Hotel La Renaissance Marrakech

Marrakech – Le Guéliz

When one thinks about Marrakech, the first images that come to mind are the Medina quarter, the Place Jemaa El-Fna, the numerous palaces, the Koutoubia mosque as well as other mosques in the city. But Marrakech is a multi-faceted city. Light years away in atmosphere from the picture postcards

Marrakech, there are other, more modern quarters, beyond the mud brick ochre ramparts.

The Gueliz quarter, commissioned by the former colonial military governor, Lyautey, during the time when Morocco was a French protectorate, is the first

quarter to have been built outside of the Medina, in order to protect the harmony of the old city. Built by French architect, Henri Prost, its wide, tree lined avenues are filled with local offices of large banks, numerous boutiques as well as some art deco buildings, vestiges of the city’s colonial past.

Today, the intense life of this business quarter centers around the Boulevard Mohammed V. Visitors come here for its local craft shops luxury boutiques, large café terraces or simply for a pleasant stroll, far from the tumultuous souks and the Place Jemaa El-Fnaa.

A Marrakech institution

It’s in the Gueliz quarter that we find the Renaissance Hotel, a veritable Marrakech institution. Classified an historic monument, this 5 star establishment has undergone a discreet face lifting, returning it to its former youthful appearance. The façade, dating back to 1952, was kept intact as well as the bright signs of the era. The interior on the other hand, represents a total break with the past.

The very contemporary style of the decor has been elegantly enhanced with the addition of subtle oriental touches. The atmosphere of the building is created by the great number of flamboyant light sources. Lively and restful at the same time, the interior décor is a harmonious blend of white mother of pearl, marble, leather, traditional tadelakt and zelliges, punctuated by vivid visual references.

This dual pop and traditional identity is visible in the common areas. Each floor has its own color, including the rooms and the suites. The design, enhanced with a subtle Moroccan touch in some, and entirely decorated with respect for Moroccan tradition in others, gives them all the feeling of veritable cocoons of serenity. The Moroccan suitesare like mini riads, with sculpted plaster, traditional Moroccan lamps, a unique bed head, and bathrooms with bejmat, marble and tadelakt in the same color as the rest of the floor.

3 suites however, have a totally different décor. Spacious and round shaped, the seventies suites have 1970s design furniture. At night, a play of lights, incrusted in the niches, create a very special atmosphere. An immense terrace opens onto the outside and onto the city. Dinner is served in the Brasserie Française on the ground floor. This timeless meeting place proposes a delicious cuisine combining French and Moroccan influences using locally grown products.

If however, guests prefer a more intimate dinner, the restaurant on the 6^th floor, next to the swimming pool is the ideal spot to dine and to watch the sun go down. A few steps higher, the Sky bar, the highest in Marrakech, offers guests an aerial view of the “red city.” It’s the perfect way to prolong the evening, listening to the muffled sounds of the city well into the night.