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Magical Marrakech demands a certain amount of energy. So a
home base that evokes tranquility and relaxation is a welcome counter-
point to the city’s sometimes frenetic vibe. Thankfully, there’s the
Palmeraie Resort, a place that caters to a vacationer’s every desire
within its gates. The city within a city holds a luxurious spa, a range of
restaurants, a 27-hole golf course, and a host of other amenities all con-
nected by palm-lined pathways and fragrant gardens.
And thanks to Casablanca-based Palmeraie Developpement —
there’s a timeshare component, providing yet another avenue to
experience everything the area has to offer. From delightful weather,
to proximity to the Atlas Mountains, to the mystique of the Red City, it
has all the modern comforts of a made-for-leisure vacation home.
Experience-Based Business
“We wanted to provide our customers with an alternative to real estate
and hotels,” says Makram Bouthaaleb, sales and marketing director for
Palm World Vacation, Palmeraie Developpement’s newly launched
timeshare brand. “This is the perfect product between them.”
Palm World Vacation may have just launched this year, but the par-
ent company is anything but a novice to the world of real estate and
hospitality. The well-established B Group was founded in 1962 by
Abdelali Berrada Sounni, as a manufacturer and distributor of leather
goods and home fabrics. The company continued to diversify and
develop expertise and growth in the area of luxury Moroccan hospitality
and real estate in both residential and second-home markets.
In 2014, B Group restructured, forming two separate arms:
Palmeraie Industries and Services, and Palmeraie Developpement,
which runs the real estate, hospitality, and leisure businesses. Today,
the company employs 1,500 and is headed by Sounni’s son, Hicham
Berrada Sounni.
RESORTDEVELOPER.COM
vacation industry review
JULY – SEPTEMBER 2015
PALMWORLD VACATION
By Betsy Sheldon
44
Exotic Meets
Modern in a Moroccan
City Within a City
Enveloped in seductive charms, Morocco’s fabled Marrakech has a well-deserved reputation as an
exotic destination, a place of serpentine paths weaving through the mysterious
medina
(old town);
of lively squares filled with fire eaters, henna-tattooists, and entertainers; of merchants calling out
from a dimly lit
souk
(market) brightened by fluttering fabrics and spices in paint box colors.