Desert Jewel: Marrakech's La Mamounia

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MAURA MCEVOY

THERE ARE A HANDFUL of hotels in the universe that truly stand out in an overcrowded field--ones that can be called both grand and great. They distinguish themselves because of their history and location; their architecture, interiors and surroundings; and the quality and gentility of their service. They aren't trying to be cool or hip or to attract business travelers lugging laptops and clutching iPhones. Nor are they part of a chain or a franchise, so you won't find clones in various other places around the world. They are where they are and nowhere else. Their sole purpose is to deliver an experience that will linger long after the bill is paid and the bags are unpacked.

Every seasoned traveler has his or her short list of these exceptional places. Mine consists of the Hôtel du Cap, in Cap d'Antibes; the Ritz in Paris; Villa d'Este, on Lake Como; the Cipriani, in Venice; Claridge's, in London; and the Bel-Air, in Los Angeles (now, alas, closed for a two-year renovation). I'd add the Peninsula in Hong Kong, a favorite of many, but I've never stayed there, and while the Oriental in Bangkok has many good qualities, most of all its superb service, it is an architectural hodgepodge. Last on my list, but certainly not least, is La Mamounia, in Marrakech, Morocco. That the hotel, which opened in 1923, is situated within the ocher walls of the 11th-century medina (or old city), hugs the edge of the desert and has as its backdrop the High Atlas Mountains is no small part of its appeal.

If you ever saw the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock movie The Man Who Knew Too Much, with James Stewart and Doris Day, then you will remember La Mamounia as the couple's refuge during a harrowing few days in menacing--as Hitchcock portrayed it--Marrakech.

La Mamounia was beloved by Winston Churchill, who used it in the early 1940s as his winter quarters. He painted the gardens from his balcony in the suite named after him. When Charles de Gaulle stayed there, a special bed was made to accommodate his towering frame. Yves Saint Laurent, who called Marrakech his second home and lived there on and off for many years, was a habitué.

My own attachment to La Mamounia began in the early 1970s, on the first of several trips to Marrakech. If it wasn't right out of The Thousand and One Nights, it came pretty close. Everything about the hotel was both exotic and elegant. In the company of friends, I experienced a traditional Moroccan dinner of roast lamb--méchoui--which we ate with the fingers of our right hands (not left), after which our hands were gently splashed with rose water from a silver container called a tass. I bought one in the souks and have it to this day. Every time I look at it, that dinner comes vividly back to life. I also remember the swimming pool, on the edge of the hotel's gardens and rimmed by towering palm trees, as being one of the most heavenly to swim in.

Besides the hotel, there was Marrakech itself: the Djemaa el Fna square, a cacophonous, carnival-like gathering of snake charmers, acrobats, musicians and food vendors. The square leads to the souks--a mysterious labyrinth of stalls selling everything from cheap leather goods to expensive carpets, with merchants imploring passersby to have a glass of tea and engage in a brisk few minutes of bargaining for whatever they want to buy (or not). The souks then weren't particularly clean; the smells were an intoxicating but not altogether pleasant mix of spices, body odors, tainted meat and donkey dung. Most annoying was the persistent stream of street boys tugging at your sleeve, cigarettes dangling from their young mouths, begging to take you around and, in some instances, be your "special friend" (if you get my drift). As off-putting as all of that sounds, it still didn't dissuade me from my fascination with Marrakech and certainly didn't discourage me from returning, which I did about fifteen years later.

I stayed again at La Mamounia, which had undergone a face-lift in 1986 aimed at glorifying its Art Deco--ness. Big mistake. By doing so, the renovation had removed the hotel's authentic charms (its original style was Moroccan with Art Deco touches; these were more than mere touches). I was so dismayed by the changes that I didn't care to return if ever I were given the chance. When I was back in Marrakech in 2001, I opted to stay at the new Amanjena, a beautiful resort in a high-end residential section called the Palmeraie. One evening I attended a dinner at La Mamounia. The hotel by then was looking seedy and sad, not at all the enchanting place I'd first encountered almost thirty years before. "Time for another major overhaul," I thought.

In 2006 the hotel was shuttered for what turned out to be a three-year renovation. It was a blow to Marrakech because La Mamounia was its most famous hostelry. On the other hand, the hotel's closing gave rise to newer, smaller properties, many of them in the medina, that were chic and well-run. The big question remained: when and if La Mamounia reopened, could it ever recapture its magic?

I returned this past fall with my skepticism at the ready. However, as soon as I saw the new entrance, I decided to check my doubts at the door. I'm glad I did, because the new La Mamounia is a marvel, thanks in large part to the vision of French designer Jacques Garcia, known for his opulent touches at the Hôtel Costes and more than twenty-four other Paris addresses, including Fouquet's, Ladurée, L'Esplanade and L'Hôtel, on the Rue des Beaux-Arts. He has also expanded his business internationally, and examples of his audacious work can be seen in other major cities around the world. Aside from his own home, the 17th-century Château du Champ de Bataille, in Haute-Normandie (which, by the way, took five years to restore), La Mamounia is Garcia's crowning achievement to date.

