Inspired by the Arab-Moorish tradition that is prevalent in so much of Morocco’s heritage, the architecture and décor of La Mamounia seamlessly blends the opulence of the past with the style of modern luxury. Renowned as a place of glamour and haute couture, this luxury hotel embodies the sensory splendors of exotic Marrakech. While just a short walk from the hustle and bustle of Jamaa El Fna Square, guests will feel worlds away while enjoying the expansive gardens on property.
The history of La Mamounia goes back to the 18th century when the Alaouite Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah offers a sumptuous orchard of 13 hectares to his son as a wedding gift. The son later transforms the orchard into a leisure venue for outstanding garden parties. Two centuries later, the Moroccan Railway Company decides to build a hotel on the site, which possesses an exceptional flora. The French architects Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio design a structure that combines the ancestral codes of Moroccan architecture with the Art-deco style. La Mamounia is born from the union between the comfort of the West and the splendour of the East. A unique building where traditional Zellij tiles and Berber tapestries mingle with Art-deco furniture.
Since then, La Mamounia is known as the most famous and luxurious city hotel in North Africa. It has provided a peaceful oasis in Morocco’s capital of culture, Marrakech, for almost a century. In the blissful shade of the Koutoubia minaret, and just a stone’s throw away from the famous Jamaa El Fna Square, this palatial hotel with its fabulous tiling, silk draped ceilings and marble fountains has provided respite from the buzz of the Moroccan city’s medina since 1923.
The reputation and celebrity of Marrakesh and La Mamounia appealed to leading figures from the cinema industry who travelled here to film classic movies such as The Man Who Knew Too Much by Alfred Hitchcock. Several scenes were shot at the hotel, and Hitchcock’s venue hastened the arrival of stars from around the globe.
Since the 1950s, personalities from French cinema and the Hollywood elite have all visited La Mamounia – Charlie Chaplin, Marcello Mastroianni, Claude Lelouch, Francis Ford Coppola and many other famous names from the filmmaking industry have visited for a peaceful retreat. Politicians are also frequent visitors of the Palace. Winston Churchill used to take up residence in winter to revitalise himself. Once he arrived at La Mamounia, he traded his suit and his figure as a statesman for that of an artist, without surrendering his customary cigar. He went from one balcony to another in pursuit of the sun, to reproduce that distinctive light in his watercolour paintings. In a letter to his wife, Churchill wrote “It is a marvellous place, one of the best hotels I have ever visited”. His love of the Palace has entitled him to lend his name to the hotel bar that he used to visit, as well as to one of the most emblematic suites. Franklin Roosevelt stayed here on Churchill’s recommendations, while the General Charles de Gaulle was seduced by La Mamounia for a one-night stay during which the director ordered a custom-made bed to accommodate his height.
La Mamounia has undergone several transformations since its initial deco-orientalist incarnation, and the hotel has utilised 2020’s year of living dangerously, where Morocco was quick to enforce strict covid counter-measures, to undertake its latest design overhaul by
the celebrated Jacques Garcia, with his trademark plush style and subdued lighting combined with the best of Moroccan craftsmanship. Now several spaces have been refreshed by the fashionable Parisian design firm Jouin Manku. The effect of the changes is to give the hotel a more modern, cosmopolitan feel.
Renewed Mamounia feels more like a palatial oasis as opposed to a hotel. From the moment you take your first step in the hotel, you smell a delicate scents of dates that is all over the property (by the way, you can purchase the scent in the hotel shop and take home with you).The journey continues in the corridors of La Mamounia, which magically reproduce the Medina’s narrow streets. Behind the characteristic wooden doors that preserve guests’ privacy lie 135 rooms and 71 suites, where the quintessence of Moroccan craftsmanship is expressed in all its splendour, alongside impeccable contemporary decoration. Classic Traditional rooms on the ground and first floors and decorated with warm tones and have views over the city and internal gardens. The Superior ones being on higher floors afford views over the Hivernage whist the Deluxe overlook the Koutoubia, the park or the Atlas Mountains and Agdal garden. The Suites are a wonder to behold with spectacular views over the gardens and Atlas Mountains, opt for an Executive Suite with a spacious terrace. The Signature Suites all feature their own style and are fit for a king. Alternatively stay in your own three bedroom riad replete with large dining room, private terrace with your own swimming pool.
GASTRONOMY HAVEN
With shaded terraces, fresh produce harvested from its vegetable garden and unbound creativity, the four restaurants at La Mamounia, including a Moroccan, a French and an Italian, have it all and are sure to fulfil your every desire.
Le Marocain is an ode to the country’s hospitality. The Moroccan cuisine favoured by families in the region is sublimated by Chef Rachid Agouray, who enthusiastically captures the finest nuances and characteristic colours of Morocco in typical yet sophisticated dishes. Try the chicken and lobster tagine or the Royal couscous with lamb, kefta and merguez. And keep some room for the orange dessert in different textures.
Named The World’s Best Pastry Chef in 2016 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, The Master French patissiere Pierre Hermé’s concept for La Mamounia combines the properties iconic and traditional Moroccan aesthetic and the sophisticated refinement prevalent in the Pierre Hermé boutiques. The bakery offer pastries made exclusively for La Mamounia, including classic Moroccan pastries.
SPA & WELLBEING
Inspired by an intoxicating blend of Moroccan and Eastern culture, the 27,000-sq-ft Spa La Mamounia beautifully fuses the traditional with the modern. Over 80 treatments are offered. The Spa features a large indoor heated pool, jacuzzi, 9 treatment rooms, 6 outdoor massage cabins, a gym, 2 hammams and a spa suite.
