La Mamounia
Marrakech, Morocco
Churchill's favourite hotel, still casting its spell.
Churchill painted here. He called it "the most lovely spot in the whole world," and a century of guests have struggled to disagree. La Mamounia is a showcase of Moroccan craft, from the zellige tilework to the carved cedar and the hand-poured tadelakt plaster that artisans applied over years rather than months.
The gardens are the real star. Nearly seven hectares of olive groves, rose beds and hundred-year-old palms, laid out two centuries ago as a wedding gift from a sultan to his son.
The Verdict
Few hotels marry grandeur and sense of place this completely. La Mamounia never feels imported into Marrakech. It feels like the city's beating heart, dressed in its very best.
Mint tea in the old gardens at golden hour, orange blossom in the air and the Koutoubia minaret glowing pink beyond the palms.
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