kempinski hotel al houara-tangiers


Tangier Property

You would have probably seen the beautiful places and scenery when you spent your holidays to Morocco. The beauty of this country is truly undeniable, and one clear evidence of this fact is the increasing number of guests who are buying properties here. These guests have now made this country their second home. If you are also interested in buying a real estate property here, then you should definitely read the information below.


Al Houara is a spectacular, world-class Atlantic resort that blends Moroccan culture with European sophistication. The resorts range of residential and tourist real estate properties are located across key locations within attractive beach, Kasbah, golf course and forested areas. Insight Morocco are proud to present Phase 1 and 2 of this spectacular resort with residential properties to suit every taste and budget.


Property in Tangier

Al Houara lies on Morocco's lush Atlantic coast, nestled along 2.5 kilometres of stunning North African coastline stretching from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, with the towering Atlas Mountains only a few hours away. Al Houara is ideally located with the cities of Tangier and Asilah both under an hour's drive. The resort also has easy access to Tangier International Airport.

Phase 1 of Al Houara was launched in July 2007 and is located on the beachfront of the resort. Phase 2 will include Golf Villas & Apartments has just launched in June 2008. Subsequent phases include Forest Villas & Apartments and Kasbah Apartments.
Al Houara caters to exquisite taste, exuding a sense of timeless elegance. In Phase 1 choose from luxurious Beach Villas, enchanting Ocean View Palaces or spectacular Beach Apartments all of which benefit from panoramic views of the fantastic beachfront and Atlantic Ocean. The materials used throughout Al Houara are all of the highest quality and in sympathy with the surrounding habitat. Environmental sensitivity, attention to design and detail, and construction quality blend together harmoniously.
Click here to receive the Al Houara Property Brochure
GOLF APARTMENTS AND VILLAS
Insight Morocco are delighted to bring you the latest release of luxurious golf apartments in the unparalleled world class Al Houara Resort in Tangier, Morocco. This is a first stage pricing release for the golf apartments and only 20 properties are being launched at these prices.
Al Houara Al Houara Golf Apartments Property in Tangier
Golf Apartments - Prices from £120,000
Located in a fantastic setting with fabulous golf course views, these 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom apartments are very attractively priced for a resort of this quality and indeed compare very favourably with other property types within the development. These spacious apartments, starting from 96 sqm, also include outdoor terraces and underground parking.
Send me more information about this Tangier property and the latest prices and availability
Golf Villas - Prices from £615,000 - AUGUST PRICES NOW FROM £555,000!

GOLF VILLA PROMOTION AUGUST 2008
Insight Morocco are now offering 14 golf villas which have just been released at a 20% discount as a special summer promotion from the developer. All 14 golf villas on the VJ Singh 18 hole championship golf course will have unobstructed views of the course and lakes plus access to the clubhouse.
All villas have either 3 or 5 bedrooms (plus maid's room) with habitable areas of 252-352 sqm on plots spanning 601-822 sqm. All villas have a 2 car garage, a swimming pool and terraces. Access to Al Houara’s first class amenities are available, including the 5-Star Kempinski Spa hotel, Equestrian Centre and Moroccan Kasbah.
Send me more information about the Golf Villa Promotion and the latest prices and availability
Golf Villas Al Houara Al Houara Property in Tangier
Ocean View Palaces
Luxury oceanfront living is redefined in these 6 bedroom, Ocean View Palaces at the exclusive Al Houara Resort. Designed to accommodate a large family, staff and guests, your palace residence will befit your vision of the authentic royal Moroccan lifestyle.
Relax among the 1,844 square metres (19,850 square feet) of habitable space on 3 storeys centred around a traditional Moroccan courtyard. The residence’s sleeping quarters consist of 6 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms which include a generous master suite and secondary master bedroom. Two distinctly separate wings and a third level for library and kitchen areas. Fitness and Spa areas are additional benefits of this spacious palace. Staff quarters will accommodate house maids, driver and guard with sleeping and food preparation area. The palace unfolds to beautifully landscaped gardens and fountains which can be enjoyed from several exterior terraces, covered walkways and a private swimming pool with views to the Atlantic Ocean.
Architectural exteriors and interiors will blend together to reflect the ease and comfort of Moroccan living. The furnishing and interiors will be executed with an uncompromising commitment to quality and luxury. The use of traditional patterns, materials and colours represents the essence of a grand Moroccan palace. Timber ceilings, local tiles and Moroccan fountains reflect the luxurious lifestyle at Al Houara Resort. The palace comes fully furnished in a contemporary Moroccan style that reflects a sophisticated and discreet colour palette. The beautifully-designed collection includes details such as lanterns, handcrafted hardwood chairs and richly patterned ottomans.
Prices from £6.4 Million - Please contact us for prices and availability
Send me more information about this Tangier property and the latest prices and availability
Beach Villas
The villas lie along beautiful stretching arcs anchored by enchanting palaces, all benefiting from unobstructed panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and enjoying direct access to a pristine 2.5 Km beach.
Each private villa is a luxurious spacious and expertly crafted residence. The living areas are all wonderfully full of natural light. Each villa has multiple bedrooms wih en-suite bathrooms. The comfortable lifestyle is increased by fabulous walk in wardrobes. Each villa is centred around a traditonal Moroccan courtyard which features a swimming pool, verdant gardens and unfettered views of the Atlantic. All Villas come with parking and staff quarters.

