Sunday, September 25, 2016

Tangier's El Minzah Hotel in Trouble


The El Minzah is not only a hotel but also an iconic monument. Since it was opened back in 1930,  it has numbered the rich, the famous and the notorious amongst its guests. Now, it is struggling to survive

Following an inspection by the tourism commission of control, the El Minzah has been stripped of two of its five stars.

According to the Ministry of Tourism, inspections revealed serious shortcomings, particularly in the kitchens where they found lack of maintenance as well as a severe lack of hygiene and food safety. Several shortcomings and deficiencies were also found in accommodation.

The Commission decided to grant the hotel fifteen days for it to comply with the hygiene and food safety requirements. Failure to meet the standards within this time will result in the hotel being closed. In the meantime it is reduced to a three star hotel.

El Minzah is now only 3 stars

Opened in April 1930 by  Scottish aristocrat,  Lord Bute, this hotel is distinguished by its Moorish style. Over the years El Minzah and its famous Caid's Bar have played host to the actors Rita Hayworth and Rock Hudson, the designer Yves Saint-Laurent and writers Tennessee Williams and Paul Bowles. Filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci shot part of his Bowles inspired film The Sheltering Sky in the halls of El Minzah, as were some scenes of the recent Spanish series The Time Between Seams.


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2 comments:

Kenn Norris said...

Lord Bute was Scottish, not English.

Kenn Norris
(a Scot!)

Kenn Norris said...

Thanks!