The Arsat gardens played a role in Moroccan culture for centuries, hosting political debates or the N’zaha, a picnic ritual where families and friends reunited to eat Tanjia, drink tea and sing Marrakshi songs
La Mamounia, a historic five-star hotel in Marrakech, Morocco
Four miles from the international airport of Marrakech-Menara,LA Mammounia is located in the Medina district, within a walking distance from Jemaa El Fna, the city’s central square, and the Koutoubia Minaret, its main religious building.
From here guests can discover the old town and its souks, or take part in some of the experiences organized by the hotel, such as a trip to the mountains surrounding the city, a dinner or lunch at the Agafay rocky desert or a golf session in a selection of local courses.
An eight-acre Arsat garden: La Mamounia
La Mamounia stands in the middle of an eight-acre Arsat garden. Such a term was coined in the Nineteenth century by Moroccan writer and Islamic scholar Hocine El Yamani to define the tradition of cultivating and transforming urban spaces into botanical gardens urban spaces, which first started under the rule of the Alaouite dynasty.
The Arsat gardens played a role in Moroccan culture for many centuries, hosting either political debates or the N’zaha, a picnic ritual where families and friends reunited to eat Tanjia (a traditional meat dish), drink tea and sing Marrakshi songs.
La Mamounia: from private garden to international hotel
The history of La Mamounia dates back to the Eighteenth century, when the Alawite Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah decided to offer an orchard as a wedding gift to his son Mamoun, who later turned it into a leisure venue for garden parties.
Two centuries later, in 1923, the Moroccan Railway Company decided to build a hotel on the site and entrusted the work to French architects Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio, who in their project mixed the ancestral codes of Moroccan architecture with the Art-deco style in vogue in Europe at the time.
La Mamounia became popular, counting among its guests Winston Churchill, whose name was afterwards given to the suite he used to spend winter holidays in and to one of the hotel bars, where today champagne and spirits are served along with smoked fish and caviar in a British inspired environment.
The 1946 renovation: Jacques Majorelle and French influence
In 1946 the hotel underwent a renovation, which increased the number of rooms and involved French orientalist painter Jacques Majorelle, after whom another of the hotel bars was named, nowadays serving a selection of revisited classics of the Parisian cafés.
Afterwards, the hotel became a destination for personalities of the French and American film industry, welcoming Charlie Chaplin, Marcello Mastroianni, Claude Lelouch, Francis Ford Coppola, and even appearing in some scenes of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much. Not only film stars, but also artists, designers, politicians and musicians became habitués of La Mamounia, such as Yves Saint-Laurent, Theodor Roosevelt, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney, who even wrote a song entitled Mamunia.
La Mamounia: French architectural agency Jouin Manku
Between 2006 and 2009 the hotel was revamped by French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia. Decided to reground La Mamounia in its Arabo-Andalusian architectural heritage, he worked with local artists and craftsmen, providing the palace with a new view over a palm grove and a millenary olive grove and reworking the light with a chiaroscuro effect. La Mamounia owes its current appearance to French architectural agency Jouin Manku, which redesigned the palace in 2020.
La Mamounia: a modern reinterpretation of Moroccan heritage
Despite the many renovations it has undergone during the years and its connections with the international panorama, La Mamounia has always been committed to preserve its local heritage, thus trying to balance the need for innovation required by guests and the wish to keep its Moroccan soul alive: «La Mamounia is not only a hotel but also an institution that represents Morocco on an international scale, and one of the main cores of the city of Marrakech, both economically and emotionally. Whether it is for a renovation or everyday life, La Mamounia always calls upon the expertise of the Marrakchi population, it has always been a driving force in the city, so one can say that the relationship between the two is intrinsically linked».
While the hotel corridors reproduce the Medina’s narrow streets and the accommodations feature elements of the Moroccan style, such as zouac ceilings, mashrabiya openings and zellige tiles, La Mamounia is also provided with modern facilities: a games room, a cinema, a gym, two tennis courts, a hairdressing and beauty salon, conference and reception rooms.
This same mixture of East and West, tradition and innovation, characterizes the hotel’s culinary offer, which includes four restaurants, four bars and two tea rooms.
