Far-Flung Friday: A Marakech Dream

A legendary Moroccan hotel gets a multi-million dollar makeover.

Wouldn't you want to stay at the hotel Winston Churchill once called "the most lovely spot in the world?" After gazing at the newly renovated La Mamounia hotel, we sure would!

La Mamounia, a luxury Marrakech hotel, re-opened this fall after an extensive three-year, $176 million makeover. In November, La Mamounia celebrated with a star-studded opening event attended by the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Orlando Bloom, Salma Hayek and other celebrities on Thanksgiving weekend.

In fact, Gwyneth enjoyed her stay so much that she gushed about it on Goop, her weekly newsletter, saying, "The Jacques Garcia designed interiors are splendid to say the least, and the hotel's gardens are out of this world, almost from a fairy tale."

Let's take a peak inside this fairy tale resort, shall we?






French super-star architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia was tapped to handle the restoration and renovation of this landmark. Luckily, old photographs were available for reference for his designs. Local craftsmen, who continue to practice the centuries-old arts of woodcarving, mosaic and decorative painting, handled much of the renovation work.

In an article in USA Today, Garcia was quoted as having said, "There is only three golden rules about a palace of this standing: Elegance, elegance, and elegance." We think Garcia managed to more than live up to his own rules.

If you can't afford to stay at this pricey palace, you can always book a reservation for a meal in one of the four restaurants located in the hotel or stop in for a drink at one of the bars, like the Le Bar Italien shown above.

In the subterranean levels of the hotel lies this stunning marbled spa, which is a traditional Turkish bath known as a hammam. While the traditional architecture and designs remain, there are the usual contemporary gym machines and equipments for hotel guests to use. There's even an in-hotel salon run by Shiseido!

Sadly, this hotel will remain a daydream due to its sky-high prices: Room rates range from $776 to $10,350, depending on the season and the space. At those prices, the guest list is likely to be limited to the like of Gwyneth Paltrow and Orlando Bloom.

Want to keep dreaming about beautiful far-flung hotels? Read on:

- Far-Flung Friday: A Dreamy Hotel in Greece
- Far-Flung Friday: York House is Pretty in Portugal
- Kelly Wearstler Makes Her Mark at the Viceroy Anguilla