Review: La Mamounia

Tell us about this place. Why is it such an icon?
Here is a hotel so synonymous with Marrakech, that its myths and legends are intrinsic to the city's glamorous bohemian history. The grand dame of Morocco is as fabulous and seductive as ever. Every inch of this palatial-like property has been hyper-considered to make the guest feel as though they have arrived in some regal estate of an Arabian kingdom. Liveried guards greet you at the grand entrance and breeze through ‘hello’ in any number of languages. It feels as though you have entered a grand secret lounge bar hidden behind a souk door.

Got it. So why is the hotel so integrated into the city's narrative?
It is almost impossible to separate Marrakech’s modern history from La Mamounia. Turned into a hotel in the early 1900s and owned in part by the royal family, everyone from FDR to Churchill stayed here. Jacques Garcia, the man behind Hotel Costes, who gave La Mamounia an extensive facelift in 2009, is a design sensation.

How are the rooms? What can we expect from our lodgings?
As ornate as the lobby. Moorish influences extend from the bathroom doorways to the terrace, painted soft greens and pinks in contrast to the darker woods and fabrics. Exposed wood-beam ceilings in many, and intricate tiles. No NASA-style control panels to dim the overheads. Several TVs, though the modern technology feels out of place amongst this fantasy world.

Are there any good dining options on site?
You can feast on tagines, pastillas, and pigeon soup in the theatrically designed main restaurant. You can also get a delicious chicken club sandwich with chips late into the night on room service. Sunday brunch has become a local institution; and there are French and Italian restaurants on-site, too.

How is the service?
Warm, attentive and personalized with plenty of eye contact. Though a hot minute was spent waiting for a poolside Margarita.

Who are you likely to see staying here?
American vacationers, Emirati princes, French fashion designers, British socialites and new-money Chinese. Kaftans and cigarettes. But also authors, artists and anyone with taste.

Are there any fun attractions in the surrounding neighborhood?
This is right inside the medina walls, so easy to walk to major sights and shopping—most other retreats tend to be a car ride from town, out in the desert.

What else should we be sure to check out while staying here?
There is a huge all-night casino on site. Fun if you want to keep the party going. But the most dazzling detail has to be the pool: Olympic-sized, a stream of waiters ferrying Champagne and cocktails and hummus.

So would you recommend La Mamounia, and if so, why? It sounds as though it would all be a little too ornate and too much, and then you get there, and the tiled walls, silk-draped ceilings, marble fountains and extensive gardens all make sense.