Luxury Hotels Atlas / Places / Morocco / Marrakech / La Mamounia
La Mamounia
Marrakech, Morocco · Independent · Apex Luxury
Built on an 18th-century orchard gifted by Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah to his son Prince Mamoun as a wedding present, La Mamounia opened in 1923 to designs by Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio. Winston Churchill called it 'the most lovely spot in the whole world' in a letter to Roosevelt in 1943 and painted in its gardens every winter he could. Paul McCartney wrote 'Mamunia' — the opening track of the Band on the Run sessions — while staying here in early 1973. The 2023 centenary renovation by Jouin Manku earned Michelin Three Keys.
- 209 rooms
- Opened 1923
- Neighborhood: Hivernage / medina edge, old city
- Architect: Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio
- Interiors: Jacques Garcia; Jouin Manku
About La Mamounia
- La Mamounia holds Michelin Three Keys — the guide's highest hotel distinction — making it one of a tiny global cohort and the only Three-Keys property in Morocco as of 2025.
- Paul McCartney wrote 'Mamunia' at the hotel in early 1973; the song became the opening track recorded for Band on the Run in Lagos that September, with the hotel's Arabic name — meaning 'safe haven' — serving as a metaphor for escape and rebirth throughout the album.
- Winston Churchill wrote to Franklin Roosevelt in January 1943 from Marrakech, where both leaders had just attended the Casablanca Conference: 'This is the most lovely spot in the whole world.' He returned to La Mamounia to paint after the conference, making the hotel a footnote in Allied wartime diplomacy.
- The centenary chandelier installed by Jouin Manku for the 2023 renovation — called 'Le Chandelier du Centenaire' — is a 9-metre Lasvit glass installation made from 3,000 individually hand-blown pieces, braided on 300 metres of electrified red cord and inspired by a Berber necklace, with authentic silver pendants made by Moroccan artisans.
- The hotel occupies the site of Arset el Mamoun, an 18th-century royal orchard given by Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah to his son as a wedding gift — meaning La Mamounia's famous gardens have been a place of pleasure for over 250 years, predating the hotel by more than a century.
History
La Mamounia opened in 1923 in Marrakech, designed by the French architects Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio in a blend of Art Deco and Moroccan styles. It was built on the grounds of an 18th-century orchard, the Arset el Mamoun, that Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah had gifted to his son Prince Mamoun. Famous guests have included Winston Churchill — who painted in its gardens and is remembered by the Churchill Bar and suite — as well as Yves Saint Laurent, the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney, who wrote 'Mamunia.' The hotel was restored by Jacques Garcia between 2006 and 2009 and again by Jouin Manku for its centenary (2020–2023), and it ranks No. 30 on the World's 50 Best Hotels 2025.
The setting
La Mamounia stands behind the city's 12th-century ochre ramparts on Avenue Bab Jdid, at the southwestern edge of the medina where the old walled city meets the leafy Hivernage district. The site has commanded prestige since the 18th century, when Alaouite Sultan Mohammed Ben Abdallah gave the 13-hectare orchard to his son as a wedding gift; French architects Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio transformed it into a hotel opening in 1929, fusing Moroccan craftsmanship with Art Deco grandeur. The Koutoubia Mosque—the 12th-century Almohad minaret defining the city's skyline—rises nine minutes on foot, while Jemaa el-Fnaa, the UNESCO-listed square at the medina's threshold, is 13 minutes away. 6 km from Marrakech Menara Airport.
Restaurants and bars
- L'Italien par Jean-Georges — Restaurant · Italian · Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
- Le Marocain — Restaurant
- Le Pavillon de la Piscine — Poolside
- Churchill Bar — Bar
Amenities
- 1923 Art Deco palace
- Eight hectares of historic gardens
- Spa with hammam and pools
- Pâtisserie by Pierre Hermé
- Churchill Bar and historic suites
- Multiple pools and tennis
- Private pool
- Sauna
- Hot tub
- Fitness center
- Casino
- Pet-friendly
Awards
- Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star (2026)
- MICHELIN Three Keys (2026)
- Robb Report 50 Greatest Hotels on Earth (2026)
- Travel + Leisure World's Best Hotels (2026)
- World's 50 Best Hotels 2026 (#75) (2026)
- Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards (2025)
- World's 50 Best Hotels (2025)
- AHEAD MEA Hotel Renovation (2024)
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