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La Mamounia hotel review: Marrakesh's grande dame with Moroccan styling and beautiful gardens

La Mamounia hotel review: Marrakesh's grande dame with Moroccan styling and beautiful gardens

Times26-05-2025
There may be hotels in Marrakesh that are more opulent, but none can match this grande dame for its elegance, grace and one of the most beautiful hotel gardens in the world. The rose-hued walls feel knitted into the very fabric of the city. The vast, low-lit lobby leads to room upon room of soft, earthy colours, jewelled zellige tiling and intricate latticework, each filled with brushed velvet ottomans and studded-leather lounge chairs. It's all so effortlessly old school you half expect Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to swing out of the Churchill Bar. Bars and restaurants blaze with Moroccan artistry at its most exquisite, courtyards glitter with hand-lain mosaics and the quietly charming staff ensure everyone — from young families to American millionaires — feels equally welcome. A masterclass in luxury without excess, Mamounia is a glorious oasis, right in the centre of this most chaotically charming of cities.
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Score 8/10All of Mamounia's elegant bedrooms are pretty spiffy but, if budget allows, it's worth splashing out on a Deluxe room or above for their private balconies (specify one that overlooks the gardens or Koutoubia, rather than the street). All rooms have a crisp, clean feel with arched headboards, mosaic tiling and sepia-tinged photos of Marrakesh that give a real sense of place — even before you open the curtains to see the Atlas Mountains looming in the distance. Marble bathrooms tend towards the compact in lower room categories, and only larger rooms have a bath, while suites come with spacious balconies and opulent lounges. Score 9/10The perennial complaint about Moroccan food — tagine, tagine and more tagine — has no relevance here. Four restaurants dish up almost every cuisine you might fancy, from Jean-Georges Vongerichten's trademark Asian-fusion at L'Asiatique — perhaps dim sum, followed by a Vietnamese curry or musky, miso cod — to pizzas and pasta at L'Italien. Le Marocain, housed in its own riad with three floors overlooking leafy gardens, serves up classic dishes — crispy briouates, salads with the city's signature flavours of orange, almond and preserved lemons — and an elegant breakfast and lunch buffet is laid out in Le Pavillon de la Piscine. It could take all day to to do justice to the spectacular breakfast — fresh patisserie, handmade breads, jams, eggs a dozen different ways — but leave room for afternoon tea, taken beneath shady palms at the Pierre Hermé salon. It's an indulgence not to be missed.
• Discover our full guide to Marrakesh• Best hotels in Marrakesh
Score 9/10If you can raise yourself from a shady hammock (or a lounger by the glittering pool) there's tennis, boules and table tennis, with yoga and Pilates classes and personal training sessions at the gym. Kids of all ages will love the Salle de Jeux — a retro games room with pinball machines, pool tables and board games, while gifts can be picked up at the clutch of small boutiques, selling jewellery, clothes and gifts by local designers and famous names. The spa — where pools shimmer beneath scallop-edged archways and exquisite tilework gleams in flickering candlelight — is one of the city's best. There's a private hammam and, with two of the ten treatment rooms set up for couples, it's a wonderfully romantic retreat.
Score 9/10Many of Marrakesh's luxury hotels are a taxi journey away from the medina. La Mamounia's location, just in front of the city's Koutoubia mosque, is a major plus. The storytellers, snake-charmers and smoke-tinged food stalls of the extraordinary Djemaa el-Fna are just a few minutes' stroll away, with the labyrinthine medina unfolding beyond it. For something a little less hectic, the calmer streets of the Ville Nouvelle are a ten-minute taxi ride away.
Price room-only doubles from £380Restaurant mains from £23Family-friendly YAccessible N
• Best riads in Marrakesh• Best restaurants in Marrakesh
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JONATHAN BROCKLEBANK: 6,000 cops, miles of steel and the dog walkers baffled by the most expensive round of golf EVER!
JONATHAN BROCKLEBANK: 6,000 cops, miles of steel and the dog walkers baffled by the most expensive round of golf EVER!

Daily Mail​

time8 hours ago

  • Daily Mail​

JONATHAN BROCKLEBANK: 6,000 cops, miles of steel and the dog walkers baffled by the most expensive round of golf EVER!

