This hotel, perched on a red dirt bluff, abutting a large military station on the edge of a smart suburb, is a lonely silhouette in this almost treeless location. The Hilton stands at the top of Rabat's brand-name pack, unchallenged even by the fine, more centrally located La Tour Hassan Meridien. Here, dining, service, accommodations, recreation and, of course, meetings are all represented by the finest this bureaucratic city can muster. But guests pay some of the steepest rates in the country for all of this luxury and the more conspicuous location.
The sprawling marble lobby is an international showcase, where a sleek European-style reception area and an adjacent lounge furnished with classic Continental furnishings melt in to a stunning Moroccan patio cafe appointed with comfortable garden furniture and embellished with colorful geometric zellij mosaics and carved stucco.
A bakery fills the
lobby with a delicious fragrance each morning. Dining here has never been better: A lavish Moroccan room, replete with exotic entertainment, sates local tastes, and Lebanese, Spanish and Italian places supply flavors of their respective regions. The pizza and the pasta from the last are served poolside or in the more formal Scalini. Dining on the various patios or by the pool includes barbecue fare and Continental sandwiches. Despite religious edicts, wine and whiskey flow like water in all three lounges. A pianist entertains in the main bar, where live jazz echoes through this marble hotel each weekend.
The much-improved fitness center enjoys a large local following. In-house guests have free use of all of the facilities, including the butterfly-shape heated pool, gym, pair of saunas, whirlpool, four tennis courts (two clay), squash court, aerobics classes and jogging track. The formal gardens, demonstrating notable inspiration from Granada's Alhambra Palace, are worth a stroll. Kids enjoy a private club during the summer 
months. Golf is available nearby, and the extensive gallery of elegant and elaborate boutiques proffers some unique merchandise.
The meeting space, with a capacity of 1100, is among the most extensive in the country. The hotel also has valet parking, child care, business services, and a courtesy car to the golf club.
Wide, traditionally appointed hallways show bright carpeting, and maple-veneer doors with keycard locks protect each room. The guest quarters display expensive, high-quality marquetry desks, bureaus, nightstands and intricately inlaid headboards, but fabrics are a disappointment in all but the Executive rooms. The roomy sitting areas are furnished with stylized Empire armchairs, and the lamps complement the look, each embellished with smiling sphinxes. Floor-to-ceiling windows contribute to the fine medina views and natural lighting. The three phones, concealed minibars, TVs, wireless high-speed 
Internet (for a fee), big firm beds, safes, thermostats and updated fire-safety equipment contribute to these modern digs. The beautiful marble baths have phones, bidets, scales and plenty of towels. Cheap plastic furniture on each balcony is a disappointment, but guests on the Executive level benefit from complimentary breakfast and evening snacks in addition to robes, slippers and turndown service.
The able, multilingual staff helps to keep this brash modern palace at the top of the ranks in bustling Rabat. Most pets are not allowed, and room service operates at all hours of the schedule. Housekeeping does meticulous work, but still, upgrades to the furnishings are needed in the most affordable rooms to bring them up to speed. Although often overpriced and out of the way for business guests, it serves as the primary address for diplomats and foreign visitors to this buzzing North African capital.
