Fez  : Barcelo will manage a new hotel
08-05-2009

On April 29, 2009, Mr Mohamed Boussaid, Minister of Tourism and Handicraft, presided in Fez the ceremony relating to the signature of contract for the management of the next hotel unit, “Barcelo Les Almohades », with an investment of about 100 million DH.

During this ceremony, Mr Boussaid has made it clear that the construction of this new hotel, which is part of the Regional Development Plan of Tourism (PDRT), will give an impetus to the economic and tourist development of the spiritual capital of the Kingdom.

The Minister has emphasized that the creation of this new unit will help reinforce the hotel capacity of Morocco , an essential component of the 2010 Vision, adding that “ Fez is a good example that national tourism in going well in spite of a soaring world economic crisis”. In this respect, he has alluded to the appreciable increase of the accommodation capacity and the average length of stay at the level of different hotel units in Fez , more particularly during the last four months of the current year.

As far as the signatories are concerned, they have pointed out that the signature of this contract reflects the willingness of the public authorities to promote this city which benefits from a development strategy, in consultation with the guidelines of the PDRT. They have said that the progressive improvement of air services with the next opening of scheduled flights ( London Milan), combined with a better access to road and rail services, will make it possible to position Fez as a major tourist destination.

They have indicated that the Somed group, with mainly its six unit hotels representing a capacity of more than 3000 beds, its two other units which are under construction in Marrakech and Fez as well as its contribution to Mazagan project in El Jadida, helps create job opportunities and encourage socio-economic development of Morocco .

The first Barcelo, “Les Almohades” of Fez (4 stars) will open in 2011.It will have a capacity of 130 rooms, a restaurant of 150 seats, a 500 square metre spa, a conference room of 650 m2 as well as shopping centres.

The Barcelo Hotel-Resorts Group is one of the leading Spanish hotel chains. It runs about 187 hotels and more than 45.000 rooms in 16 countries worldwide, employing more than 23.000 persons.

The contract has been signed by the President-Managing Director of the Spanish Group, Somed and the responsible for the Barcelo Hotel-Resorts Group, respectively Mr. Marouane and Tarafa.

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