L'Iglesia El Jadida

The port city of El Jadida, an hour’s drive down the Moroccan coast from Casablanca or a three-hour journey north of Marrakech, is famous for one feature only: Cité Portugaise, the 16th-century Portuguese fortified city of Mazagan. If you’re making the detour to see it, why settle for less than a hotel like L’Iglesia El Jadida, easily one of the most atmospheric lodgings in town?

Located, as the name suggests, inside a restored Catholic church, the fourteen-room boutique hotel is positioned right beside the ramparts of the old city. Like the destination itself, L’Iglesia El Jadida’s design is a mix of Portuguese and Moroccan traditions: smooth blue and white tile and elegant chandeliers, like you’d find at a B&B in Lisbon, alongside rich color and pattern, carved wooden lattices, arched doorways, and stucco walls, as you’d find anywhere else in Morocco. Most guest rooms and suites are located inside the old convent, but a handful are in a newer annex that once housed the American consulate. All have high ceilings and wrought-iron beds, and each one is individually decorated with antiques picked up at shops and bazaars all over the country.

Downstairs, sip your mint tea in the former nave of the church, an airy space that’s been transformed into lounge space, or linger over lunch or drinks with ocean views at Café do Mar. Perhaps even more appealing is dinner at L’Iglesia’s restaurant, where a range of North African cuisines are served in a charmingly old-world setting filled with antique mirrors and heavy porcelain dishes in wooden cabinets.

Booking Details: L'Iglesia El Jadida requires additional information from guests to ensure the best stay possible. As such, reservations can only be confirmed through our customer service team. Contact us for assistance. Rates begin at 1400 MAD per night.