La Mamounia: Marrakech’s Honeymoon Destination of The Stars.
Once a Royal palace, today La Mamounia is the grand dame hotel adored by the stars. Georgie Bentley-Buckle checked in for an opulent escape following her wedding.
By Georgie Bentley-Buckle
Positioned gracefully on the perimeter of Marrakech’s ancient city and medina, is La Mamounia: the historic hotel loved by the globe’s most iconic individuals, past and present. Formerly a royal sanctuary the king of the eighteenth century gifted his sons; today, the magic of this five-star hotel can be relished by each person who steps through its storied doors.
48 hours following our big day, we land in Marrakech airport and are swiftly scooped up by our driver and into the opulent oasis infused by its signature scent. This sensory experience continues through the lobby, public areas, and into the eight-acre garden beyond. Rooted with olive trees that surpass 700 years, with an abundance of rose bushes and lemon trees, this exceptional garden is also a flourish of bougainvillea, cacti, delphiniums, jacaranda, orange, and palm trees. This truly positions La Mamounia as one of the few city hotels I’ve visited that remains immersed in nature.
Adored internationally as a grand dame hotel, La Mamounia began its chapter as a hotel in 1923. Today, it’s a place that stands as a time capsule, celebrating the art deco style of the 20’s era infused with traditional Moroccan architecture. This could be seen throughout our Executive Suite with a terrace casting a view across the private garden to the red city and the Atlas Mountains. Well-appointed interiors are intricately framed with ornate carved woods, offering a luxurious sense of place and privacy across a plush king-size bed, bathroom with a shower and rolltop bath and living space adorned with handcrafted materials and rich textiles.
Our visit aligned with the opening of La Mamounia’s new Italian restaurant. However eager to tuck into local specialities, dinner at L’Italien par Simone Zanoni was a culinary highlight of the honeymoon. With a variety of colourful plates featuring refined Italian dishes, this new restaurant, which opened on 1st September, from renowned chef Simone Zanoni, illustrates how he has established himself as a pioneer of contemporary Italian gastronomy. Having curated several dishes for La Mamounia, we sampled a fusion of classic Italian flavours with a masterful twist from his expert culinary eye. Dishes on his new menu include wood-fired octopus carpaccio, pizza with Parma ham or truffles, ravioli with three ricottas infused with lemon and fresh mint and saffron risotto.
The dining experiences at La Mamounia certainly don’t start and end with Simone’s new gourmet offering. First stepping into the limelight back in 2020, when the hotel underwent a substantial renovation, is L’Asiatique par Jean-Georges and a menu of southeast Asian flavours. This was a perfect spot for afternoon sushi and gyoza with a glass of wine. Meanwhile, situated in an elegant riad among the gardens is Le Marocain which celebrates the finest local flavours among Arabo-Andalusian architecture. For breakfast each morning, we began our day in the garden and beside the large cerulean pool at Le Pavillon de la Piscine, which extends onto a elegant buffet lunch. Meanwhile, in honour of Winston Churchill (La Mamounia’s most iconic guest) is The Churchill Bar. Suitably named after a man who returned to the hotel many times with his wife, this classic cocktail bar echoes the quintessential English tradition of a London members’ club. Situated in the heart of the hotel, the bar immortalises Churchill’s words that La Mamounia was “the most lovely spot in the whole world.”
Set across 2,500 square meters, the spa is an extensive wellness destination. Inspired by Arabian Nights, here the rich cultural Moroccan grace continues across the striking indoor pool and hot tub that is adorned with thousands of colourful tiles, and downstairs across ten treatment rooms, plus three hammams. Continuing our Moroccan journey, we booked in to experience these traditional hammams which began in the steam rooms, followed by full body scrubs and a relaxing massage. For thousands of years this ancient treatment has been a key part of life and daily culture, representing more than simply a spa experience but a spiritual ritual using the fruits of nature such as black soap made with local olives and medicinal plants.
The 18th-century gardens and Moorish architecture at La Mamounia attract the world’s most glamorous and luxurious weddings. With a five-star event planning team, the hotel is available for both exclusive use buyouts for extravaganza celebrations, to a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces for smaller events. Helping couples curate each detail of their day (or celebratory weekend) the hotel provides catering, sound, music lights and full décor to craft an event as magical as the historic hotel. This includes inviting the bride and groom to reside in the Baldaquin bridal suite complete with a romantic canopy bed and terrace that enjoys views over the garden.
La Mamounia is one of those exquisite places that embraces the magic of the golden days gone by. From the sumptuous, stately dinners held in the 19th century, filled with long gowns and frosted in diamonds, today stands a celeb-favourite grand dame hotel that honours its heritage, whilst adapting to the five-star standards of the modern, international guest.
