Starwood Hotels & Resorts will launch its W brand in Marrakech, Morocco, in 2017 in the Hivernage district of the city.

The hotel will be called W Marrakech and will be owned by Morocco-based Menatlas 14 S.A. – a company that operates within a global investment fund launched to take advantage of the many opportunities which have arisen in the Kingdom over the past few years. The fund has successfully developed a diverse portfolio of operations involved in hospitality, infrastructure and cultural projects.

The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) was held in Marrakech, Morocco last month, highlighting the future spa and wellness possibilities on the African continent. Senior decision-makers from across the world of spa attended the invitation-only event and were welcomed by Moroccan tourism minister Dr Lahcen Haddad, who reiterated the Moroccan government's aim to double the number of tourism arrivals (recorded in 2010) by the year 2020 – with wellness tourism representing a significant part of this projected influx.

“The signing of this landmark W project in Marrakech underscores our continued commitment to grow our portfolio of luxury brands in primary markets and emerging destinations,” said Bart Carnahan, senior vice president of acquisitions & development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The 148-bedroom W Hotel will feature a signature Away Spa, the details of which have yet to be announced. Other amenities will include an all-day dining venue, a destination bar, an outdoor bar, a FIT gym, a 24-hour business centre and an outdoor pool deck. The hotel will comprise more than 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft) of meeting and event space, including a ballroom.

Interiors of the new-build project will be designed by GA Design International, which also delivered Starwood hotels including W Taipei and The St. Regis Osaka.

“We believe that W Hotels, with its outstanding international reputation as an innovative luxury lifestyle brand, will reinforce Marrakech’s position as a world-class destination for global jetsetters,” said Kamran Pahlavi, head of Menatlas 14 S.A.

The hotel will be located between the historic Medina quarter and Guéliz, the city’s modern new town. It will be a 15-minute drive to Marrakech Menara Airport.

Menatlas 14 S.A. is currently developing other projects in Morocco such as Les Terasses de La Menara, a mixed-use development, the Tangiers Hotel Spa & Apartments in Ghandouri – Tangier’s new tourist zone.

44 W-branded hotels and retreats are open currently, which means that the brand is on track to reach more than 60 hotels globally by 2018.