Jamai Palace
The Jamai Palace, also known as the Dar Jama'i or the Palais Jamaï, is a historic late 19th-century mansion near Bab Guissa in Fes el-Bali in Fes, Morocco. It was converted to a luxury hotel in 1919, which closed in 2014. It is set to reopen in 2026, following major renovations.
History
The oldest pavilion of the building was begun in 1879 as the residence of, who, along with his brother, was one of the Grand Viziers of the 'Alawi sultan Moulay Hassan. The same family also built and owned the Dar Jamai in Meknes, built around the same time. Upon the ascension of Sultan Abdelaziz and his Grand Vizier Ba Ahmed in 1894, the Jamai family lost favour with the court, some of its members were arrested, and its property was seized by the state.In 1927 the palace was expanded by architect Edmond Gourdain, and in 1929 it was purchased by the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique who transformed it into a hotel for their North African tours. When the company ran into troubles, the hotel was purchased by the Compagnie des chemins de fer du Maroc (ONCF). In the early 1970s, a major new wing, five stories tall, was added. In 1998 the Accor group assumed management of the hotel, which was renovated and reopened it as part of the Sofitel chain. The hotel closed in 2014.