Moroccan culinary classics revisited by chef Rachid Agouray
At restaurant Le Marocain guests can try classics of the Moroccan cuisine revisited by chef Rachid Agouray, while listening to a trio of Andalusian musicians.
Wishing to celebrate the country’s hospitality, the interiors of the restaurant have been decorated with motifs and colors typical of the local tradition, with alcoves, thick velvet benches and subdued lighting meant to create an intimate atmosphere. Guests are first served an array of starters prepared with spices and vegetables coming directly from La Mamounia’s garden, while for the main meal iconic tagines and couscous dishes are offered.
On the top floor of Le Marocain guests will also find Le Club. Here, Moroccan cuisine can be savored in the form of tapas while sipping a cocktail, surrounded by a lounge music atmosphere with oriental accents.
Italian and Asian cuisine by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Following its last renovation, La Mamounia welcomed three-starred French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who now owns two restaurants at the hotel: L’Italien par Jean-Georges and L’Asiatique par Jean-Georges.
L’Italien par Jean-Georges redesigns the traditional Italian trattoria in a fine dining style. Aiming at creating an elegant yet convivial atmosphere, preparation areas are integrated in the very heart of the restaurant: on the central island Italian specialties are cooked, while in the middle of the room pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven and a bar serves appetizers of the Italian tradition. Filled with natural light, the restaurant overlooks the garden, from which the vegetables come from.
L’Asiatique par Jean-Georges – which is the result of chef Vongerichten’s experience in Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong – offers a selection of revisited classics of the far eastern cuisine, stretching from southeast Asia to Japan. The restaurant is located in the Hivernage neighborhood of Marrakech and invites guests on a culinary journey, with a menu composed as an initiatory itinerary with dishes to be shared.
A tea break with pastry chef Pierre Hermé
Another new entry after the 2020 renovation has been French pastry chef Pierre Hermé, whose creations can be found at tea rooms Le Menzeh par Pierre Hermé and Le Salon de Thé par Pierre Hermé.
Le Menzeh par Pierre Hermé is located in La Mamounia’s first historical building and offers a selection of ice cream, pastries and chocolate combined with mint tea, which plays a key part in the traditional Moroccan lifestyle.
A tea break can also be enjoyed at Le Salon de Thé par Pierre Hermé, where, besides French toast, macarons and a variety of cakes, guests can try the pastry chef’s savory creations, such as club sandwiches, croque-monsieurs and lobster rolls. An alternative to tea is the amlou café latte, a beverage specially created for La Mamounia.
Pierre Hermé’s signature desserts can also be savored at Le Pavillon de la Piscine, a restaurant overlooking the hotel’s outdoor pool, where roasted meat is prepared and cut under a pavilion built as a tribute to the Menara Pavilion in Marrakech.
The Spa: a sanctuary for beauty and well-being
Sheltered from outer light and designed following Moroccan architectural style, the hotel spa wishes to offer a holistic experience, where time stops and both the mind and the body can relax. The hammam is round-shaped and made in smooth marble and bands of tadelakt, with a contrast between warm and cold tones. Plus, there is a heated indoor swimming pool with a painted ceiling.
The ingredients La Mamounia’s therapists use are mainly black soap, ghassoul clay, argan oil and rose water, which «entertain a certain idea of beauty, both generous and voluptuous, they touch on the most intimate aspects of Moroccan tradition».
The spa offers a range of facial treatments with the Valmont cellular cosmetics line, Augustinus Bader and marocMaroc, as well as body treatments, such as wraps, exfoliation and massages. Guests can choose between different massages according to their needs: La Mamounia massage to beautify and regenerate the skin, four hands massage to restore energy and vitality, hot stone massage to relieve muscle tension, ceremonial massage to relax the whole body, or organic oil massage to rebalance the scalp.
La Mamounia, Marrakech
Avenue Bab Jdid, Marrakesh 40040, Morocco. La Mamounia (Avenue Bab Jdid, Marrakech 40040, Morocco) is a historic five-star hotel located in the city’s Medina district and surrounded by an eight-acre garden, which features one hundred and thirty-five rooms, seventy-one suites, three riads, four restaurants, four bars, two tea rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a spa, a games room, a cinema, a gym, two tennis courts, a hairdressing and beauty salon, conference and reception rooms.
