Hotel La Mamounia in Marrakesh celebrates its centenary

More than a hotel, this is a kind of monument to Marrakesh. Mamuniya, a prestigious hotel founded in 1923, celebrates a century of great success and a prestigious history in October. It is called “Great Lady” of Marrakech and its roots go deep 18th century when the Alawite Sultan Mohammed bin Abdallah gave his son for his wedding orchard 13 ha. called “Arset El Mamun”, from which, apparently, the name of the hotel came. It was a true oasis that featured centuries-old olive trees, rose gardens, orange groves and other types of plants, and soon became a holiday destination where very elegant garden parties were held.

In 1922 Moroccan Railway Company he decided to turn it into a hotel built by French architects Henri Prost AND Antoine Marchisiowho were able to combine traditional Moroccan architecture and décor with Art Deco, where traditional Zellij tiles and Berber tapestries sit side by side with sumptuous 1920s furniture.

Many prestigious guests of the Hotel La Mamounia

The “Grand Dame” had a very large number of prestigious guests staying there over time: from Winston Churchillwho visited La Mamunia every winter Franklin Roosevelt, Charles de Gaulle and Nelson Mandela. The list of prestigious guests of the hotel includes many personalities from the world of entertainment, such as Charlie Chaplin, Marcello Mastroianni, Claude Lelouch and Francis Ford Coppola.

Still here Alfred Hitchcock Filmed “The Man Who Knew” too much

with Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day, and frequent guests were such actors as Joan Collins, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Salma Hayek, Sharon Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow, Juliette Binoche. Even me Rolling Stones they vacationed here in 1968, and Paul McCartney wrote the song “Mamuniya” here in 1973.

Many awards after the restoration and the new era

Mamuniya has undergone overhaul from 2006 to 2009.led by an architect Jacques Garcia, who gave the building an unparalleled look and collaborated with local artists and craftsmen to create the interiors. A year later, in 2010, Spa de la Mamunia was awarded the title “Best Spa” renowned magazine Spa Finder, and in 2018 Condé Nast Traveler named it “Best Hotel” in the Middle East and Africa.

After further renovation in 2020, it reopened its doors to guests: the building has been redesigned without losing its traditional splendor, and its restaurants now host two renowned chefs, Jean-Georges Wongerichten

AND Pierre Herme.

The historic hotel is now preparing to celebrate its centenary, looking forward to an increasingly bright future.