It’s not every day you get to stay in a Moroccan prince’s garden. You’ll have that opportunity once again when the Hotel La Mamounia reopens Sept. 29.
Located in the ancient city of Marrakech near Medina, the hotel grounds originally belonged to Al Mamoun, who received the garden land as a gift from his father the Sultan. His “Arsat” gardens were known for hosting royal parties or “nzahas” as was custom in the East African cities.
The garden’s legacy lived on when the Hotel La Mamounia opened its doors in 1923 as a boutique hotel with 50 rooms. People used to stay there so long that they would actually bring their own furniture. It expanded to 100 rooms in ’46 and then went through various upgrades that made the rooms more comfortable while retaining the old world charm. In fact, the hotel offered such a window to the past that Alfred Hitchcock filmed here. Past guests also included Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Oliver Stone and Martin Scorsese.
In 2006, the hotel decided to launch a large-scale redevelopment that’s taken three years and resulted in an expansion to 210 rooms. Plus, their luxury suites have become even grander with options such as three multi-bedroom riads with a private pool and seven signature suites, including a Churchill suite. Still, even if you stick to a standard room, there are plenty of sights to keep you transported in time. The main sight, of course, is the 40-acre garden that sits at the center, which gives guests that taste of 18th century royalty.
Photo courtesy of Hg2hedonist via Flickr.