I am pleased to report that La Mamounia got exactly what it deserved--a spectacular refurbishment. Almost everything has been changed for the better. What little remains of the original has been carefully restored or updated, including the gardens. A new staff is in place, under general manager Didier Picquot, with several familiar faces brought back, which will no doubt please those guests who have been coming to the hotel for years. The spa is also new. The swimming pool, which has been enlarged considerably, is as delicious to swim in as ever. Two of the four restaurants have renowned chefs as consultants: Jean-Pierre Vigato, of Paris's Apicius, for the French restaurant, and Alfonso Iaccarino, of Don Alfonso 1890, on Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula, for the Italian. Le Marocain, the Moroccan restaurant, has an entirely new and beautiful setting, in the gardens apart from the main hotel. The food and decor at the restaurants are distinctive, and each offers outdoor seating for both lunch and dinner. I can still taste the sweet bastela aux pigeons--a sugar-and-cinnamon-crusted pigeon pie--and poulet beldi m'hamer, a chicken stew with green olives (and there are no more succulent olives on earth than those from Morocco) that I had at Le Marocain at my final dinner.

As for the main square and souks in the medina, they, too, are almost unrecognizable, thanks to a major cleanup effort. The unseemly smells have nearly vanished, the street boys seem to have taken courses in courtesy, and the merchants are almost mild mannered. Some might say that the medina has been Disney-ized, and truth be told, I kind of miss the old messiness. But there is still enough chaos and every-which-way traffic to make your pulse race and your eyes cross.

When you've had enough excitement, you can always return to the calm and coolness of La Mamounia. During the day, Marrakech can be intensely sunny, with almost too much light, if there can be such a thing. It's one of the reasons that so many residences and hotels are deliberately dark--to provide shelter and relief. This is certainly the case at La Mamounia, and perhaps even more so because of Garcia's preference for rich fabrics, particularly silk taffeta, and deep, saturated colors. If you are looking for light and airy, you'd best go elsewhere. But if you do, you'll miss out on an extraordinary place. I rarely use the word unique. So few things are. But La Mamounia--the new, improved La Mamounia--most definitely is.

MARRAKECH, EXPRESSLY

AT LA MAMOUNIA: With its legendary twenty-acre gardens, a gigantic swimming pool, four restaurants, five bars, a beauty salon and spa (have a Shiseido facial or a traditional scrubdown called a hammam; you will feel silky smooth and squeaky-clean), a fitness center, tennis courts and boutiques, the hotel is as full-service as you could want. It is like being at a resort within the old city. There are 136 rooms, seventy-one suites and three riads (villas, each with three bedrooms and a private pool). Feeling statesmanlike? Book the Churchill Suite. Rooms from $775, suites from $2,200, riads from $10,400. For more information, visit mamounia.com.

BEYOND LA MAMOUNIA: If you never ventured from the confines of the hotel, you'd have plenty to do and see, but it would be a mistake because you'd miss Marrakech, which is fascinating. As the fourth-largest city in the Kingdom of Morocco, in North Africa, with a population of about 840,000, it is roughly divided into two parts--the old walled city known as the medina and the new city, the ville nouvelle,which has two sections, Gueliz and Hivernage. The medina is a maze of narrow passageways and markets, part of it devoted to the souks (also spelled souqs) with their hundreds of stalls selling food, souvenir items, Berber (i.e., indigenous) crafts and jewelry, and just about everything else imaginable--some of it of high quality, much of it junk. Beyond the souks but still within the medina are simple housing and more lavish private residences--riads--several of which have been turned into boutique hotels. The entryway to the souks is through the Djemaa el Fna, the open-air square and the main gathering place. No trip to Marrakech is complete without a visit to the square, ideally in the early evening, when it is at its most dramatic. There are few places like it in the world. The traffic approaching the square is a mess, with cars, trucks, motorcycles, horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians going in every direction. Don't let that stop you. Screw up your courage, but proceed with caution.

EXPLORING THE SQUARE AND SOUKS: If it is your first time in Marrakech, go with a guide, which the Mamounia can provide. Do not hire any of the many so-called guides who hang around the entrance to the hotel and claim they are employees. They are not. If you go alone to the souks, they will follow you and implore you to let them take you around. Be as persistent as they are and just say no--politely but firmly. Ever since the medina was cleaned up, there are fewer such hustlers, but they are still in evidence. As for bargaining in the souks, it is a way of life in Marrakech. Even a cab ride can be haggled over. It usually goes like this: The vendor offers a price. The buyer says, "Too high," and offers half as much. You meet somewhere in the middle, and everyone is happy. If you can't agree on a price, say thank you and leave. Sometimes the haggling becomes heated. That is where the fun begins or ends, depending on your personality. Remember, too, that much of what may look attractive in a Moroccan marketplace may not travel well, and you may end up with stuff that simply doesn't work at home. That said, what's the harm in having a Moroccan caftan or two in your closet? Some of the stalls take credit cards, but most don't, so you will have to pay in cash--either in dirhams, which is the currency, or in dollars or euros.

