The Spanish coastline will be part of the outlook at Four Seasons Resort Tangier, a planned cliffside retreat on Morocco’s northern coast. Overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, the resort will bring 27 standalone villas and more than 260 metres of waterfront to Cap Malabata, with Tangier’s souks and coastline within easy reach.
Four Seasons and developer Royal Resort Cap Malabata announced the resort on 8 October. It’s planned for Cap Malabata, a coastal district of Tangier overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. Royal Resort Cap Malabata is a luxury development company backed by GFH.
An opening date and investment figure have yet to be announced.
Overlooking the Strait
The waterfront is central to the plans, with pools and lounging areas overlooking the Strait. Four Seasons describes a cliffside setting with panoramic views across the water, placing the coastline at the heart of the resort’s design.
Abdulwahed Al Kooheji, chief executive of Royal Resort Cap Malabata, put the case for the city plainly: “Tangier’s strategic location, rich cultural heritage, and exceptional waterfront setting make it an ideal destination for this landmark project.”
Four Seasons says the design will reflect Tangier’s character and the natural beauty and heritage of northern Morocco. The intention is a coastal retreat with access to the city, rather than a setting defined by sea views alone.
Standalone villas and coastal design
The resort will have 99 rooms and suites in total, including 27 standalone villas. Those villas account for more than a quarter of the accommodation, making them a substantial part of the plans rather than a small addition to the main hotel.
Arjitec will lead the design, with interiors by Goddard Littlefair. Four Seasons describes a retreat that celebrates northern Morocco’s natural beauty and heritage, although the announcement gives no specifics on materials or the interiors of the rooms and villas.
Alongside the pools and waterfront lounging areas, plans include a full-service spa and fitness centre. Four signature dining venues will serve local and international flavours; individual restaurant concepts and menus have not been detailed in the announcement.
The Kids For All Seasons programme will cater to families, while indoor and outdoor venues with panoramic waterfront views are planned for celebrations, meetings and other events.
Getting there
Four Seasons puts the resort approximately 15 minutes from Tangier’s high-speed train station and 45 minutes from Tangier Ibn Battouta Airport. The rail connection will also be useful for travellers combining Tangier with other stops in Morocco.
A Moroccan Four Seasons trail
Tangier will be the brand’s fourth address in Morocco, joining Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca, Four Seasons Resort Marrakech and Four Seasons Hotel Rabat at Kasr Al Bahr. Ricardo Suarez, Four Seasons’ group head of development, called Tangier “one of the region’s most compelling destinations”.
The Tangier resort will add a northern coastal stay to that collection, broadening the options for travellers combining more than one Four Seasons property in Morocco once it opens.
Tangier’s luxury moment
The announcement is part of a wider expansion of Tangier’s high-end hotel offering, with Waldorf Astoria and Sofitel projects also planned for the city.
Hilton signed Morocco’s first Waldorf Astoria here in 2022. The Waldorf Astoria Tanger is expected to open in 2028 near the Cape Spartel Reserve, northwest of the city, with 115 rooms and suites (21 of them villas) and a 3,000-square-metre spa. It sits on the opposite side of Tangier from Cap Malabata, so the two will offer quite different takes on the city’s coastline.
In April this year, Accor and Moroccan hotel group Risma also announced a Sofitel Tangier on the city’s new corniche, again with panoramic views over the Strait.
The projects come against a backdrop of growth in Moroccan tourism. Morocco welcomed 19.8 million visitors in 2025, up 14% on the year before and 53% above 2019, according to the country’s tourism ministry, and tourism receipts climbed 21% to 138 billion dirhams. In Tangier, overnight stays in the city’s classified hotels and tourist accommodation rose 10% in the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period last year.
For travellers, these projects point to a broader choice of high-end stays around Tangier. The Four Seasons plans are distinguished by their 27 standalone villas and Cap Malabata waterfront setting.
Opening plans
Four Seasons has not announced an opening date. For now, the resort remains a future option rather than a stay travellers can plan around.
The announced details establish its focus: standalone villas, waterfront spaces and views towards Spain, with access to Tangier beyond the resort. How the architecture, interiors and dining will interpret that setting remains to be revealed.