Officially it is a two-centre golfing break in Scotland – the kind favoured by many a rich American crossing the pond this summer. The trip takes in a prestigious west coast course and a round on a newly complete east coast one, with the last word in luxury accommodation a short walk from the first tee at each. But no long weekend on the fairways in Scotland has ever looked quite like this one. This one has commandeered almost a third of Police Scotland's manpower to make sure things go smoothly. This one had officers in high viz vests swarming over greens, tees, fairways and rough hours before the holidaymaker even boarded his flight from Washington DC. It had police with dogs, on horseback and even officers on quad bikes as they patrolled a mile-long expanse of empty beach which they have closed off to the public. It even had a security tower with police sharp shooters atop it. US President Donald Trump is a man partial to superlatives. Well, his sojourn at Turnberry, in Ayrshire, and the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire abounds in them. It is surely the most expensive golfing trip on these isles ever contemplated. How many others involved flying in a motorcade by military jet days in advance? Further preparations have included throwing up rings of steel around the Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire courses and accommodation - all of which, of course, the vacationing president happens to own. Rounds were still being played by regular golfers (albeit paying up to £1,000 a time) at Turnberry yesterday. But the golf was happening behind miles of newly erected 10ft fences with ultra-fine mesh, and only after rigorous ID and vehicle checks. On the tee of the third hole, which lies closest to a stretch of shore still accessible to the public, the foursomes hitting their drives were easily outnumbered by police patrols. Nor, surely, has any golfing weekend boasted the epic supporting cast of this one. Up to 6,000 police officers - many drafted in from forces outside Scotland - are on some form of Trump detail this weekend. They were arriving at Turnberry yesterday not by the traditional vanload but by the coachload - three in the space of four minutes. And let us not forget the protesters. Thousands of them are expected to make the extent of their displeasure felt in Edinburgh and Aberdeen this weekend - while others hope to do so within shouting distance at his golf courses. Also among the bit part players are Prime Minister Keir Starmer and First Minister John Swinney, both of whom will be afforded audiences with Mr Trump - one in each of his Scottish residences - over the next few days. There was a time during his days as a mere billionaire tycoon when a Trump visit to one of his Scottish properties brought a splash of colour and a smattering of press to the local area. It would bring his private jet - a 727 - with the Trump name emblazoned on the fuselage in gold lettering. Today, as president, he arrives in Air Force One - and brings those same areas to a standstill. 'We came here for a quiet life,' says Bill Fletcher, 73, who moved to Turnberry from Stratford Upon Avon a year ago. 'But there's just so much security and it arrived here so early. We can't get on the beach to walk the dog. I suppose you have to expect it for the most important person in the world - or someone who thinks he is.' His view of the president is likely similar to many of the householders in this upmarket enclave of detached houses and holiday homes. 'I don't like some of his policies and he can be quite unpredictable,' he says. 'But he's got some things right and I wish we were as firm here as he is.' Along the road in the Balkenna Tearoom, staff were bracing themselves for protesters mobbing their carpark as they did during Mr Trump's last presidential visit in 2018. 'We've a sign up saying 'patrons only' this time,' says a waitress. 'It's going to be pandemonium.' On his visit during his first term as president, a protester managed to fly an aircraft trailing an anti-Trump banner over the Ailsa championship course. This time around, you cannot fly so much as a kite or model aeroplane in the area. Don't even think about a drone or a balloon. 'No Fly Zone' signs dotted all around advise people seeing anyone attempting to do so to call 999. And yet, here at least, the disruption is met with a degree of understanding. It is less than a year since there was an attempt on Mr Trump's life on a golf course. The gunman hid in shrubbery at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. Weeks earlier, on the campaign trail he was hit in the ear by a sniper's bullet. 'I don't like him personally but I suppose we have to put up with it, and it doesn't happen very often,' says David Browning, 84, who lives a few hundred yards from the Turnberry clubhouse. 'And I've got say, he does a lot for Turnberry which was looking pretty tired before he bought it.' Does he visit the spruced-up hotel much himself? 'Occasionally, but you've got to have lined pockets for that,' Mr Browning said, adding that he hopes the president is successful in bringing the Open championship back to Turnberry - even if it is 'obviously an ego thing'. There is at least a whiff of suspicion that a key objective of the Trump visit to Scotland may be to lobby for the Open to come to his course. While it remains on governing body the Royal and Ancient's roster for the championship, Turnberry has not played host since the American snapped it up in 2014 - something that clearly eats at the president. A less cynical interpretation of the visit - described as 'private' by the White House - would have Mr Trump making a long awaited return to a land that is undeniably dear to him and in which he has invested heavily. His mother Mary Anne MacLeod was from the Hebridean isle of Lewis. On this visit he is due to open his second golf course in Aberdeenshire, the New Course, which will include a new memorial garden to honour his mother with a centrepiece that will be made from stone imported from Lewis. Massive security measures were already in place at that Trump facility yesterday, days ahead of the president's arrival. In the early hours, a deer was an early casualty in the operation. It had to be euthanised after being knocked down by a police vehicle patrolling the Trump estate. Both his Scottish properties have been targeted by protesters in recent months. Activists daubed red paint over much of the Turnberry resort in March. The president described them as 'terrorists' who 'did serious damage and will hopefully be treated harshly'. In Aberdeenshire, meanwhile, a placard this week proclaimed the estate was 'twinned with Epstein Island' - a reference to the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein whose relationship with Mr Trump is under renewed scrutiny. Protests in Edinburgh are expected to target the US Consulate, which the Trump administration has threatened with closure. Alena Ivanova, a campaigner with the Stop Trump Coalition said: 'Donald Trump may shake hands with our leaders, but he's no friend of Scotland. 'We, the people of Scotland, see the damage he has done - to democracy and working people in the US, to the global efforts to tackle the climate crisis, to the very principles of justice and humanity. 'Trump is not welcome because he represents all that Scottish people reject.' She certainly did not speak for everyone. Jackie McDowall posted online that her six-year-old son Ricky was 'desperate' to see the President and his motorcade making their way to Turnberry. She wrote: 'Right, so obviously I know nobody's going know exactly where Donald Trump is going be etc, but does anyone know roughly his route to Turnberry and time or anything? 'I've a wee six year old desperate just for a tiny wee glimpse of the President or even his entourage. 'Ideally he would like to meet the man himself have a quick chat and at least get to shake his hand.' That, certainly, was what Scottish Secretary Ian Murray was waiting to do on the tarmac at Prestwick Airport last night. Where exactly it goes from there, who can tell? The president's long weekend in Scotland has begun. It will, naturally, be the biggest ever - and possibly the maddest.