KOUTOUBIA MOSQUE: The main Islamic place of worship within the medina and Marrakech's most famous and most visible site. Its architecture is Moroccan-Andalusian, and its lovely gardens make for a pleasant stroll in the early morning or at dusk. You cannot enter the mosque itself unless you are Muslim.

MOROCCAN FOOD: For starters, the country's staple is a semolina called couscous. Tagines are slow-cooked stews. The two best restaurants outside the one at the Mamounia are Le Tobsil and Dar Yacout (book through the concierge). Eating street food is not recommended; nor, for that matter, is drinking or brushing your teeth with tap water, even at the hotel.

BEST TIMES TO GO: Spring and fall. July and August are swelteringly hot. Christmas and New Year's are also popular, but it can be cool, particularly at night.

PROPER DRESS: Morocco is a Muslim country, and many of the women are in caftans and burkas, some so covered up and heavily veiled that you can barely see their eyes. When walking about, especially in the medina, be respectful, and don't wear anything revealing; this goes for men as well. I saw far too many tourists in shorts and tank tops--a good way to call attention to yourself, and not in a positive way.

LANGUAGE: The primary tongue is Arabic; second is French (a holdover from the days when Morocco was a French protectorate and because the French are still the country's number-one travelers). English is widely spoken in the top hotels.

SHOPPING IN THE VILLE NOUVELLE: Some of the better boutiques are in Gueliz, on and off Avenue Mohammed V, the main artery. My favorites are Akbar Delights (42 Rue de la Liberté, Apartment 47, 1st floor; 011-212-671-66-13-07; by appointment only) and Moor(7 Rue du Vieux Marrakchi), which is around the corner. They both have extraordinary things and are owned by a French brother and sister and her husband. (There is also a smaller Akbar Delights in the souks in Place Bab Fteuh.) At 70 Rue de la Liberté is Scènes de Lin, a wonderful shop for home furnishings and linens. If you shop nowhere else, go to these three places. A good place to have lunch is Le Gran Café de la Poste.

JARDIN MAJORELLE: This small but exquisite garden in the ville nouvelle was designed by and named after the French painter Jacques Majorelle, who lived there for forty years, until his death, in 1962. It was bought by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, and is now run by their foundation. In addition to the flowers and vegetation, including bougainvillea, cacti, bamboo and the like, the most striking thing about the garden is the lapis-lazuli blue of the buildings and other architectural features, a color so intense that it will stay with you for a long time. There is also a memorial to Saint Laurent, who died in 2008 and whose ashes were scattered over the garden. The Islamic Art Museum, which was closed when I was there, is due to reopen by the summer of 2010 as a museum of Moroccan art. The garden's boutique sells lovely merchandise. I bought two beautiful pillowcases in white with Majorelle-blue embroidery. Whenever I look at them--which is every day--I think of Marrakech.

GETTING THERE: If you are coming from the States, you can fly into Casablanca (on Royal Air Maroc, the main carrier, which needs the same kind of overhaul that La Mamounia had) and either take a connecting flight or make the two-hour (in light traffic) drive to Marrakech, which can be arranged through the hotel. I chose the car and driver. (Don't drive yourself.) Alternatively, you can fly to Paris or London or any of several other European cities first and then to Marrakech, if you have the time.

SIDE TRIPS: The Palmeraie, the city's most upscale suburb, lies about twenty minutes from the center of Marrakech. Within is the Amanjena resort. Using Marrakech as a starting point, you can also visit the seaside town of Essaouira or go south to the Ourika Valley, in the High Atlas Mountains; to Taroudant, in the Sous Valley (stay at La Gazelle d'Or); and to Ouarzazate. You will be on the threshold of the Western Sahara.

BACKGROUND READING: What helped me most were Lonely Planet's and DK Publishing's books called Morocco and a guide called Shopping Marrakech (Little Bookroom), by Susan Simon.

CHANNELING MARRAKECH: See two movies, both on DVD: The Man Who Knew Too Much, Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film with James Stewart and Doris Day (the first third takes place in Marrakech), and Hideous Kinky (harder to obtain), the 1998 film starring Kate Winslet as an adventuress who takes her two young daughters to Marrakech in the late 1960s, when it was the capital of hippiedom. The title pretty much says it all; nonetheless, it is an accurate rendering of the city in those drug-infested, laissez-faire days.

SCENTS OF PLACE: Serge Lutens, the French perfumer, now lives in Marrakech. His three newest fragrances--Féminité du Bois, Nuit de Cellophane and Muscs Koublaï Khän--were inspired by his chosen city, and each is more tantalizing than the last. And if you like the way the Mamounia smells, thank Olivia Giacobetti, one of the world's most famous "noses." She came up with a signature scent for all the public spaces and for the rooms (it is not yet available in candle form but will be).