The Saga of Palais Jamaï Continues!

The Palais Jamaï in Fez has had a rocky history. From starting life as a grand residence it eventually be became a hotel, but was finally closed and basically abandoned in 2014. However, it appears that a new chapter has started and Palais Jamaï will be reborn in grand fashion

The Jamaï Palace was built in 1879 by Si Mohammed ben Arbi el Jamaï, Grand Vizier of the Sultan Moulay Hassan 1 (1836-1873-1894).

On the death of the sultan in 1894 the family was out of favour with the the new Sultan Abd El Aziz (1878-1943) who had two members of the Jamaï family were imprisoned. The family was dispersed, and its property was confiscated.

The Jamaï family were proud Fassis and eventually recovered their property. During the period of the French Protectorate, the family put the Jamaï Palace up for sale and began negotiations with Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, through its subsidiary the Great North African Hotels (SVHNA).

This sale was not easy: as one account puts it, "This acquisition, a real Arab tale, was sealed by an act signed by some forty heirs of the Grand Vizier and forms a large roll of enlightened parchment, enclosed in a precious wooden chest, worked and padlocked ! But this, after interminable negotiations which began in 1923, and many obstacles, the least of which was not to obtain the departure of the women who populated the harem and who obstinately refused to evacuate the palace. The last five heirs, entrenched in the inextricable maquis of the Moroccan procedure, took four years to affix their signatures to the bottom of the famous parchment in 1929

The North African Travel and Hotel Corporation transformed it into a hotel for the accommodation of tourists coming for North African Auto-tours.

In 1927 the hotel was enlarged by the architect Edmond Gourdain (1885-1968).

But after the collapse of the Transat in 1931, THE Palais Jamaï was bought by the Company of the Railways of Morocco.

After the end of the Protectorate in 1956, the National Railway purchased three concessions that linked the former Moroccan capital Fez to the Atlantic. One of them was the Moroccan Railway Company (CFM), which owned the Palace.

In 1998, the ONCF sold the hotel for a period of twenty years to the Accor group, which operated it under the Sofitel label. The group invested fifty-four million dirhams (5 million euros) for the renovation of the Palace.

In December 2014, the Accor group ended its management and closed the hotel.

The ONCF took over the Palais Jamaï de Fès, announcing on January 5, 2015 that the hotel will have to be redeveloped and renamed and that it will be renamed in Mamounia .

But in September 2016 the Jamaï Palace was still closed, the work had not started and the hotel was abandoned.

According to a decision published in the Official Bulletin of 6 July, the national railway company, headed by Mohamed Rabie Khlie, was authorised to establish a public limited company known as "Palais Jamai SA" with a capital of 10 million DH.

The company will rebuild, equip and operate this hotel. The decision in the Official Gazette was co-signed by the Head of Government and the Minister of Finance. Its objective is to give a new life to this palace to make it a hotel establishment awith standards identical to those of La Mamounia in Marrakech and Michlifen near Ifrane.

The works will require a total budget of 572 million dirhams, 40% of which is capital and 60% financed by bank loans. The text specifies that Palais Jamai SA will be open as early as 2023.

At the end of the reconstruction work this famous Fassi palace will have 31 suites and 60 new rooms, in addition to outbuildings.

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The Hotel That Vanished

A hotel, described by many guests as "cheap and cheerful", has been demolished, much to the surprise of regular visitors to Casablanca

The Ibis Hotel at Casa Voyageur in Casablanca was never a grand establishment and over the years it had become a little seedy. Nevertheless, it was the first stop for thousands of visitors arriving in Morocco. Located one minute from the railway station it was convenient for jet-lagged travellers wanting to catch up on sleep before embarking on their Moroccan holiday. Now it is gone.

A great location, but now, no hotel

The Ibis hotel in Boulevard Bahmad, Place De La Gare Casa-Voyageur .has disappeared. The destruction was completed on Monday 17 October and now the site is being prepared for Morocco's TGV (high-speed train) as well as the redevelopment of the rather dilapidated railway station.

The hotel gives way to the TGV and a new station

While Ibis has another more modern hotel in the city centre, a spokesperson says that the Casa-Voyageur hotel will be rebuilt on another site.


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Tangier's El Minzah Hotel in Trouble

The El Minzah is not only a hotel but also an iconic monument. Since it was opened back in 1930,  it has numbered the rich, the famous and the notorious amongst its guests. Now, it is struggling to survive

Following an inspection by the tourism commission of control, the El Minzah has been stripped of two of its five stars.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, inspections revealed serious shortcomings, particularly in the kitchens where they found lack of maintenance as well as a severe lack of hygiene and food safety. Several shortcomings and deficiencies were also found in accommodation.

