This hotel, located one block from Le Royal Mansour Meridien and a short walk from the unimpressive port, is a sterling example of how exemplary management and deep pockets can make guests feel welcome and comfortable in a fundamentally commercial hotel.
Chattering parakeets suspended in large, stylized cages and splashing fountains welcome guests to the stunning, monumental marble lobby. Ultramodern decor and an airy atmosphere prevail and are inviting enough to lure guests to spend much of their time here. In fact, recent upgrades have spruced up the overall property to the delight of business guests.
An outstanding Moroccan restaurant has a broad range
of dining choices and supplements an attractive and authentic Japanese dining room, and a well-designed cafe serves excellent coffee and Continental buffet fare. The main buffet restaurant sees the most action thanks to an ample breakfast spread and all-day Continental menu.
For recreation, options include a terraced pool surrounded by shaded lounge chairs, two squash courts, a sauna, hammam, whirlpool and well-equipped gym. A nice unexpected extra here is the hotel garage—a plus in the center of this town. Nearly a dozen high-tech meeting rooms cater to group functions and numerous social events for 650 people, and a business center assists individual needs. A nightclub fills up with both regulars and local restaurant patrons who visit the hotel for its happening bar scene.
Elegant, speedy glass elevators feature fresh flowers. The medium-size accommodations are well-appointed with dark wood and black lacquered furniture, good carpeting, sofas or paired armchairs, minibars, phones with voice mail and data ports, safes, high-speed Internet (both wired and wireless for a fee) and TVs. All rooms are now fitted with the famous Sweet Sleeper beds wrapped in layers of crisp linens and cozy duvets, providing perhaps the best night's rest of any hotel in the city. Baths here are the largest in town, rivaling those at the Hyatt with hair dryers, bidets, potpourri, face powder with cotton puffs in charming pots, robes, slippers, phones and scales. Most rooms boast thick padded carpeting, but the more expensive options have shiny hardwood floors. The premium floor is particularly engaging. It serves a delightful breakfast, and service is faultless throughout the day, when light snacks and refreshments are on display. Even a butler patrols the floors to provide a helping hand. Views take in the port, surrounding city or the pool area. A few rooms have recently been refurbished and are worth asking for if available.
Room service operates at all hours, but pets are not allowed at any time. Disabled guest quarters are an option if needed. The attentive, English-speaking management and staff here are highly professional and exceedingly capable, making this fine hotel the only serious competitor to the Hyatt, the top choice here.