Review: First in: Fairmont Tazi Palace, Morocco

Tangier is a unique cultural crossroads sitting to the south of the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean and Atlantic meet. It is also one of the most inviting cities in Morocco. Tangier appeals to all the senses – the fragrance of tangerines perfumes the air (yes, the fruit took its name from the city) and in the kasbah doors and window frames in striking blues stand out against the bright whitewashed facades that evoke Andalusia and the Moroccan town of Chefchaouen. You can savour the flavours of pastries from the medina while the sound of the surf is never far away. 

The captivating city of Tanja (to use its Arabic name) is a reason to travel in itself, as is its latest long-awaited hotel opening, the Fairmont Tazi Palace, operated by AccorHotels.

The hotel was designed to be its own separate world high in the hills above the city. The project has restored the palace of two of the sultan’s representatives in the city – Mohammed Tazi who was then followed by his son, Ahmed – to its original magnificence. The goal of the firms OBMI and CCCRA Architects was to preserve the essence of the historic building, which dates to the 1920s, through a meticulous renovation and then to further expand on the architectural jewel. 

Why book

First, because the weather in Tangier, even in the middle of winter, is as congenial as the staff at this five-star hotel. Second, the rooms at the Fairmont Tazi Palace perfectly complement the history that emanates from the buildings of the city’s medina. And, when you have soaked up the beauty of the beaches of the Moroccan riviera, you can continue to relax by the hotel’s swimming pool. If you are travelling with kids in tow, they will have fun running around the gardens and making ceramic pieces in the hotel’s workshop (kids at heart are allowed to participate too). 

Fabien Gastinel, the general manager of Fairmont Tazi Palace, explains the magic of the city and also the new hotel: “Tangier is a vibrant and multicultural city infused with Mediterranean spirit, and we’re thrilled to give the opportunity for guests to experience Fairmont’s pioneering approach to unique hospitality while exploring the many cultures and civilisations that have shaped the city’s rich history.”

In short, who wouldn’t want to visit this property that has as much to offer as the city where it’s located? Whether you travel there to escape winter’s chill or wait until the summer, when the city’s bohemian life is especially inviting, your visit will be paired with ocean breezes. We can vouch for that first-hand. 

Set the scene 

Integrating opulence in just the right measure is a difficult task, but the Fairmont Tazi Palace pulls it off perfectly. After you enter the building with its cream-coloured walls, you’ll find yourself in the lobby, a luminous space with a 12-metre-high ceiling. It’s the first hint that this hotel does everything in style: from the 1.5 hectares of landscaped grounds, to the dramatic lamps that illuminate the corridor leading to the Crudo restaurant and the photogenic swimming pool, where you’ll lose track of time under the Mediterranean sun.

At the same time, Fairmont Tazi Palace demonstrates that a large urban hotel can also be a space of quiet tranquillity. Its location, amidst a stunning forest of century-old eucalyptus trees, lowers the city’s noise level by two notches, while its vast, almost labyrinthine design makes it easy for guests to find private corners for themselves. 

The interiors evoke the glamour of the 1920s combined with modern comforts that pay homage to Moroccan craftsmanship using tadelakt plaster, zellige tiles, and moucharabieh screens. On the landscaped grounds, palm, olive, and pomegranate trees add to the bucolic views of the wooded hills and the Old Town, with the mountains as a backdrop in the distance. 

The rooms

There is a simple pleasure we love – waking at dawn as the sun warms the sheets of our bed and our room is bathed in a golden light. The hotel’s 133 rooms (including a Signature Suite, two penthouses, and a Katara Suite), however, offer more than just mere simplicity. 

Spread over seven floors and two wings, the rooms by Madrid-based CCCRA Architects, are an amalgam of elements that celebrate the country’s craft traditions with fretwork wooden screens, mosaics, and bespoke fabrics created by local artisans.

All rooms feature a palette of tones inspired by the Mediterranean and a sweeping perspective of the city. The bathrooms invite you to linger and admire the views while soaking in the tub – or even just brushing your teeth.  

While the rooms on the ground floor open onto gardens with plants that reflect Andalusian and Arabic influences, those on the upper floors offer views of the Tangier skyline.

The largest room is the 332-square-metre Katara Suite (the penthouses, in comparison, measure 117 square metres) which can accommodate four adults and two children. It has a principal bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and another bedroom with a private bathroom. There is also a dining table that seats 12 and an impressive circular bathtub in the principal bath.