The Commission decided to grant the hotel fifteen days for it to comply with the hygiene and food safety requirements. Failure to meet the standards within this time will result in the hotel being closed. In the meantime it is reduced to a three star hotel.

El Minzah is now only 3 stars

Opened in April 1930 by  Scottish aristocrat,  Lord Bute, this hotel is distinguished by its Moorish style. Over the years El Minzah and its famous Caid's Bar have played host to the actors Rita Hayworth and Rock Hudson, the designer Yves Saint-Laurent and writers Tennessee Williams and Paul Bowles. Filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci shot part of his Bowles inspired film The Sheltering Sky in the halls of El Minzah, as were some scenes of the recent Spanish series The Time Between Seams.


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Four Seasons Casablanca Hits a Snag

The recently opened Four Seasons Hotel in Casablanca has run into a slight hitch. While its website advertises its "three Casablanca restaurants and bars with ocean views", the "chic" bars are running a little dry. as in a major "oops" moment, they failed to obtain a liquor licence.

The authorisation has been delayed due to the hotel’s location, which directly faces the Al Saud Mosque on the Casablanca Corniche.

"Refrigerated personal bar"?

The five-star hotel chain is at risk for not being granted a liquor license due to the terms of a very old royal decree dating back to July 17th 1967, which restricts the sale and consumption of liquor in establishments that are located near holy sites, places of worship, cemeteries, military buildings, and hospitals.

"The Bleu bar boasts a chic atmosphere for cocktails. Our sleek bar is the perfect place to enjoy the finest local oysters"

According to a report on the website Medias24, denial of a liquor license could cause serious losses for the hotel chain, which has invested one billion dirhams in building the hotel and expects to make 260 million dirhams in business during its first year.

The hotel administration are reluctant to comment on the status of the liquor license. “We do not know anything about it and the procedures for obtaining a license are under study,” a hotel official said.

Under Moroccan law there are two categories of venues with separate legal ramifications. The first category considers the sale of alcohol as the main activity, as in bars, for example. The second category, which would appear to apply in the Four Seasons' case, considers alcohol as a complementary service, as is the case of hotels.

If the venue in question falls within the second category, local authorities form a committee to study the distance between alcohol vendors in the area. According to Moroccan laws, there should be at least 300 meters of distance between alcohol vendors, but exceptions may be granted in the cases of hotels and restaurants.

Local authorities are ducking away from the case with the Governor of Casa Anfa, Najib Gourani, and the Wilaya declining to comment.

Alcohol is a divisive issue in Morocco, with many scholars pointing out that the Holy Quran does not explicitly forbid consumption of alcohol, but forbids "intoxication".  More conservative scholars beg to differ. But, as the Four Seasons Group is 50% owned by Saudi interests, and the mosque in question was built with Saudi money, it is expected the issue will eventually be sorted out in favour of the hotel.

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Barmaid Ban "Barmy" Say Industry Professionals

According to the Wali (Governor) of Fez, barmaids are now prohibited from serving in bars. Reaction from industry professionals to this strange decision, has been swift and fierce. They were quick to denounce the decision, which they say damages the financial health of their institutions. Others point to the fact that this amounts to unlawful sex discrimination

The decision by the Wali, Mohammed Rharrabi, has also come under fire from tourism professionals who also say that it will be detrimental to the Industry. The National Hotel Industry Federation joined in the condemnation, denouncing the Wali's intervention, saying it will damage tourism.

This decision could aggravate the crisis situation faced by industry professionals. According to Assabah newspaper, traders operating in the city of Fez are to challenge this order which in addition to prohibiting bartenders in some establishments serving alcohol, has changed the opening hours for pubs and bars in ways that risk lower sales.

If this decision causes uproar among tourism professionals in Fes, it's because they rely heavily on longer opening hours, following the transition to summer time, to attract more customers and offset the losses incurred during the month of Ramadan. One major French businessman in Fez, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the barmaid ban as "barmy, une idée folle."

According to another industry source, the Wali's order is now the subject of several meetings of tourism stakeholders in Morocco. The same source pointed out that the decision prohibiting barmaids in establishments serving alcohol simply pushes managers to dismiss or even to assign them to another function that may not be in their skill set.

