Au Coin de France
Au Coin de France was a boutique hotel and restaurant whose name encapsulated the idea of Ifrane in the Protectorate era (1911-1956). A ‘corner of France’ in the Atlas mountains, Ifrane was designed to meet the needs and expectations of its French colonial inhabitants.
Ifrane est certainement le site le plus agréable de toute l’Afrique du Nord. C’est un coin de France vraiment délicieux.
L’Afrique du Nord Illustré (5 Juillet 1930), p.5.
Ifrane, a colonial village
Construction of the town of Ifrane began in late 1928.1 Seventeen years earlier, the French had established a protectorate in what they called “L’Empire Chérifien”, comprising a large portion of what we know today as Morocco. Ifrane represented a new phase of that colonial project in that it was built as a vacation spot, which was intended from the outset to meet the needs of French settlers, colonial officials, and tourists. Already by 1930, the weekly magazine L’Afrique du Nord Illustrée called Ifrane “a truly delicious corner of France (un coin de France vraiement délicieux)”.2 In a colonial context, of course, this carried the dual meaning of being both a ‘home away from home’ and a part of the French colonial empire.
Le Quartier
Au Coin de France, owned by the Leroyeur family, had eight guest rooms and a restaurant with a patio.3 While the original building has since been demolished and replaced by an apartment complex, some of the other landmarks around where it used to be remain. Use the gallery below to explore images of the neighborhood that surrounded the hotel.
This map of Ifrane was part of a tourism brochure from the mid-1950s. Number 4 in the legend is “Au Coin de France”. (Source: “Ifrane”, tourism brochure from M6L Archives & Special Collections) 
A zoomed-in version of the tourist map to Ifrane from the 1950s. Number 4 is Au Coin de France, which stood caddy-corner the church. (Source: “Ifrane”, tourism brochure from M6L Archives & Special Collections) 
Au Coin de France in the winter. This postcard lists the owner as “Leroyeur” (Source: Delcampe.net) 
This tourism guide to Ifrane from the mid-1950s lists the contact information for local hotels. Among them is Au Coin de France. (Source: “Ifrane”, tourism brochure from M6L Archives & Special Collections) 
The church of Ifrane, known as “Notre Dame des Cèdres”, stood caddy-corner across the street from Au coin de France. Guests at the hotel eating on the patio would have looked across to the church courtyard. This drawing pictures the church as planned, but it was never completed. (Source: M6L Archives & Special Collections) 
Au Coin de France stood just beside this home, which is one of the only remaining structures in the area that date from the same era. (Source: Photo by P. Love, 2022) 
Exiting Au Coin de France to the right, visitors would have seen the Infirmary (“L’Infirmerie”) down the street on their left. (Source: M6L Archives & Special Collections) 
Just down the street from Au Coin de Francee across from the Infirmary was the Hôtel des Lilas. This hotel was later demolished and in its place was the colonie des vacances of the Banque Populaire. This building was bought by Al Akhawayn University and is today its downtown residence. In this image, you would have walked down the street on the right and found Au Coin de France on your left. (Source: M6L Archives & Special Collections) 
This map of Ifrane was probably from a “Guide Blue” tourism guide. The map shows a handful of hotels in the town, including Au Coin de France. The location appears to be a bit off, since the hotel sat caddy-corner of the church rather than directly across. (Source: https://encyclopedie-afn.org/Ifrane_-_Ville)
An Extended Stay
Today held in M6L Archives & Special Collections, the two envelopes above and below are stationary from the Au Coin de France hotel. They are both addressed to one M. Pierre Bonneau in Paris. They appear to both be from M. Pierre Leboeuf, who was staying at Au Coin de France for a few weeks, likely over a winter holiday from work. Visitors to Ifrane like M. Leboeuf often made extended visits during the winter or summer months to enjoy the snow or to escape the heat.
Ifrane as Moroccan Cultural heritage
Ifrane was born of the colonial experience. Yet the town was constructed and maintained by the autochthonous population of the Middle Atlas. Following Moroccan independence in 1956, the city transformed gradually from a French to a Moroccan tourist destination. This history gives Ifrane a special place in the cultural heritage landscape of modern Morocco.
- For an overview of the pre-colonial and early colonial history of Ifrane, see “Ifrane” by Eric Ross on his blog: https://ericrossacademic.wordpress.com/ifrane/ ↩︎
- L’Afrique du Nord Illustrée (5 Juillet 1930), p.5 . Source: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5791323h ↩︎
- The name of the family appears on the back of a second postcard entitled “Au Coin de France’ – Hôtel-Restaurant (Leroyeur, propriétaire)”. ↩︎
On Site Exhibit