Food and drink

If the question is whether gastronomy is a strong point of the hotel, the answer is a simple “yes”. Chef Christopher Blake, who is originally from Australia, oversees the kitchens of the three restaurants – Crudo, Parisa, and Spa Restaurant. He has a wealth of experience, having previously worked in the kitchen of La Mamounia in Marrakech. The theme behind the ingredients he uses is “from the sea and the garden to the table”.

This is evident in the quality and freshness of everything that enters the kitchens. Proximity makes much of this possible, with many items coming from the hotel’s own orchard and kitchen garden. At Crudo, the flavours of the Mediterranean come to life in a space where Tangier’s enchanting light is the true star.

While the wood-fired oven and the huge locally made wooden table located in a courtyard attached to the restaurant may first draw you to this corner of the hotel, it’s the dishes that demonstrate that the way to one’s heart is, indeed, through the stomach.

You’ll be tempted by tasty tuna tartar, tender green beans, octopus carpaccio, mackerel in salt and vinegar, the house mojama (salt-cured tuna), and caramelised leeks. At this gastronomic temple, you will feast with your eyes as well – something you will experience beginning with the parade of dishes on the breakfast menu. 

We suggest you succumb to temptation and order the pancakes with salted caramel butter and bananas, the fluffy French toast or, if you want to try some local flavours, the cauliflower shakshuka. Fresh-squeezed orange juice is always on hand, of course.

Located next to the spa, Spa Restaurant offers fresh seasonal ingredients and healthy options (burrata, ceviche, caramelised clementine salad, chicken in a walnut crust) to help you refuel after a workout or yoga session. 

Innocents and the Origin Bar pour innovative cocktails created with ingredients grown in the hotel’s own garden while the Rose Room rounds out the culinary options and serves tea (and other beverages) with cakes and pastries made by chef Anas Hakkal. 

It would have been love at first sight with Innocents, if it hadn’t been a challenge (intentionally) to get that initial glimpse of it. This speakeasy, hidden in a corner of the hotel, has an African vibe, live music (there’s a grand piano), and a wide variety of cocktails that are customised to each guest’s preferences. Despite the name, this is not a place for the innocent.

Parisa, next to Innocents, presents a culinary journey from Doha to Tangier: We can’t stop dreaming about the slow-cooked lamb shoulder in tomato sauce and the incredible chicken tajine. 

And, finally, when the urge to take a dip in the pool kicks in, Siddharta Lounge by Buddha-Bar (open from April to October) will feature DJ sets and refreshing cocktails.

The spa

In addition to the expansive swimming pool, the Fairmont Tazi Palace has a temple to pamper both body and mind with treatments using natural ingredients. Even though it extends over some 2,500 square metres, the spa manages to feel intimate. It includes 10 treatment rooms, a private spa, a solarium, a hammam you won’t want to leave, a yoga studio, gym, and sunny Andalusian-style gardens that lead to a secluded vitality pool.

Sodashi, Maison d'Asa, and Swissline Cosmetics are used for the exclusive massages and treatments. Adjacent to the spa, the Studio B beauty salon offers hairdressing, manicures and pedicures, hair treatments and, once a month, the visit of a well-known international stylist for a week. Panier de Sens and John Masters Organics are the brands you will find there.

The neighbourhood 

Before this trip, we had long dreamed of visiting Tangier; now that our journey is over, we are fantasising about returning to the Fairmont Tazi Palace. This five-star hotel, located in a quiet residential area 11 kilometres from the airport, is the perfect choice to explore this destination that is just under three hours by plane from London. If you are coming from southern Spain, the ferry from Tarifa takes approximately an hour.

Deep sea fishing, horseback riding on the beach at sunset, a tour of the medina (less than 15 minutes by car), private boat trips, and Moroccan cooking classes are just some of the experiences you can enjoy during your stay. There are also two must-visits nearby: the coastal city of Asilah (about 45 minutes by car) and Chefchaouen with its dazzling palette of blues (two hours by car).

Eco effort 

Sustainability is central to the Fairmont Tazi Palace’s operations, and they have built a team committed to fighting waste and plastic pollution. They have sourced sustainable amenities including shower caps and toothbrushes made from corn. There is no plastic in the rooms’ minibars, and they are working with a supplier to source reusable glass bottles.

In terms of the hotel’s restaurant offerings, straws are made of bamboo, there are no individual portions of items like butter and jam, and they have a vegetable garden that produces the herbs they use in the kitchen (the garden will provide vegetables and fruit too, once they are ready to be harvested). Finally, protecting animals found in the hotel and its gardens, and giving them the best possible living conditions, is another of the hotel’s objectives.

Accessibility for those with mobility impairments

In terms of accessibility, the hotel has accessible lifts, ramps, toilets, handholds, and beds.