The villas have been designed with family living and generous entertaining in mind. A truly wonderous abode for all the family.
There are 4 types of villas available with either 4 or 5 bedrooms.

Prices from £1.4 Million Please contact us for prices and availability
  
Beach Apartments
The beach apartments are situated in the most distinctive beachfront location of the Al Houara resort.
The apartments are influenced by classic Moroccan riad design and built around central courts featuring a garden of exotic Moroccan flora and an expansive swimming pool. Palm tree shaded terraces welcome quiet evening walks and social gatherings.
Each apartment comprises spacious and light filled living, kitchen and dining areas. All apartments feature master bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms while some offer additional house maid accommodation. The apartments encompass either one or two spacious exterior terraces with panoramic ocean views.
The apartments available include 1, 2 and 3 bedrooms with multiple choice of designs for the 2 and 3 bedroom units.

Prices from £140,000 Please contact us for prices and availability (Only 2 and 3 bedrooms available)
Send me more information about this Tangier property and the latest prices and availability
The Developer - Qatari Diar
Qatari Diar Morocco is a subsidiary of Qatari Diar, which is a wholly owned entity of the Qatar Investment Authority. Qatari Diar was established in December 2004 to support Qatar's growing economy and to coordinate the country's real estate development priorities. Qatari Diar is responsible for creating and coordinating financially sound property development opportunities that will generate sustainable and tangible socio-economic benefits. Qatari Diar's vision is to become the region's most trusted and effective real estate investment company by focusing its value proposition on the creation of quality, well-planned and desirable communities.
Payment Terms
In accordance with Moroccan law, there are 5 steps to securing ownership of a property at Al Houara:

1. Reserve a property with a refundable deposit of 50,000 Moroccan Dirhams (approx. €5,000/£3,300)
2. Formal reservation with a deposit of 20% of the purchase price (less the 50,000MD deposit) payable on signing.
3. Preliminary Sales Contract is signed with 30% payment of the purchase price due when the foundations are laid.
4. Intermediate Payment of 20% of the purchase price upon completion of the property's roof.
5. Final Sales Contract with remaining 30% payment of the purchase price payable upon final completion.
Mortgages are available -
Escrow and Bank Guarantee

Qatari Diar strives to offer the highest level of buyer protection as possible, either placing all payments in escrow or offering a bank guarantee with every real estate purchase to back up its construction and delivery promise to every buyer. The bank guarantee will be provided through a respectable Moroccan bank upon signature of a Preliminary Sales Contract. Should the developer default on its promise to deliver a buyer’s property for any reason, all capital payments held in escrow or secured by a bank guarantee will be returned in full to the buyer (less any bank charges).

Buyer Options
Properties in Al Houara are offered on two different terms: Personal Use, Rental and Exchange (PURE) and Private Use.

Personal Use, Rental and Exchange Option - PURE

Under this option, properties are sold on the basis of resort leaseback schemes found at select luxury resorts in Europe. Owners reserve time throughout each year for personal use at the resort or at other affiliated global resorts and hand over the rest of the time to be professionally managed and rented. All properties are furnished to match the design aesthetic and high quality standards of Al Houara.

