engine for qualified employment in Morocco, with a strong social impact aimed not only at profit, but at the inclusive growth of the country," says the interviewee.

The overall investment in the main properties was substantial: the renovation of Royal Mansour Casablanca took over six years and involved 1,700 local craftsmen. The 149 rooms in Casablanca and the 54 in Tamuda Bay, in addition to the 53 in Marrakech, offer the highest level of hospitality, including international star cuisine, and a seasonality influenced by the climate but balanced by a diverse international clientele. In Casablanca, the project renovated the Art Deco quarter. "One of the missions of the Collection is to reveal little-known destinations or to restore prestige to once emblematic neighbourhoods," he recounts. 27 avenue des Forces Armées Royales was for a long time the business heart of Casablanca, before the area was moved to the entrance of the city. With the opening of the hotel, we have revitalised the district'.