The hotel was conceived in 1923 by architects
Henri Prost and Antoine Marchisio on the 15-hectare palace and garden that
Sultan Mohammed ben Abdallah gave to his son, Moulay Mamoun in the 18th century. The hotel opened in 1929 and combines
Moroccan architecture with the
Art Deco style. In a 1935 letter to his wife,
Winston Churchill wrote about the hotel; "This is a wonderful place, and the hotel is one of the best I have ever used". One of the bars at the hotel is now named after Churchill. "
Mamunia" was written by Paul McCartney in 1973 while staying at the hotel. Pianist
Randy Weston recorded
Marrakech: In the Cool of the Evening at the hotel during a vacation in 1992. In September 2009, the hotel reopened after being closed for a 3-year renovation. The renovation was led by designer
Jacques Garcia. It added more reds, yellow and black colors to the design as well as
LED displays to be used for advertising. The removal of a number of original features during this renovation was criticized. In 2020, the mansion, its four restaurants, four bars, and various pavilions were renovated. Chefs
Pierre Hermé and
Jean-Georges Vongerichten each redesigned one of the restaurants. == Facilities ==