Barceló Anfa Casablanca
by the TopOfHotel team
Barceló Anfa is the newest 5-star for travelers who want quiet over the downtown buzz but still reach everything easily — modern rooms, a new spa, and a good-looking bar, at a price you can actually justify.
Barceló Anfa is the newest 5-star for travelers who want quiet over the downtown buzz but still reach everything easily — modern rooms, a new spa, and a good-looking bar, at a price you can actually justify.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a 5-star where the building is still brand new — warm wood notes, soft lighting. That's the feel at Barceló Anfa Casablanca, the Spanish Barceló chain's newest and most current property in the city, open since 2018. The modern brown-and-gold exterior keeps its lines clean and uncluttered, and inside there are 197 rooms and suites in warm tones — soft beds, crisp linens, a desk by the window, a small sofa in the corner, and a dark-tile bathroom that reads grown-up rather than flashy. Many rooms have a small balcony over the turquoise pool below or the white villas of Anfa running off into the distance. If you like soft-modern over loud luxury, this lands well — the place doesn't shout that it's upscale, it just lets you notice that everything was thought through and still feels new in every corner.
Food and amenities
The heart of a stay here is the second-floor terrace around the outdoor pool, designed as a quiet oasis in the middle of an upscale residential district. The pool isn't huge but it's the right size, its edge lined with loungers and cabanas where you can nurse a drink all afternoon. In the late-day light, reviewers keep calling it the trip's go-to photo spot. The main restaurant, El Bistró, runs a breakfast and dinner buffet of Mediterranean-Moroccan food — the dishes guests mention most are fresh egg-white omelets, grilled sausage, pastries, and a Moroccan corner with mint tea and chebakia. The brand-new U-Spa is the other big draw: a traditional Moroccan hammam with a black-soap scrub, massage rooms, a sauna, and a jacuzzi, with a team many reviews call skilled and warm and rooms that feel box-fresh. Cap it with the wide terrace bar that looks great after dark — Moroccan wine or a cocktail under warm light — and a 24-hour gym with full, new-looking kit.
Location and getting there
The other pull here is the Anfa location on the west side of Casablanca, the upscale quarter locals have called the moneyed side of town since the colonial era — wide streets, rows of palms, art-deco and modern homes running all the way to Casa Finance City, the city's new office district. It's about 10 minutes by car to the Centre Ville business district, with its restaurants, the Morocco Mall, and the Quartier Habous market, and the world-famous seafront Hassan II Mosque is roughly 15 minutes away. For rail, Casa-Port station — your link to Rabat and Marrakech — is also about 15 minutes out. From Mohammed V International Airport (CMN) it's around 35-40 minutes by car, or take the airport train to Casa-Port and grab a taxi. The short version: this suits travelers who want a quiet base away from the noise but still easy reach to every part of the city — it's not a spot for wandering out on foot straight from the door.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide — the biggest thing to weigh is the location. Anfa is calm and leafy, but it isn't downtown and you can't walk to the major sights. If you mean to shop Centre Ville or visit the Hassan II Mosque every day, budget for taxis or a rental car for the whole trip. The fare into town isn't steep (a red Petit Taxi runs about 30-50 dirhams, roughly $3-5), but it stacks up day by day. The other recurring note in reviews is the breakfast buffet — varied for the first few mornings, but some guests staying past three nights felt the menu repeats and wanted more genuinely local Moroccan dishes. On the rooms: the entry-level categories are more compact than you'd expect from a 5-star, so if you're staying several nights with big luggage, an upgrade to a higher tier or a suite gives you more room to relax. And the rooms facing the main road on one side can catch morning traffic noise — if you're a light sleeper, ask the front desk for a pool-facing room up front. Beyond that it's a well-run hotel with few service complaints dragging its score down.
Our take
From reading the real reviews and weighing the details, Barceló Anfa Casablanca is the 5-star pick for travelers who want new, quiet, and a price they can justify in Casablanca. If your mental image is staying in an upscale residential quarter, starting the day in the outdoor pool, dropping into the Moroccan hammam for a scrub, then cabbing out to the Hassan II Mosque in the evening, this checks nearly every box. If the whole point of your trip is walking to the sights without getting in a car, or you want over-the-top luxury from a global flagship brand, the soft-modern style and out-of-center location here may not be your fit. Overall we give it 8.7/10 — best for couples after a quiet, romantic feel, business travelers flying in for meetings in Casa Finance City, and small families who want an easy stay in a newer hotel that isn't overrun with tourists.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The newest Barceló property in Casablanca, open since 2018, so everything still looks fresh and modern — no musty smell or worn furniture to worry about.
- The Anfa location is the upscale residential quarter on the west side: wide streets, palm shade, and a calm that's a clear break from the crush of the downtown business district.
- The outdoor pool is a good size, ringed with loungers and cabanas, and several reviews call the second-floor terrace the perfect spot to settle in for an afternoon, especially in good weather.
- The brand-new U-Spa has a traditional Moroccan hammam with a black-soap scrub, quiet treatment rooms, and a team reviewers praise as skilled and warm.
- Staff speak French, English, and Arabic, and a lot of guests note how friendly and helpful they are — happy to recommend a restaurant or a sight without being asked twice.
- It isn't central. If you plan to walk the shops in Centre Ville or visit the Hassan II Mosque every day, budget for taxis or a rental car for the whole trip — a red Petit Taxi into town runs only about 30-50 dirhams (roughly $3-5), but it adds up day after day.
- The breakfast buffet is varied at first, but several reviewers staying more than three nights found the menu repeats itself and wished for more genuinely local Moroccan dishes.
- Some rooms facing the main road pick up morning traffic noise, and the entry-level room categories are more compact than you'd expect from a 5-star — worth an upgrade if you're staying several nights with big luggage.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Casablanca
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Insider Tips
- Ask for a room facing the pool side — you get the open view and it's quieter than the street side. Just request it when booking or at check-in.
- Book your U-Spa treatment ahead, especially the traditional Moroccan hammam, which fills up in the evenings and on weekends.
- If you'll head into town often, have the front desk flag down a red Petit Taxi for you — the metered fare is fairer than the cars waiting out front, which sometimes quote a flat, inflated price.