Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces signed a management contract with JK Hotels, a private Moroccan company, to operate Taj Palace Marrakech.

The hotel is set to launch in autumn 2011. The opening will increase Taj’s international portfolio to 17 hotels, including the Taj Cape Town, which opened in 2010. The Marrakech property has 161 guestrooms, including 25 Grand Suites and one Royal Suite. The hotel is designed to offer top-tier luxury, with panoramic views of the Atlas Mountains and palm gardens of the lush Palmeraie district.

American designer Stuart Church, known as an Orientalist, is responsible for the interiors and architectural design, which reflects the ornate traditional styles of Morocco. The rooms take on a diverse style, drawing inspiration from the aristocratic Berber Kasbahs of Morocco, as well as from Ottoman architecture, and other Oriental and Indian influences.

Taj Palace Marrakech will feature several restaurants and bars serving a range of cuisine from Moroccan specialties to the flavors of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. The hotel will also have a 40,000-square-feet Jiva Grande Spa, with 14 treatment rooms for Ayurveda and other India and African-inspired treatments, two large hammams and a state-of-the-art fitness center with Technogym equipment.

Both Arab and African, Marrakech is the heartbeat of Morocco, where palaces and monuments sit alongside Gnaoua drums pulsing constantly from the Jemaah el Fna Square -- one of the most lively marketplaces in the world. The hotel will be located at the foothills of the majestic Atlas Mountains, where guests can explore Moroccan villages, different cultures and the scenic valleys. Marrakech is easily accessible from all major international locations and Taj Palace Marrakech is located just 30 minutes from the international airport.

Established in 1903, Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces is one of Asia's largest hotel groups of hotels, comprising 92 hotels in 53 locations across India with an additional 17 international hotels in the Maldives, Malaysia, Australia, the U.K., the U.S., Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.tajhotels.com