Rabat – Tim Cordon, area senior vice president for the Middle east and Africa with Radisson Hotel Group, recently announced that the Lincoln Hotel in Casablanca has officially been signed to the Radisson Collection.

The Lincoln Hotel, which is located on the Mohammed V boulevard in Casablanca, was built in 1916 by renowned French architect Hubert Bride, and was classified in 2000 as a historical heritage.

The historic signing marks Radisson Collection’s ninth signing in Morocco this year, bringing the international hotel group’s portfolio to 11 hotels in operation and under development in the country.

In July 2018, the Casablanca Urban Agency (AUC) launched a call for tenders to select an investor for the renovation of the symbolic hotel.

According to the director of AUC, Groupe Realites (Realities Group), a French real estate company, won the rights to carry out the renovation work for a budget of about 150 million MAD ($16.24 million).

The renovations began in 2019 and are set to be completed in 2025.

Read also: Radisson Hotels Expands Presence in Morocco With Four New Hotels

“With the Lincoln [Hotel], Realties Group is safeguarding an icon of Moroccan heritage. The renovation will preserve the architectural bias of the building, highlighting the authenticity of the historical structure,” Realties Group said in a statement

“We want to offer a unique hotel offer in Casablanca, which is open to modernity, with a strong environmental approach,” the French group added.

The Lincoln Hotel, also known as the Bessonneau building, is set to be transformed into a five-star luxury hotel, with spaces for seminars, a rooftop, a fitness spa, two restaurants and a swimming pool.

Tarik Oualalou, the architect and founder of Realties Group, has a vision capable of bringing together the Group’s synergies, while preserving the historical city’s heritage, according to the group’s website.

Radisson Hotels is rapidly expanding its presence in Morocco, with the launching this year of four new luxury developments.

The US hotel chain describes the North African country as a “key focus market” in which it hopes to open many more locations with ambitious new goals.