Hotel La Renaissance

Though to some ears it sounds uncomfortably close to an unrelated American chain, La Renaissance turns out to be a fitting name for a Marrakech hotel planted firmly between the old and the new. For one, it’s located in Guéliz (the new town) just outside the walls of the medina (the old town). It’s easy to spend all day winding through the maze of souks, but when the old town rolls up its streets, the bars, restaurants and outdoor cafés along Guéliz’s wide boulevards are just getting started.

La Renaissance was the first modern hotel in the neighborhood, built in 1952, and more than half a century later, its seven stories make it one of the taller hotels in the city. After sliding downhill, it recently underwent a three-year renovation with the aim of restoring the hotel to the glory of its 1950s heyday. Instead of trying to recreate the ‘50s look, though, the designers captured what first drew guests here: its freshness and modernity. The result is a centrally located urban hotel that’s a contrast to the many small-scale riads. The Standard and Superior rooms, with big glass doors leading out to private balconies and walk-in showers in the marble bathrooms, are bright from both the natural light and the primarily white décor. Spacious, open-plan suites — the Junior, Moroccan, and ‘70s suites — are likewise modern and uncluttered. The ‘70s-themed suite, the largest of all, is almost Jetsons-style futuristic, with its glowing pod-like wall-coves containing gleaming Moroccan ceramics, and a sitting area with green, white and chrome-colored furniture.

The scale of the forty-five room hotel also allows for features that nearby riads would never have space for, among them two large restaurants and bars. All but the cavelike Dahab Club, a cocktail and cigar bar that frequently hosts live jazz, are on the sixth and seventh floors of the hotel, which in Marrakech translates to excellent views. The highlight is the rooftop Panoramic Bar. By night it’s hard to miss. Just look for the glowing red letters (“bar”) above an expansive poolside terrace. It may be here that the hotel most closely approaches its cosmopolitan 1950s glamor, though the effect is anything but old-fashioned.

How to get there:

Hotel La Renaissance is approximately 20 minutes away from Marrakech Menara International Airport. Please contact CustomerService@TabletHotels.com for more information or assistance with transfers.

• 45 Rooms
• Style: Modern Design
• Atmosphere: Lively

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