A luxurious throwback opens in the heart of Morocco's commercial hub

Built from the bones of the city’s first true luxury hotel – a nine-storey 1950s landmark that opened when Casablanca was under French rule – the 24-storey, 149-key Royal Mansour Casablanca has largely dispensed with traditional Moroccan tropes. 

Instead it features mid-century-modern furniture by prestigious French manufacturers and art deco flourishes that reference one of the surrounding city’s key architectural movements.

There’s also an expanded focus on meeting facilities - that latter addition isn’t very sexy, perhaps, but it’s an acknowledgement that many guests will be in town to do proper business rather than to waft around the souks. (Every Casablanca newcomer should visit the Hassan II Mosque, however, which is one of the world’s biggest and exceptionally impressive.)

“70 types of marble from around the globe were placed judiciously around the property” 

Whatever their reason for staying at Royal Mansour Casablanca, guests will enjoy amenities that rival the best you’d expect to find in any global city. This whole hotel is the epitome of ‘no expense spared’. Some 70 types of marble from around the globe were placed judiciously around the property; a Namibian number that doesn’t absorb too much heat is used in the two-storey spa’s his-and-hers hammams, for example. On the 20th floor, a chic barbers with stellar views is now probably the fanciest men’s salon in the country.

Dining, meanwhile, is consistently top quality. On the 23rd floor, all-day Le Rooftop serves an elegant breakfast from its sheltered terrace. Adjacent La Grand Table Marocaine provides an immersion in the country’s varied traditional cuisine, often complemented by striking sunsets, that truly feels very special. 

Meanwhile, ground-level La Brasserie offers a fantastic French menu overseen by Eric Frechon, the bona-fide culinary giant who presided over Le Bristol Paris’ exceptional three-star Epicure for decades.

The rooms are impressive too. Most are vast and finished to the same plush levels, though the best options overlook old Casablanca, the coastline and that momentous mosque. Others, like mine, face a nearby office block and a busy boulevard (the murmur of traffic may be audible) or the port, interesting in its own way but not nearly as photogenic. 

While some Royal Mansour aesthetes may find some of those views dubious, all they’ll need to do to recalibrate is fix their gaze on something within the hotel; every nook and cranny feels fancy. Though it took me a moment to adapt to a design approach in Casablanca that differs so significantly from the Marrakech original, I was ultimately won over by the beauty of the property.

In its own way, it provides just as authentic a representation of its home city as its predecessor. This latest release from Royal Mansour does have a brand new timbre, and for this initially recalcitrant fan, it feels like the band may actually have a hit on their hands.

Rates at Royal Mansour Casablanca start at MAD6000 (£435), including breakfast.