Private Use Option

Some select properties will not be sold as PURE to allow the owners to use their property for private use and not for commercial use. Private owners can opt for limited Club Diar concierge services, but will not enjoy the commercial or travel opportunities of full Diar Club membership.
Diar Club
All residences in Al Houara come affiliated to a distinctive and exclusive private members club, the Diar Club. Membership with the Diar Club brings an array of services and facilities exclusively to owners of Qatari Diar's luxury real estate communities around the world and as an owner at the prestigious Al Houara resort, you automatically qualify for membership.
Diar Club 'Investor' membership is for owners who wish to derive rental income from their property, whilst at the same time having access to their villa or apartment in selected periods of the year for personal use. For 'Investor' members your villa or apartment will be maintained to the finest detail - from the highest quality furnishings sourced by the Diar Club to hospitality services such as cleaning, linen change and any necessary property maintenance. At every visit, you'll also enjoy private limousine transfers from Tangier airport to and from your residence.
Through the Diar Club 'Investor' level membership, you can exchange holiday time in your Al Houara residence with 'Investor' members in other Qatari Diar communities, giving you the chance to experience the same levels of comfort and luxury at other locations. You get to travel the world on your terms, enjoying many beautiful and exotic locations through the Diar Club's perfect mix of hand picked properties around the globe.


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The Moroccan economy is generally diverse but very fragile. About 40% of Moroccans cannot read or write, and the country has high levels of extreme poverty and health care deprivation. Morocco also has a high level of economic inequality. The unemployment rates under the highly educated as well as the unskilled are very high and cause consistent social unrest in many cities and villages. In 2011, the UN's Human Development Index ranked Morocco as the 130th most developed country in the world.
Almost all Moroccans speak Berber, Moroccan Arabic or French as mother tongues. Arabic, sometimes considered as a variety of Moroccan Arabic, is spoken in the southern provinces (Western Sahara) in the country by a small population.

Currency of Morocco.. Dirham

Morocco, Dirham

The Moroccan Dirham is the currency of Morocco. Our currency rankings show that the most popular Morocco Dirham exchange rate is the MAD to EUR rate. The currency code for Dirhams is MAD. Below, you'll find Moroccan Dirham rates and a currency converter. You can also subscribe to our currency newsletters with daily rates and analysis, read Moroccan Dirham News, or take MAD rates on the go with our XE Currency Apps and website.

Top MAD Cross Rates


Top MAD Cross Rates



 Currency 
The official currency of Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham, denoted as MAD or Dhs. The Moroccan Dirham is composed of 100 centimes; notes are available in denominations of (Dhs) 200, 100, 50, 20 and (very rarely now) 10 and coins are available in denominations of (Dhs) 10, 5, 2 and 1, or 50, 20, 10 and 5 centimes. Travellers should be aware that there are 4 types of 5 Dirham coin in circulation.New 50Dh note
 Old but still used 100Dh note
The Dirham is officially designated as a closed currency meaning it can only be traded within Morocco , however, Dirhams are being sold and bought in travel agencies and at major airports in several countries (notably the UK). The import and export of the currency is tolerated up to a limit of 1000DH. Currency purchased during a visit to Morocco should be converted back before departing the country, with the exception of the 1000Dh level. Travellers should be advised to keep the receipts of currency exchange, as these will be required for the conversion of Dirham back to foreign currency prior to departure. You can change as many Dirhams as you have left.  At Marrakech airport the exchange rate is very similar to that in the town centre, so there is not much loss in waiting to the last minute to change your remaining Dirhams. 



In Casablanca airport some of the snacks downstairs and the eatery on the main concourse in the departure lounge now accept Dirhams as do some outlets in Marrakech airport though duty free shops will not accept Dirhams at any airport in Morocco.



Most of the main foreign currencies may be exchanged at a Bureau de Change in the airport or port upon arrival, at a bank and in most hotels although smaller hotels in more remote areas may not be able to exchange large amounts at one time without prior notice.



Most hotels will exchange at the same rate as banks and without charging commission. Exchanging money in the street is illegal, so travellers should look for an official Bureaux de Change which is identifiable by a golden sign.



