Magical marrakesh

I have wanted to visit Marrakesh for such a long time. I could just tell that it would be right up my street. So when friends of ours who frequent this magnificent city offered to show us the ropes we jumped at the chance 

There really are so many wonderful and interesting places to stay in Marrakesh, but our Friends highly recommenced La Mamounia
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The fact that it was also a former palace helped to steer us in the right direction too. Upon a little investigation I discovered that it's a bit of a hit with the celebrities through the ages... with everyone from Charley Chaplin to Elton John staying here 

1923, the hotel opened its doors, offering a subtle blend of Arabic-Andalusian architecture and Art Deco style. And it seems its been a big hit ever since. Apparently… In 1943, Winston Churchill asked Franklin D Roosevelt to join him on one of his many visits, describing the hotel as 'the loveliest place on earth'.
And Alfred Hitchcock used it as the backdrop for his 1956 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much. I'm a big Hitchcock fan, so enough said...

The hotel was re invented in 2009, by one of my favorite french architects Jacques Garcia (the man behind hotel costes ). And it is Wonderful.

The lobby has the most beautiful Chandeliers 

The rooms are so beautifully decorated in the Moroccan style. Deep colours match the wood and tadelakt in the corridor, Making them so elegant. And top it off, they have the most superb view over the beautiful gardens of La Mamounia 

And then there are the gardens, which are a masterpiece in there own right. Lined with olive trees and Orange blossom, the fragrance is quite sensation 

Madagascar periwinkle adds to the fragrance  as you pass the flowerbeds. I'm told that there re over 1,200 plant species in the gardens! The gardens actually date back to the reign of Sultan Sidi Mohammed ben Abdallah (1757-1790). To stroll along avenues lined by 300-year-old olive trees to the sound of tinkling fountains and birdsong is to me,  one of the greatest pleasures of staying here.

After exploring all of the delights the hotel has to offer, we decided it was time for a cocktail and some Moroccan pastry's on the terrace 

Even the cocktails have style at La Mamounia. Its almost too pretty to drink 

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We were refreshed and relaxed after our journey and ready to explore the city, after a fabulous afternoon exploring our beautiful hotel with so much style and history  that the hotel itself was an event ... Stay tuned for more on our adventures in Marrakesh 

Which is your favourite hotel or Riad in Marrakesh? Id love to hear all about your favourite places, as I absolutely plan to become a regular to this fabulous city!

Belle 
Xx

​More adventures in Marrakesh here and here