DK Travel : Marrakech : Mamounia Hotel

Mamounia Hotel

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One of the world’s great old hotels, since opening in 1923 the Mamounia has been welcoming the rich and famous to Marrakech; Winston Churchill was one of the most celebrated guests to have frequented this hotel. It was originally built in the 19th century as the palace of the crown prince of Morocco but under French rule the building was annexed for use as a hotel. Since independence the property passed into royal hands and is now owned by the king.

Mamounia Hotel
Non-guests wishing to visit the Mamounia should dress smartly – people wearing shorts and T-shirts are generally not allowed to enter. The hotel boasts several bars and restaurants but perhaps the most pleasurable experience can be had at the lunchtime buffet served beside the swimming pool in the gardens. Extensive renovations to the hotel were behind schedule at the time of going to press; call ahead to check if it has reopened. If you’d like to stay at the hotel, see Mamounia .

Top 10 Features

1. The rooms

Recently refurbished, the rooms now look as they must have when the hotel first opened, with Hermès orange leather trim and art nouveau painted panels.
2. The gardens

2. The gardens

The acres of formal European-style gardens predate the hotel and were laid out for the prince. Well-manicured paths lead between ponds and flower-beds to a central pavilion.
3. Guestbook

Sean Connery and Catherine Deneuve, Bill Clinton, plus scribbles from Kate Winslet and Will Smith: Mamounia’s livre d’or must be among the starriest guestbooks.
4. The suites

4. The suites

Among its several grand suites, the most famous is the one named after Winston Churchill. The decoration is intended to evoke the era when the politician visited and contains artifacts including his pipe.
5. Majorelle Ceiling

5. Majorelle Ceiling

Winston Churchill met fellow painter Jacques Majorelle in 1946 during one of his stays at the Mamounia. The portly politician persuaded the hotel’s management to commission a mural by Majorelle, which you can now see on the ceiling of the newly-extended lobby.
6. Winston Churchill

6. Winston Churchill

“This is a wonderful place, and the hotel one of the best I have ever used,” were Churchill’s views on the hotel and the city that he adored, in a letter to his wife, Clementine.
7. Churchill’s paintings

Churchill would paint in the afternoon and was fond of Marrakech’s extraordinary light. A couple of his paintings still hang in the hotel.
8. The architects

8. The architects

The original architects of the Mamounia, Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio, blended art deco with traditional Moroccan motifs. Recent renovations were carried out by the company that designed Morocco’s royal palaces.
9. The Man Who Knew Too Much

Several scenes of this 1956 Alfred Hitchcock thriller, with James Stewart and Doris Day, were shot in the hotel.
10. The birds

The story may be apocryphal, but film director Alfred Hitchcock was supposedly inspired to make his movie The Birds after being dive-bombed by finches on his balcony at the Mamounia.

Practical Information

Non-guests wishing to visit the Mamounia should dress smartly – people wearing shorts and T-shirts are generally not allowed to enter. The hotel boasts several bars and restaurants but perhaps the most pleasurable experience can be had at the lunchtime buffet served beside the swimming pool in the gardens. Avenue Bab Jedid, Medina 024 38 86 00 The gardens: Open 24 hours Non-guests allowed resa@mamounia.com www.mamounia.com