Award-winning design practice Areen Hospitality is working on the interiors of a new 5 star hotel under the JW Marriott brand, to be built alongside the renowned Marina Smir in Tetouan, Morocco. The 22,500sqm development comprises 194 guestrooms including VIP suites, a spa and three restaurants.
Just 10 miles from the straits of Gibraltar, Marina Smir is Morocco’s first yacht harbour and rapidly becoming the port of choice for those travelling along the waters of the Southern Mediterranean. Tetouan itself, as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is an established tourist attraction with significant cultural and heritage significance.
Andrew Linwood, Head of Design, Areen Hospitality, comments: ”As always we search for a balance between providing durable and functional spaces, whilst still offering an interior which surprises and embraces its guests. Traditional Moroccan hospitality is renowned the world over and we wanted to capture this essence within the new JW Marriott Tetouan. Creatively this is always a challenge but one which we feel we have successfully met on this project.”
Soft colours and fabrics are used throughout the scheme, hand tufted rugs in the public areas alongside richly detailed screens. Locally-sourced marble and timber are used extensively, complimented by Arabic geometric patterns incorporated within floor and wall finishes.
Eugenia Rolando, Associate, Areen Hospitality adds: “Inspiration for the design of the interiors is drawn from traditional Moroccan patterns, materials and heritage. Alongside respecting these values, we wanted to provide an elegant and sophisticated interior offering a warm welcome to all hotel guests.”