Tourism Minister Lahcen Haddad, for its part, denounced the discrimination of customers by some industry players but said he was not aware of the new measures decreed by the Wali.

The problem for barmaids is, sadly, not confined to Fez. In Casablanca they are now required to have a special license, a document that is not required for a male bartender. This discrimination against women forced, because of their economic conditions, to work in a bar, has, as in Fez, been condemned.

 Kacem Jdouri Jilali, President of the Association of Liquor Sellers proposes that, in the name of equality, barmaids are subject to the same working conditions as their male colleagues.

These moves may well be part of a nationwide strategy, as the Wali of Casablanca has also set new opening hours for liquor shops, bars, pubs and nightclubs.

The information originally published in the daily L'Economiste has caused consternation in professional circles. Citing a decision of the Wali of Casablanca, which repeals the opening hours legislation of1978, the newspaper reports that grocery stores and supermarkets can sell alcohol between 11am and 7pm. Bars not attached to a hotel can open from 11am an hours to 11pm, and the hotels bars 11am to midnightRestaurants without floor shows can serve alcohol from 11 am to 1 am, while restaurants with entertainment can serve alcohol until 3am. Cabarets and night clubs themselves are allowed to serve alcoholic beverages to 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 am.

Changed opening hours for liquor sales

Liquor traders also want to be able to automatically add one more hour after the switch to daylight saving time rather than obtaining a special permission, something that often take several weeks. This procedure paved the way for inexplicable decisions. Some shopkeepers or bar owners were given favourable treatment, while others found themselves refused.

Kacem Jdouri Jilali, says the treatment of retailers by authorities illustrates the hypocrisy surrounding the wine trade in Morocco. He points out that everyone knows that the handful of non-Muslim customers residing in Morocco can not absorb the domestic production of alcoholic beverages, estimated at several tens of millions of litres. Therefore, he says, this trade must be demystified and a stop put to the witch hunt whenever disturbances to public order are caused by a consumer having bent the elbow a little too much.

Unfortunately, that sounds too much like common sense.


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Fez's Unique Hotel Sahrai Opens

The newest five star hotel in Fez officially opened on Monday November 17. Hotel Sahrai is the vision of co-owner Anis Sefrioui, and fulfils a life long dream

Hotel Sahrai's manager, Guillaume Binder, and co-owner Anis Sefrioui 

"When I was growing up in Fez, there was a old house on this site, with arcades. I always dreamed to build a hotel here," says Anis Sefrioui.

He was speaking at the opening of the Hotel Sahrai, last night, which was attended by a selected coterie of invited guests, including Moroccan Minister for Tourism Lahcen Haddad.

"We want Fez to be a high end cultural destination," said Mr Haddad. "This hotel is part of that, but we need more like it. It's an excellent mix of traditional Islamic design and is very modern also, with a wonderful view of the Medina."

Moroccan Minister for Tourism Lahcen Haddad

It took five years of negotiation for Mr Sefrioui to purchase the property, located on the hill between the new city and the Medina, and another three years to design and build it.

The realisation of Mr Sefrioui's vision is made even more significant, as the hotel's manager, Guillaume Binder, is an old friend from his days of studying hospitality in Lausanne in Switzerland. "We met on the first day of our studies, and we've been friends ever since," says Mr Sefrioui.

The hotel was designed by rising talent Paris-based interior designer Christopher Pillet. "He achieved the objective of making a contemporary hotel with a specifically Moroccan identity," says Mr Sefrioui. It uses local materials, such as Taza stone and hand carved plaster, but with creative, modern flair.

There are 50 rooms, with views of Fez and the Atlas mountains, a large outdoor swimming pool, rooftop bar and lounge bar, a Givenchy spa and two restaurants. Relais de Paris offers a continental menu - it's rumoured a renowned international chef is starting there soon - and Amaraz has gourmet Moroccan dishes.

Unique and unusual artwork, inspired by Moroccan crafts, adorns the hotel walls and entry hallway. At last night's opening, the work of conceptual artist Eric Van Hove was on display. "He's used a Mercedes engine as inspiration, and got Moroccan craftspeople to replicate it using traditional materials," said Stephen di Renza, creative director for Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech. "The work has been bought by Dartmouth College in the US, but I believe it will first tour to I'Institute du Monde Arabe."

Above and below: artwork by Eric Van Hove, inspired by a Mercedes engine

For further info on Hotel Sahrai: CLICK HERE

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