The Grande Dame: Inside The Regal La Mamounia In Marrakech, Morocco

A unique aroma will engulf your senses as you step inside Marrakech’s legendary La Mamounia. The unusual heady scent of bitter oranges and Moroccan dates is the hotel’s signature, thanks to famed perfumer Olivia Giacobetti. La Mamounia celebrated its centenary in 2023 and has been the temporary abode of many famous names over the years, including Alfred Hitchcock, Yves Saint Laurent, Paul McCartney, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill.

The iconic 5-star luxury hotel offers a ‘safe haven’ (or mamounia in Arabic) to escape the din of the busy city. Situated inside the medina, the easy access to the most popular attractions from the hotel makes it an ideal stay. Built in grand Moorish style with Art Deco flourishes, the hotel traces its inception to 1923. Architects Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio came together with the idea to create this opulent oasis on the sprawling 15-hectare palace and garden area, which was a gift from Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah to his son Moulay Mamoun in the 18th century.

Sprinkled With Stardust

Perhaps the most famous bit of hotel history is that in the 1940s, Churchill spent his winters here. From the balcony of his third-floor suite – now the grand Churchill Suite – with a view of Mount Atlas and Koutoubia Mosque, he would work and paint the city scene below on his canvas. Many of his paintings depict the olive and orange trees around the property that he could see from his room. On his recommendation, former US President Franklin D Roosevelt also visited the hotel. Years later, when Hollywood’s former sweethearts Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed at one of the hotel’s three riads, Pitt gifted Jolie the Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque oil painting by Churchill.

The hotel also posed as the filming location of Hitchcock’s 1956 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. Paul McCartney wrote the song ‘Mamunia’ in 1973 while staying at the hotel.

La Mamounia does not need flowery introductions, being a century-old symbol of class and luxury in Morocco, already well sought out by elites and anybody with taste. However, the hotel has found a wider reach among newer guests since 2022, after parts of the popular Netflix series Inventing Anna were shot in riad 3 where the real con artist Anna Delvey had stayed.

The Grande Dame

The Arabian Nights come alive as you walk through the densely packed medina in Marrakech, where the entire city used to live a century or so ago. If you take an aerial shot of the old city, you will see a honeycomb made up of riads, the traditional houses with inner courtyards. There, you will see La Mamounia standing opposite the famous Koutoubia Mosque. The hotel is deeply intertwined with the modern history of Marrakech, whether in the bespoke interiors incorporating the bohemian stylings of the city or the celebrated guests that have stayed here. You can smell the seductive flavours of the souk in the bedecked lobby and hallways, glimpse the multihued flair of the medina’s narrow streets in the tiles and floorings and feel the spiritual call that unites the city folk with the morning prayers from the mosque filtering in. The Grande Dame of Morocco is mysterious and whimsy, but at the same time, it is as warm and welcoming as the city it is in.

The fittingly palatial property has undergone some significant renovation during the pandemic and some more sprucing up ahead of its 100-year celebration in 2023, with the famous architect-designer duo Sanjit Manku and Patrick Jouin giving the hotel a major facelift while preserving its essence and originality. As a birthday metamorphosis, a sensational chandelier sculpture now steals the show at the heart of the hotel. A tribute to traditional Berber jewellery, the centenary chandelier resembles two necklaces of light suspended in space and is known as the Jewel of the Grande Dame.

Inside the Palace

The hotel’s grand lobby is flecked with hanging lights and lanterns that guide your eyes to the beautiful frescoes and mosaics at the reception, with Moorish-inspired lounges and Art Deco influences completing the feel of the interiors. The latest renovation has added a “Wall of Fame” in the main reception area showcasing the illustrious guests who have stayed and a display case with guest books and drawings.

La Mamounia boasts 209 rooms segregated into 135 deluxe rooms, 71 suites, and three riads built around the gardens, complete with a refreshing fountain at its centre and private heated outdoor pools. There are five restaurants in the hotel. You can choose to sample Italian and Asian delicacies by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, scrumptious Morrocan fare and great continental cuisine. Patissier Pierre Hermé has his eponymous tea room in the hotel, a standalone store in the gardens and is the partner for all its cakes and desserts. Among the four bars, the jewel box-sized Le Churchill is dedicated to the hotel’s most beloved guest, Winston Churchill, who made the La Mamounia his winter home.

The Olympic-sized main pool is as much a relaxation zone as it is a selfie point, and for some much-needed TLC, the spa and hammams will have your back. The hotel consistently celebrates the finest in Moroccan craftsmanship: woodwork, mashrabiya windows, sculpted stonework, and zellige tilework, all of which have been the masterwork of designer Jacques Garcia. A stay at La Mamounia will probably make you miss out on exploring much outside but will give you everything and more right within its doors.

Address: Avenue Bab Jdid, Marrakech 40040, Morocco

Tariff: Starts from INR 52,000 per night