Will you stay at La Mamounia or the Royal Mansour? These two legendary hotels in the ‘Ochre City’ are well worth a visit, but which one will you choose for your Moroccan getaway? Escape to the bright lights of Marrakech and opt for accommodation that is the stuff of legend. Choose between La Mamounia, which has welcomed all the great and the good of politics, the elite and showbiz since 1925. Or make a beeline for Royal Mansour, which is comparatively younger (it only opened in 2010) but is still a work of art, meticulously executed by the kingdom's greatest artisans, cabinetmakers, sculptors, weavers, ironworkers and painters. Each of them has its own style and each has its own ardent fans. The two rivals, just a few feet away from Djemaa el-Fna Square, the Medina's and Morocco's most famous souq, are actually state-owned and hence part of the kingdom. They also form part of the Royal Palace, which grants both hotels the privilege of sourcing fresh produce from His Majesty the King's farm estate.
Royal Mansour/The Leading Hotels of the World
First glance
Both are impressive at first glance. At La Mamounia, you’re greeted by a gigantic lobby and decadent decor by Jacques Garcia. The atmosphere exudes Moroccan chic – think mosaics, carpets, marble and leather armchairs. The gardens are equally alluring and come perfumed with orange blossom, jasmine and cedar. At Royal Mansour, you enter through a huge carved wooden door, which opens onto ponds lined with lanterns and a hall with a definite ‘wow’ factor. That feeling remains throughout your stay. Refined Moroccan craftsmanship is everywhere: think sculpted plaster, stitched leather walls, a lacework of filigree iron and embossed bronze, alongside luminous tadelakts (native craftsmanship) studded with river pebbles. And that's just the lobby. By the time you've been welcomed and offered a refreshing beverage, all your luggage will already have found its way to your room.
Royal Mansour/The Leading Hotels of the World
The bedrooms
This is where the big differences lie between the two hotels. As the King’s own hotel, the Royal Mansour is an ode to Moroccan craftsmanship and hospitality. It was designed as a closed medina, surrounded by a sixteen-foot high wall, with 53 individual riads to call your home-from-home. Each one to three-bedroom house comes with a sitting room, study, kitchenette, rooftop terrace, small private pool and deckchairs. Expect complete privacy too. Room service comes in the form of a network of underground tunnels to ensure complete discretion.
The Royal Mansour (Privilege)
At La Mamounia, which has 138 rooms (including 71 suites and a handful of detached villas), light pours in, especially from the balconies and terraces overlooking the huge garden. The views of Marrakech and its clear skies, along with the scent of orange blossoms, add to the beauty of staying here.
Alan Keohane / La Mamounia (Al Mamoun Suite)
The Garden
La Mamounia’s estate stretches out across 20 acres, making it twice the size of Royal Mansour. La Mamounia has always been famous for its green spaces, which take more than 70 gardeners to maintain. Planted with orange and lemon trees, this garden is somewhere that demands a wander. It’s also complemented by an organic vegetable garden and an extraordinary and beautifully ordered cactus walkway, with more than 80 different species. But what The Royal Mansour lacks in size, it makes up for in an almost 100ft swimming pool surrounded by palm trees, olive trees and tropical flowers.
Alan Keohane/La Mamounia
Dining
A Michelin-starred chef oversees Royal Mansour’s kitchens, working wonders and creating dishes with influences from around the world. At La Mamounia, residents have a choice of several restaurants, serving French, Italian or Moroccan cuisine. It's a culinary trilogy.
Royal Mansour/The Leading Hotels of the World
The Bar
Here again, two philosophies complement each other perfectly. At La Mamounia, a sense of British style prevails (Churchill was a frequent visitor, after all) with its leather armchairs, dark woodwork and subdued lighting. There are regular blues and jazz sessions, revealing the place's ability to transform into a fancy club when required. At the Royal Mansour bar, it's all about bright light. But more than anything else, it's the setting that proves breathtaking: an illuminated bar counter lined with thin metal strips, mirrors inlaid with rose gold leaves, sculpted marble columns and Art Deco furniture. Another bar, in sycamore, mother-of-pearl and woven tapestry, is reserved for cigar smokers and lovers of fine spirits.
Faustine Poidevin
The Spa
The spa at the Royal Mansour has graced the front covers of every lifestyle and interior design magazine. Its design was inspired by an aviary and its white-painted aerial ironwork, a true work of art. Covering almost 27,000 square feet, it offers 101 different treatments, boasts a hammam and is surrounded by lush gardens filled with date palms and orange blossom. The Spa at La Mamounia, on the other hand, has worked hard to retain its Moroccan heritage. Walls are covered with tadelakts, Majorelle blue is featured throughout and the pools are lined with coloured mosaic tilework (known as zellij).
Alan Keohane/La Mamounia
Header: Alan Keohane/La Mamounia
