NEW YORK— The Marrakech Hotel here is in the midst of a multi-million dollar facelift designed to make it a chic hotel with a Moroccan flavor. “We wanted something different from the other boutique hotels in New York and felt the Moroccan theme was a distinct, yet nice and warm look,” said Hank Freid, president/CEO of Impulsive Group, the developer and owner. The 125-room hotel is operating during the refurbishment, which should be completed within the next few months, he noted. “In the tradition of the Moroccan culture, there is a strong sense of hospitality and providing the guest with a warm, inviting atmosphere, which is the idea of a hotel. You’re inviting people into your space,” said Lionel Ohayon, partner at Icrave Design Studio, the New York firm that is directing the refurbishment of the Marrakech. “The outside of the hotel doesn’t reflect what’s inside,” Freid said. “When people enter, they spin around three or four times and are very surprised at what they find.” “It’s sultry, seductive, calming, like you’ve left New York and are entering another environment,” Ohayon said. “The materials are very rich and we used a lot of tile so it’s very Moroccan,” he continued. “There is a dark blue tile on the staircase at the entrance and a custom carpet runner in a traditional Moroccan motif.” Ironwork on the railing also lends a Morrocan touch as does the lighting, which includes candelabra and down lights with rose colored filters, and the Moroccan tile floor. Within the lobby, the Moroccan decor projects “a sense of community. With the textures, the materials, the sounds, it’s not your common hotel arrival space,” Ohayon said. The front desk has a glass tile front and black granite top. “It’s very beautiful,” he said. The “salon arabe” seating consists of banquettes next to the windows and opposite them are small cocktail tables and upholstered seats. “It’s a casual atmosphere. There are not separate seating areas so people can lounge around and interact,” Ohayon said. The European walnut used for the panelized walls and around the bar conveys a warm image as does the fireplace within the lobby, the designer noted. “The music in the lobby is casual, soft and sexy,” he added. There is also a 42-inch plasma television for entertainment. The artwork in the hotel reinforces the Moroccan theme and includes color photos of Moroccan landscapes. The photos are backlit and appear along the lobby stairway and in the guestrooms. In the guestrooms, “we have a ceiling fan with a light fixture for a Moroccan look and a black ebony headboard,” Freid said. A rust-colored acrylic paint covers the wall behind the headboard, he noted, “and some guestrooms have exposed brick walls for a Soho, loft feel.” The guestroom carpet is in brown to complement the walls. The Moroccan concept is carried into the guest bathroom, which has a rust-colored tile floor with a border in rust and blue, and a shower curtain “that is almost like a piece of art,” Freid said. “It’s very bright and Moroccan looking with rust and brown stripes.” “We’re updating the shower rods and replacing them with curved rods for additional space,” he added. Televisions will be also be upgraded and replaced with flat-screen models, he noted. From the doormen, who will be attired all in black, to the Moroccan décor in the lobby and guestrooms, the Marrakech will give a “very cool, downtown impression” when it is finished, but at the same time it will be comfortable and inviting, according to Freid, who has owned the property since 1984. “It will have the looks of an expensive hotel but without the high rates,” he said. The hotel’s current rate of $119 a night will increase when the work is completed but will remain reasonable in an effort to continue to appeal to its clientele, which includes the under-35, international traveler.
