Historic Marrakech Luxury Hotel La Mamounia Marks 100 Years of Glamour

La Mamounia in Marrakech, which hides many secrets in its richly decorated walls of marquetry and zelliges, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Its story begins in the 18th century, where Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellahelle offered this estate as a wedding gift to his fourth son, Prince Mamoun, hence the name La Mamounia. The prince organized receptions and other festivities on this eight-hectare estate composed of orange groves, olive trees, fountains, gardens, alleys, etc.

The idea of building a grand hotel was born around 1920, when Morocco was under French protectorate. Architects Antoine Marchisio and Henri Prost started its construction in 1923. At the time, La Mamounia had only about fifty rooms and received few travelers, including Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, who made several long stays there between the 1930s and 1950s and even made it his favorite painting studio. The politician was a lover of the Atlas Mountains, and especially the gardens of La Mamounia.

Since the 2009 renovation, the hotel has a suite dedicated to the man, with photographs of his travels through Morocco and some copies of his paintings. All the hotel rooms have been beautifully redecorated, and the hotel has been renovated again recently, during the Covid-19 pandemic. We now find by the pool, L’Œnothèque, the best wine bar in all of Africa with 2,000 exceptional bottles, two restaurants, L’Italien and the Asian, a cinema, two pastry shops led by Pierre Hermé, one of the most famous pastry chefs in the world, and finally, the legendary Churchill champagne bar.