Our Stay At La Mamounia In Marrakech

When Dane and I knew we would be coming to Morocco, the very first thing we did was book our stay at La Mamounia in Marrakech. La Mamounia is consistently rated the number one hotel in the world and we were eager to check it out. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to stay at such an opulent hotel property! Today I’m sharing all about our stay at La Mamounia in Marrakech and if it’s worth the hype.

Our Stay At La Mamounia In Marrakech

La Mamounia sits on 17 acres in Marrakech and was dates back to the 12th century. It has played host to names like Elton John and the Beckham family, and was declared by Winston Churchill as “one of the most beautiful places in the world”.

The very first thing Dane and I noticed when we walked through the stained glass doors was that La Mamounia has a very distinct (and delicious) scent. We learned it’s a custom scent blend made with hints of dates and citrus and you can smell it everywhere on the property – even outside! It’s made exclusively for La Mamounia and you can purchase it in candle, spray or diffuser form in the hotel’s gift shop. Spoiler alert: My house now smells like La Mamounia! HA!

While checking in, we were served traditional Moroccan sweet milk and fresh dates (so good!) and then taken on a tour of the property. We walked through all 3 restaurants (French, Italian and Moroccan), as well as the high-end luxury shops like Dior, followed by a trip through the spa, outside around the pool and gardens and finally – to our room!

La Mamounia Hotel

La Mamounia Marrakech

We had a king room on the third floor with a beautiful view of Marrakech, a spa-style tub and separate bathroom area with a walk-in closet. The best part of the room itself? The bed. So freaking comfortable and the silky smooth pillows — I never wanted to get out of bed. Second place goes to the robe and slippers! And third place goes to the nightstand that had 4 different light settings, including serious mood lighting for romance.

For us, staying at La Mamounia was very much about appreciating the architecture of the property and seeing exactly what makes it the number one hotel in the world. The answer? Attention to detail from top to bottom.

A few details we noticed during our stay that make La Mamounia so special:

—The architecture of the hotel is like nothing Dane or I had ever seen before. Even things like fire extinguishers are decorated and housed in such a way that you wonder if your eyes are deceiving you. Floor to ceiling is intricately carved, painted and decorated in such a grandiose style that one could easily spend weeks roaming the hallways and not see it all!

—Each guest is given a pair of Haviana flip flops to enjoy. They were great for wearing to/from the pool and spa!

—The toiletries in the bathrooms were all custom made to match the color scheme, branded to match the insignia of the hotel and smelled delicious. It helped that the conditioner was next level (I have a lot of hair, so this is such a treat!)

— Attentive service regardless of situation: in our room, by the pool, at the spa, at check-in, in the restaurants, at the bar. Seriously…we were floored by how quick and efficient any and all concerns were addressed. It was TOP NOTCH!

—Walking through the Italian piano bar at night is like walking back into time. I was half expecting Winston Churchill himself to pop out from around a corner!

—Being addressed by name no matter where we were (so impressive!)

—The breakfast buffet was incredible and nearly every breakfast food staple for every country was represented. The buffet itself is served in a modified ballroom, so just try to imagine tables and trays with heaps and heaps of all your favorite breakfast foods, as well as a private chef serving up any egg dish you might want.

—The staff uniforms. I feel like this is a weird one to recognize here, but it just adds to the grandeur of the hotel and I noticed it at every point in the day when they switched from day to evening uniforms.

This is the part where I explain that staying at La Mamounia is not cheap and therefore, nothing on the property is either. Expect to pay top dollar for food, drinks and spa services. Cocktails were around $21/each and dinner for two at the Italian restaurant on property was $90 for two entrees without appetizers or dessert. If you plan to eat dinner at La Mamounia, definitely make a reservation! All three restaurants are booked solid every night, so if you have a specific day you are visiting and want to eat here, plan in advance.

Also worth noting, an elegant dress code is required in all public areas and wearing pairs of shorts is not allowed in bars and restaurants after 6PM.

Like our stay at Riad Fes, we booked our stay at La Mamounia through the American Express Travel Concierge that comes with our Amex Platinum, so breakfast for 2 each morning (regularly about $40/person) and a couples massage was included in our daily rate, as was early check-in and late check-out. To note, the mirror isn’t dirty (below), it’s intentionally aged and made to look like mercury glass (beautiful in real life, kind of sketchy looking in photos, HA!).

In our opinion, it was well worth the money to experience La Mamounia first hand; it’s exceptional in every way. That considered, we split our time in Marrakech between La Mamounia and a smaller, more affordable riad in the Marrakech Medina, Riad Dar Anika, that was exceptional, too!