When bringing paper currency into Morocco (U.S. Dollars, British Pounds, Euros etc.), these must be in good condition--no tears or ink marks. Do not bring Scottish or Irish Sterling notes as they are impossible to cash  as are Australian and New Zealand notes.  Beware of bringing in brand new designs of banknotes, for example when the Bank of England introduced the new 'Adam Smith' £20 note in March 2007, the Moroccan banks would not change them as their records only showed the older, and at that time still legal, 'Sir Edward Elgar' £20 notes.



Don't bring coins in your currency to use as tips as they are hard for the locals to exchange and they get a very poor rate of exchange so have to pester other tourists to try and change them.



Some shops, Riads/hotels and especially restaurants quote prices in Euros and Dirhams; in the days where there were 10 dirhams to the euro it made conversion easy, now 1€ (Euro) is approx. equivalent to 11Dh but some traders still prefer to use the rate of ten to one which means you are slightly overcharged. If your Riad or hotel has only quoted in Euros (many do to make it easier for guests to understand) ask for the price in Dirhams so you can pay in the local currency. Current exchange rates can be checked at http://www.xe.com/ucc



Please remember that the rates provided by xe.com are for wholesale transfers but are generally close to the exact rates of exchange found in Morocco. 



Credit Cards



Most credit cards are accepted (especially Visa, MasterCard), although surcharges will likely apply as the cost of credit card processing in Morocco is fairly expensive for businesses. Do be aware that only a relatively small amount of businesses in Morocco have the ability to accept credit cards, although the number is growing slowly.



Advise your bank or card issuer that you intend to travel abroad so that no block will be put on the usage of your credit or ATM cards. Notify the issuer and give them a 'phone number where you can be contacted abroad.



Before travelling, ensure you make a note of all credit card numbers and associated contact numbers for card issuers in case of difficulty. The numbers are usually free to call as you can reverse the charges, make it clear to the operator at your hotel, riad etc that you wish the call charge to be reversed. Preferably get a pre-paid card, with good exchange rates and low withdrawal fees eg fairFX.



When making payments with a credit card, for example at a hotel for services, it is vital to memorise the PIN as signatures in many instances are no longer accepted, however certain establishments such as restaurants may still use the old method of signing.



Many people now use a prepaid FairFX or Caxton card. Theses offer good exchange rates, are safe and money is protected if the card gets lost or stolen. These are accepted in Moroccan ATMs anywhere you see the Mastercard logo and in some shops too.



ATMs can now be found in abundance in most towns and accept Visa, Maestro, Cirrus etc but these will usually incur charges of around 5%. You should check with your bank as charges for using ATMs abroad may make exchanging cash a better option.



Popular destinations such as Tangier, Marrakech, Agadir etc have ATM's in large tourist international hotels as well as on all main roads. The medina of Marrakech has in excess of 20 ATMs. 



Using a credit card (VISA etc) to obtain money from ATM's is also possible but one must remember that interest is charged from the moment money is dispensed. The normal practice of an interest-free period which applies to purchases, typically over 50 days, made on the card does NOT apply to cash withdrawals. Banks will allow cheques to be cashed but must be supported by a guarantee card.



ATMs generally dispense only 100 and 200 dirham notes so getting change for small everyday purchases like water, taxis etc can be a challenge. At weekends you may have difficulty acquiring cash as machines are not generally restocked until the following Monday. Sometimes your card may work in some machines and not others, or may support smaller withdrawals rather than larger ones, and may work at some times and not others. You should ensure you have a backup means of funding your visit. ATMs usually dispense a maximum of 2000Dh but other limits may apply dependent on your bank.



Be prepared for a complete meltdown of ALL the ATMs in Essaouira which may be working fine the following day.



Travellers Cheques



It is advisable not to take travellers cheques as it is very difficult to find a bank that will cash them and although some hotels may still cash these, the commission rates are high. If you do take them, take larger value denominations to reduce the commission as this is charged per cheque.



TCs are becoming less popular in North Africa and Middle Eastern countries such as Tunisia and Egypt .











Possibly an Interesting Little Fact



In markets, currency can be referred to in three different ways.  For ten dirhams, a trader may shout:



"dix dirhams" or "achra dirham" (ten dirhams)



or



"alf franc" (one thousand francs=1000 centimes=10 dirhams)



or 



"miateen d'rial"( 200 rials [one rial = 5 centimes] = 10 dirhams)



 Prices in local shops (such as small supermarkets) may also not be calculated in Dirham, but in alf franc.