In early November, Fairmont Tazi Palace opened its doors in the heart of Tangier, Morocco. Housed in a palace that was the residence of the King’s counselor in the 1920s, it offers a unique concept of luxury that celebrates the rich Moroccan history and culture.
Fabien Gastinel, general manager of Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier, tells elEconomista.es why this location is unique and offers his vision of the sector.
Fairmont Tazi Palace opened its doors at the beginning of November, why was Tangier chosen?
The choice was clear. Tangier is an important city in the north of Morocco. Currently, the city is undergoing rapid development and modernization. The projects include new tourism projects along the bay, a modern business district called Tangier City Center, a new airport terminal and a new soccer stadium. Tangier’s economy will also greatly benefit from the new Tangier-Med port and it is also the second most important industrial center after Casablanca. For these reasons we chose this location.
What can guests expect at this location?
Originally built in the 1920s for the King’s Counsel, our palace has been transformed into an iconic 5-star resort that invites guests to sit back and enjoy every moment in idyllic surroundings, offering a beguiling blend of style and serenity.
Our hotel is home to seven culinary venues, ensuring guests access to eclectic dining experiences and refreshing craft cocktails throughout their stay.
In addition, our exclusive Fairmont Spa occupies 26,000 m2 totally dedicated to well-being, and to highlight the authentic character of the destination and the connection with the Moroccan native environment.
Last but not least, the Fairmont Tazi Palace is in the heart of the destination, we are only 10 minutes from the city center.
In an industry where there are more and more fish in the sea, how do you make a difference?
Making our guests’ stay memorable is our main objective, and this is how we make a difference. With stunning views of Tangier and the forest that overlooks the hotel, no detail is overlooked. Offering 133 rooms, suites and penthouses, each of our accommodations provides the luxurious touches that will make our guests’ vacation or business trip relaxing and memorable.
What do you think tourists who choose the Fairmont Tazi Palace are looking for?
I think that first of all the main objective is to visit the city of Tangier and the destination: Northern Morocco attracts more and more people from all over the world, be it the magic of Tangier, the artistic side of Chefchaouen or the simplicity from the small town of Assilah.
People look for authentic and different travel experiences, and that is why tourists who travel to Tangier choose our hotel, because we complete the experience of discovering the city with everything we offer.
Globally, the economic situation is generating a lot of uncertainty. Are you noticing it in any way?
The priority for the majority in 2023 will be to minimize the resurgence of the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, building the confidence of travelers in the main source markets. With this very promising vision comes the responsibility of our sector to adapt to the evolution of consumer needs.
I am very optimistic about the future, especially in Tangier and Morocco, where activity picked up last summer.
There are many sectors that suffer from a lack of personnel, what is the situation in your industry?
Hiring and retaining staff continues to be one of the biggest challenges in the hotel industry in general. For the opening of our hotel, we have focused on hiring passionate employees who contribute to making each guest’s stay a memorable one.
We have also invested in a lot of training to improve the performance of our employees, which will lead to greater customer satisfaction.
What aspects of the industry would you say need to change?
I believe that we have to personalize the service we offer to our customers and provide them with a unique experience, and I always insist on consistency, as customers expect the quality of products and services to always be the same. That is why we have to increasingly value customer service surveys.
I also believe that we have to prioritize technology, on a superficial level we can already see how technology is changing the guest experience, with direct reservations, room keys via mobile, QR requests from hotel rooms and restaurants and even contactless check-in / out …
Digitization has advanced by leaps and bounds globally, in a sector where presence is an added value, how can technology make a difference?
Today, technology makes it easy to connect and communicate across borders and continents. This allows a quick transfer of information that helps the hospitality industry to increase the number of reservations and facilitate communication with customers, among other things. In addition, the impact of social networks is increasing.
Social media can support the decision-making and booking process, as customers start planning their trips using a search engine, searching Instagram for travel inspiration, and also reading online reviews. Therefore, we are making social networks an indispensable tool for our marketing strategy, working with content creators throughout the year.