Erling Haaland's girlfriend Isabel Haugseng treated to ultra-rare £330,000 handbag as couple enjoy break in Rome
Erling Haaland's girlfriend Isabel Haugseng treated to ultra-rare £330,000 handbag as couple enjoy break in Rome

The Sun

time8 hours ago

  • The Sun

Erling Haaland's girlfriend Isabel Haugseng treated to ultra-rare £330,000 handbag as couple enjoy break in Rome

ERLING HAALAND treated his stunning girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen to an incredible £330,000 handbag. The Manchester City star has been relaxing with his partner in Italy over the last few weeks and they recently enjoyed a trip to Rome. 6 6 6 6 Isabel, 21, has taken to Instagram to share snaps from their trip and the brunette beauty wowed in a long orange dress in her latest post. But her designer handbag got the attention of followers as she clutched the luxurious diamond encrusted holdall. The Daily Ma il report that it is an ultra-rare Hermes Birkin 25 Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile. They claim that it is worth an eye-watering £330,000. And the handbag can only be purchased at auction from authentic Hermes reseller Madison Avenue Couture. Isabel is all smiles in the photos posted on social media as she stands next to Haaland, 25, and his brother Astor and his girlfriend. The Norwegian stunner is also seen giggling on a step and posing while looking out over a picturesque lake. Isabel is a footballer herself and is said to have met Haaland while they were both in the youth academy of club Bryne. The couple have one child, who was born back in December. Becoming parents has not slowed down their jet-setting lifestyle and they also visited Ibiza earlier this summer. Man City star Erling Haaland's girlfriend Isabel frolics in water in a bikini as pair relax on holiday Their travels have helped Isabel grow in popularity on Instagram after only launching her account in November. She now boasts a whopping 108,000 followers. Haaland is due back on the pitch on August 9 when City face Palmero in a pre-season friendly. The club's Premier League campaign kicks-off the following weekend against Wolves. 6 6

Tracee Ellis Ross' top tips for travelling solo
Tracee Ellis Ross' top tips for travelling solo

