Tourism: Golden Tulip on the facade of the Farah

It has been official since March 1st, 2006. The Dutch brand Golden Tulip has taken over the management of the Farah hotels from the CMKD group. ALM had announced it as a preview a few weeks ago. The Dutch group “Golden Tulip,” represented by its president, Hans Kennedie, and its representative in Morocco, Rochdi Bouab, has just taken over the management of the five Farah hotels belonging to the Moroccan-Kuwaiti consortium CMKD. From now on, there will be a Golden Tulip Farah in Casablanca (305 rooms), Marrakech (187 rooms), Rabat (185 rooms), Safi (90 rooms including 10 suites), and Khouribga (76 rooms). All these hotels have undergone intensive renovation programs in recent years, such as the one in Rabat, which has become a favorite destination for business clients and diplomats. The signing of the five management contracts has been official since Wednesday, March 1st. Golden Tulip beat out several contenders, including Mövenpick and a management company that was negotiating under a mandate from the Ramada chain. This is a long-term management contract. A strategic choice. “CMKD wished to align itself with a professional hotel management company,” comments Waleed F. EL Fehaid, Managing Director of the Moroccan-Kuwaiti consortium. He explains the reasons that led to this agreement: “We wanted a partnership with a professional hotel company that would be capable of optimizing the management of these establishments.” Hans Kennedie shares the same vision: “Our hotels will attract tourists looking for a high-quality product and service at an affordable price,” he declares, convinced that Golden Tulip’s strong presence in continental Europe and the Middle East will act as a lever for Morocco. It should be recalled that, unlike a lease agreement, this management contract, concluded on the basis of remuneration on turnover and GOP (Gross Operating Profit), is a performance-based contract. The arrival of such a prestigious brand in Morocco can only be positive. “It is the ideal moment,” declares Rochdi Bouab, Golden Tulip’s representative in Morocco. “I am truly confident. We have a fairly developed commercial network, a brand that is well-known and appreciated by customers, and real expertise.” These are all ingredients that will help both partners achieve their objectives, namely to develop Golden Tulip in Morocco and throughout northwestern Morocco. It should be noted that Golden Tulip Hospitality has two headquarters, one in Amersfoort (Netherlands) and the other in Lausanne (Switzerland). It is an international hotel company, ranked 18th among global hotel chains, with more than 500 hotels totaling approximately 47,000 rooms. The group franchises and manages hotels in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and America.