The Hyatt Place hotel brand has made its long-awaited entrance into the African market with the launch of the 152-bedroom Hyatt Place Taghazout Bay in Morocco.

Designed by Moroccan firm Karim Chakor Architecte, the 152-bed hotel is located 10 miles (17 kilometers) north of the Moroccan coastal town of Agadir.

Hyatt Place Taghazout Bay is part of Morocco’s Taghazout Bay Resort, a sustainable development in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains overlooking the Atlantic coastline.

With investment exceeding US$1bn, when it's completed in 2020, the Taghazout Bay Resort will have nine new-build hotels and a range of tourist residences providing 7,450 tourist beds, as well as world-class sports and leisure facilities.

“Bringing a brand into a new market is always exciting, but in particular in Africa where we are planning on doubling the number of properties on the continent over the next three years, by adding four further properties to our existing four hotels,” said Peter Fulton, group president for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Southwest Asia, Hyatt.

The resort offers an on-site surf camp, tennis club and new 18-hole golf course designed by architect Kyle Philips, as well as two outdoor pools and the six-treatment room Asenfo Spa.

Hang-gliding, hiking and mountain biking will also be available.

Inspired by the Berber word for relaxation, the design of the Asenfo spa is inspired by Arab-Andalusian-Berber traditions, and includes a hammam and ocean views from most of the treatment rooms. It also has a steamroom, sauna, Jacuzzi and gym. The spa is operated by Hyatt Place.

Hyatt Place brand is on a fast track expansion outside the United States and has opened a number of properties over the past 18 months, including Hyatt Place Amsterdam Airport and Hyatt Place Pune/Hinjewadi. The London Hyatt Place Heathrow/Hayes will open later this year.

The development of Taghazout Bay, which is being managed by the Société d’Aménagement et de Promotion de la Station de Taghazout (SAPST), is part of Morocco's national Vision 2020 strategy for developing tourism infrastructure and revenue for the north African nation.

With its rich coastline and natural environment, Taghazout Bay offers tourists experiences focused on the sea, culture, sports, nature and eco-tourism.

SAPST, which was established in 2011, is committed to sustainable development, with the design of all buildings being sensitive to the preservation of natural resources and the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities.

SAPST is a limited liability company registered with a capital of one hundred million Dirhams (MAD 100,000,000) and owned by five Moroccan shareholders: CDG Développement (35per cent); the Moroccan Fund for Tourism Development (25per cent); Alliances Développement Immobilier (20per cent); Sud Partners [a consortium with Akwa Group] (15per cent); and the Moroccan Tourism Engineering Company (5per cent).