French Michelin-Starred Chefs Bring Culinary Expertise to Luxury Moroccan Hotels

The management of La Mamounia, the oldest Moroccan hotel and one of the most beautiful in the world, recently announced the recruitment of Simone Zanoni to head the kitchen of one of its three luxury restaurants. "I will be signing the menu of L’Italien restaurant at La Mamounia, a legendary place, symbol of elegance and hospitality. I will bring a piece of Italy, my cuisine, my history..." wrote the French Michelin-starred chef of Italian origin on Instagram. Pastry chef Pierre Hermé is also impressing with his creations offered in the Moroccan palace. "His cakes sell very well here," confirms a regular at the venue to Challenges.

The luxury hotel based in Marrakech has always resorted to "skills elsewhere when we don’t have them on site. We are guided by the desire to constantly renew ourselves while remaining faithful to our values of hospitality, excellence and loyalty," explains Lamia El Ghorfi, the palace’s spokesperson. Like Zanoni and Hermé, many French Michelin-starred chefs work in hotels competing with La Mamounia. Starting with the Royal Mansour, a luxury hotel belonging to King Mohammed VI. The palace consisting of 53 riads has recently secured the services of chef Hélène Darroze. "After a first collaboration with Yannick Alléno a few years ago, we called upon Hélène Darroze," informs Jean-Claude Messant, its general manager.

The hotel has also called upon Eric Frechon to design the menu for its brasserie in Casablanca and for its gourmet restaurant in Tamuda Bay, on the coast between Tetouan and Tangier. "The encounter happened very professionally. I did a lot of trials, humbly. I worked on a menu that caters to both Moroccan and foreign clientele," explains Eric Frechon. "The king’s significant investments have encouraged all other operators to aim for a very high level of quality, it’s a virtuous emulation towards 2030, the date of the World Cup football organization," adds Jean-François Piège, under contract with the Selman hotel in Marrakech (belonging to the Bennani-Smires family).

Moreover, resorting to French Michelin-starred chefs proves to be a profitable investment. "These chefs are paid between 100,000 and 400,000 euros per year, often with, in addition, a profit-sharing on the restaurant’s turnover and the possibility of spending family vacations on site several times a year. For large hotels, it’s an investment, but they pass on the costs to their customers by increasing their prices and no one complains. Because with the clientele they target, being expensive is not a handicap," indicates a French cook. As proof, the Royal Mansour, the most expensive hotel in Morocco according to its director, has multiplied its turnover by four in fifteen years.