MOROCCO: Hilton Garden Inn Casablanca Sidi Maarouf, Construction In 2018

Hilton has signed a management agreement with Group Sadiki (www.GroupSadiki.com) to open its first hotel in Casablanca. The news follows the conclusion of a landmark year for Hilton in Morocco which saw it re-establish a presence in the country in March 2016, with the opening of Hilton Garden Inn Tanger City Center. The mid-scale Hilton Garden Inn brand (www.HGI.com) will now be soon represented in Morocco’s largest city, with construction set to begin this year.

Hilton Garden Inn Casablanca Sidi Maarouf will consist of an initial 118 guest rooms with space available on site for further expansion. The hotel forms part of a mixed use development with a 550sqm ballroom and Moroccan-oriental restaurant also to be built in the vicinity. The Hilton Garden Inn will contain three dining options on property, in addition to another 300sqm of event space to the complex. It is forecast that the hotel may welcome its first guests in 2021.

Carlos Khneisser, VP, Development, MENA, Hilton Worldwide said: “Casablanca is a market we’ve been looking at for some time and we’re confident that we’ve now identified the right partner and the right location for our debut property. Sidi Maarouf is rapidly establishing itself as not only the gateway to the city center, with the construction of its new suspension bridge, but as a significant business district in its own right.”

Sidi Maarouf is located in the South West of Casablanca and has emerged as the city’s new business district with several multinationals establishing a presence in recent years. It enjoys an enviable location for hosting meetings and events, at just 25km from Mohamed V Airport and also directly accessible by tramway.

Abderrahim Sadiki of Group Sadiki said: “It is a privilege for us to bringing the Hilton name to Casablanca for the very first time. As more and more businesses seek to locate their operations in Sidi Maarouf we see a demand for an increase in the levels of accommodation. In taking the decision to expand our existing operations at this site to include a hotel, we are pleased to be doing so in partnership with a major international operator such as Hilton, who we believe will help us achieve optimum results.”

John Greenleaf, Global Head, Hilton Garden Inn, said: “Having successfully launched our brand in Morocco earlier this year we are confident that Hilton Garden Inn Casablanca Sidi Maarouf will serve the needs of travellers seeking a trusted yet affordable international hotel brand. Hilton Garden Inn is known across the world for offering amenities and services for travellers to sleep deep, stay fit, eat well and work smart while away from home.”

The construction site of Hilton Garden Inn Sidi Maarouf will be located in close proximity to the interchange between three main highways, the N11, A7 and A5 making it an ideal choice for travellers with interest both in Casablanca and in greater Morocco.

INDIA: Airbus Signs MoU With IndiGo For 250 A320neos

Gurgaon, India-based IndiGo today signed a major Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for 250 firm Airbus A320neos, the manufacturer’s single-largest aircraft order. IndiGo is a domestic and international low-cost carrier founded by Rahul Bhatia of conglomerate InterGlobe Enterprises and Rakesh Gangwal, the former chairman and CEO of US Airways from 1998 to 2001.

The carrier, based at Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport, currently has 83 A320-200s. It has existing orders for 280 Airbus aircraft — 100 A320ceos and 180 A320neos. IndiGo serves 31 cities in India, along with flights to Bangkok, Dubai, Kathmandu, Muscat and Singapore for a total of 540 daily flights. The airline’s business model resembles that of Southwest Airlines — one common fleet type, a focus on keeping costs low and an obsession with on-time operations.

Since its beginnings in 2006, IndiGo has been the fastest-growing carrier in India. Among domestic airline in the second quarter, IndiGo’s market share was 31.6 percent, the best among its competitors, according to India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Air India was 18.5 percent while SpiceJet was 18.3 percent.

The aircraft covered under the MoU includes what Airbus calls the “new engine option,” along with large sharklet wing-tip devices, which offer carriers 15 percent in fuel savings now and up to 20 percent by 2020. Airbus currently has orders for 49 A319neos, 2,494 A320neos and 729 A321neos from carriers including Swiss, Eurowings, JetBlue, China Eastern airlines and Air New Zealand.