BBC News

time14 hours ago

  • BBC News

Tracee Ellis Ross' top tips for travelling solo

The black-ish actor is her own favourite travel companion. Here are her top tips for taking on the world one destination at a time, all on your own. When Tracee Ellis Ross needs to unwind, she books a trip with her favourite travel companion: herself. "I've been solo travelling since I was, like, 24 or 25," the effervescent star of the award-winning comedies black-ish and Girlfriends tells the BBC. "And I think my first solo trip went so well that it just… stuck." Ross, who now takes herself on holiday at least once a year, believes there are different reasons for travelling on one's own. "Some people solo travel for adventure," she says. "Some people solo travel to meet people. Some people solo travel to get away from their families and their lives… I solo travel as a way to be with myself out in the world." What does being with oneself out in the world look like for a beauty brand CEO, actor and producer who admits to living a "very regimented, full, hard, working life"? "I decompress," she says. "[I] let the dust settle... I learn a lot about myself but mostly I gain this emotional muscle of how to hold space for myself even when things don't go according to plan. I can do uncomfortable things and find joy." Ross is such a passionate advocate of travelling on her own that she has made her own docuseries Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross for The Roku Channel, which premieres on the platform 25 July. The three episodes follow Ross as she travels to Morocco, Mexico and Spain to indulge in her passions: beauty, fashion, design, food and culture. The style maven breaks down her routine from overpacking to how to relax on the plane, all while sharing her favourite ways to enjoy a new place entirely on your own. "I find that it's a glorious luxury," she says. "[But] I've never had any shame about it. I think I've had more shame around having so much luggage, but not about solo travelling. And I think that's really part of what I hope people gain from the show… It's okay to know yourself. It's okay to know the things that work best for you. It's okay to know how to take care of yourself. It's okay to lean into that." She adds: "One of the ways I've gotten over the shame of overpacking: my overpacking has never hurt anybody. It only brings joy. So do it. Pack it!" What other tips does Ross have for people who are dreaming of taking the plunge? Here are her tips. What advice do you have for people who aren't sure if they're ready to travel on their own? If you have an inkling inside that you might be somebody who wants to solo travel but you're anxious about it, go to dinner by yourself on a Tuesday or a Wednesday night at 18:00 when the restaurant opens. If you can do that and it feels good, upgrade yourself to Friday or Saturday night at 20:00 when the restaurant is hopping and full. In those experiences, ask yourself: Are you somebody who wants to bring a book? Are you fine just sitting there? Do you feel embarrassed? Do you feel ashamed? What's making you feel uncomfortable? How can you address that? Is that something that's real? Or do you really not care? If the experience was great, you can graduate to solo travelling. How do you pick your perfect solo travel destination? I do have to say that safety is a much bigger factor than it was when I was younger. I don't know if that's the world we live in now or if it's that I'm a 52-year-old woman who's very aware… but I do look for safety. I personally love a resort. I love a hotel room with a bathtub. I love a hotel room that has natural light. I love a hotel room that if I get too anxious to go out and do things out by myself, I can stay in the hotel room the whole time and feel fine. [pauses] I love a hotel that has really good French fries. How do you plan for safety beyond the hotel? That's when you ask yourself the question: 'Are there things about me, my life and who I am and my identity that are going to leave me vulnerable?' [Whether you say] I'm a woman, I'm a Black woman, I'm LGBTQ, I'm non-binary, I'm differently abled… Whatever those things are, research so that you make sure, to the best of your ability, that you know you're not going to feel overly vulnerable in those areas. [Then], go enjoy yourself! In the episode where you travel to Mexico, you wind up working. Does that happen often? I think it depends what's happening in my life, but the truth is that I'm a founder and CEO of a big, huge beauty company. There's no off time. This is my big, beautiful life so I don't find it to be a burden. I do answer texts more slowly when I'm on vacation. I don't have my phone with me every move I make. And I sometimes day drink. [laughs] So if you day drink, you can't be on that phone working! What are the first things you do in a new place? I settle in. I like to unpack; I'm an unpack girl. I also like to take a bath, because I feel like it settles my body off the plane, and I now actually have my feet on the ground. I love to look for a lymphatic drainage massage. How do you plan your trip? Usually, I have researched in advance if there's a particular restaurant I want to try or if there's a gallery or a museum that I want to visit so that I'm not spending my time researching. My favourite thing to do is find those places by asking [local] people versus TikTok, you know? Because I lived in Europe growing up and went to school in Europe, I know people and I can usually collect a really good sort of itinerary for myself. What's one thing you never do? I don't overbook. If I go on a trip, it might be like one restaurant that I try. I don't like to jam pack my days in any way, shape or form. You don't want to need a vacation from the vacation. I come home from my solo trips and I'm, like, ready to jive back into my life. There are some great scenes of you celebrating local food culture in the series. I try to keep it simple and order things that I know and love. [But in] Morocco, my mouth was so happy and I had no idea what I was eating. [There] were flavours that my mouth had never tasted! And it was delicious! I was, like, 'I don't even know what these things are!' So I love that part of it. And then you just wanna have some fries. What's the best way to experience a city on your own? I listen to the sounds. I find it so soothing to listen to the sounds of an environment, because they sound different everywhere. Wind sounds different. The birds sound different. The traffic sounds different. So I do a lot of listening when I'm travelling. One of my favourite sounds in the world is wind on trees. Truly, it's just magic to me. -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

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