journal of the churchill center and societies - Winston Churchill

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Designed in 1922 by architects Frost and Marchisio,
La Mamounia managed to combine the Moroccan
architectural tradition with the very latest in Art Deco design.
La Mamounia takes its name from the surrounding
gardens, which were once called the "Arset El
Mamoun." Two centuries old, these gardens, usually
referred to as a park, have a history of their own. The
Park once belonged to the Prince Moulay Mamoun, the
fourth son of Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, who
reigned in the 18th century. It was customary for the Sultan
to offer his sons, as a wedding gift, a house and garden
located outside the Kasbah. For his marriage present,
Moulay Mamoun received the park, which has since always
carried his name. It is said that the prince used to
hold extraordinary garden parties here. The magnificent
garden remaining from such royal revelry adds to the pleasure
of present-day guests, as much by its size (nearly 20
acres) as by its unusual flora.
Designed in 1922 by architects Prost and
Marchisio, La Mamounia managed to combine the Moroccan
architectural tradition with the very latest in Art
Deco design and decoration. The hotel originally had 100
rooms, but was expanded in 1946, 1950 and 1953, and
now includes nearly 200 rooms.
In 1986, a vast renovation programme took
place to create the look of today's La Mamounia. A larger
and wider main entrance was constructed, incorporating
the traditional elements of Moroccan architecture:
columns, arches and painted wooden doors. The porch,
dating from the 1920s, has remained intact and opens
into the 1920s style "Salon of Honor." The salon has also
remained the same with the exception of a large chimney,
added during renovation, which accentuates the room's
ceremonial character. Today this entrance is used when
welcoming guests of honour.
Throughout the year, from the four corners of
the globe, visitors come and go at hotel La Mamounia.
Before the Second World War, guests from Europe and
America even brought their own furniture, so that they
could enjoy the exotic surroundings while still feeling "at
home" in their rooms. Longtime employees at the hotel
still tell stories about the stately dinners for which the
men dressed in top hats and tails and the women, bedecked
with exquisite jewels, wore long evening gowns.
Of the many famous people who have visited
La Mamounia, Churchill is the most renowned. He
would wander from balcony to balcony, following the sun
on its daily route in order to render the colour of his
painting as real as possible. Several of his paintings of La
Mamounia's gardens hang in England. General Charles de
Gaulle also stayed in the hotel after the Casablanca Conference.
The director of the hotel was obliged to have a
special bed made to accommodate the General's considerable
height.
Over the years the reputation of Marrakech
and La Mamounia have attracted the attention of both
French and American film makers. Eric Von Stroheim
filmed "Alerte au Sud" in 1953. "Morocco" with Marlene
Dietrich was filmed there, as was Hitchcock's "The Man
Who Knew Too Much." In 1955 Charlie Chaplin was
warmly welcomed to the hotel. Those who followed from
the film world include Omar Sharif, Charles Aznavour,
Joan Collins, Elliot Gould, Ted Danson, Whoopi Goldberg,
Tony Curtis, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman,
Christopher Lee, Charlton Heston and Sylvester Stallone.
With the film stars came the fashion world,
some designers, such as Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Balmain,
buying homes in Marrakech. In 1968, with the explosion
of rock groups, Marrakech welcomed the Rolling
Stones, while the group Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
wrote the hit song "Marrakesh Express." Other stars from
the world of music have included Johnny Halliday, Elton
John, Vanessa Paradis and Sacha Distel. Royals and Statesmen
who have discovered the hotel, some to return on a
regular basis, include Theodore Roosevelt, Ronald and
Nancy Reagan, Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogilvy,
Princess Caroline of Monaco, Prince Naruhito of Japan,
Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
Todays guests are welcome to leaf through the
Livre d'Or (visitor's book), kept in the General Manager's
office. It contains comments from many of the hotel's celebrated
guests. A love of La Mamounia and Marrakech
seems to unite them all.
FINEST HOUR 107 / 22