A Flight to the Couscous Nest
Our reporter is taken by the casbah, not to mention the food, the views, and legendary hotel La Mamounia
MARRAKECH, MOROCCO--There aren't many cities whose very name conjures up exoticism and intrigue. This is one of them. And it's not just an image. Marrakech rarely disappoints, from the hurly-burly of the souks to a terrace that serves up gin and tonics and a view of palm-filled gardens and snow-capped mountains. Even amid the gentrification of parts of the medina, or old town, a visitor to this imperial Moroccan city could be excused for imagining that Humphrey Bogart, clad in a crisp, white dinner jacket, might stop by for a drink if heweren't tending his nightspot up in Casablanca. Or for dreaming of arriving on the Marrakech Express. Or for musing that that cloud of dust on the horizon was kicked up by a caravan of camels trekking across the nearby Sahara.
I'm staying at La Mamounia, the legendary French-built hotel. A short walk from the medina's ocher red walls, La Mamounia opened with a splash of Moroccan and art deco splendor in 1923 and has been the venue of choice for presidents (Franklin Roosevelt, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton), potentates, and VIPs aplenty ever since.
Churchill slept here. Most memorably, it's where Winston Churchill returned time and again. "It is the most beautiful spot in the world," Churchill told FDR in 1943. The prime minister had persuaded his friend to visit Marrakech (and stay at La Mamounia) after the Casablanca Conference on war strategy against the Nazis. Churchill used to gaze out on colorful gardens or nearby minarets and, using the subtle hues of desert light, paint the scenes. You can still stay in Room 400, the English-style Churchill suite, complete with a Regency desk and original documents and photos. His hat hangs from a hook, and his easel stands in a corner.
The 231-room hotel also offers an Orient Express suite furnished with pieces from that famous train and a Moroccan-style "Menzeh"suite facing the city's Moorish landmark, the Koutoubia mosque, which non-Muslims may admire from outside but not enter. Owned by Morocco's king (who maintains a palace nearby), the hotel stands as a sort of monument to jet-setting travel in the past century.
Though Moroccan officials and people in Marrakech say the city is safe from extremism, the aftereffects of 9/11 have been felt strongly. The share of American guests at La Mamounia fell from 22 percent to 9 percent. "Things are not the same," allows managing director Robert Berg??, who says Americans are starting to come back, though slowly. "They think we are in the Middle East."
Over the years, La Mamounia's grandeur has faded only slightly, though enough that a remodeling is in the works. The hotel will close from May 1 to December 1, toning down the art deco for more Moroccan styling and adding a new spa and pool. High-speed Internet access was installed just last year.
Beyond the tranquillity of La Mamounia, any serious visit to Marrakech has to feature the medina, best seen on foot and with an official guide (book through your hotel and shun cruising faux competitors). One of the best is Mohamed Bouskri, a proud Marrakchi who works out of La Mamounia. For about $50, he takes you on a leisurely, daylong stroll through labyrinthine streets, past specialty souks for metal works, leather, jewelry, and carpets, as well as food stalls. The medina's population density is eight times as great as surrounding newer areas. Yet peek into courtyards and you may see an oasis of quiet, perhaps with a burbling fountain and greenery. A pedestrian has to weave around donkeys pulling carts, playful kids, and women running errands, some in European style, others in the full-body covering known as hijab. Bouskri points out several fonduks--buildings that once served as inns for caravan drivers with a courtyard for the camels. Architecturally rich religious schools, known as medersas, can be seen from the outside; one, the Ali Ben Youssef Medersa, is now a museum. Gardens, palaces, and the Saadian Tombs (a royal necropolis) are nearby and worth a visit.
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