I had heard La Mamounia's reputation as a must see destination. and whilst staying in Marrakech we chose to pay a visit. It really is a stylish and exclusive hotel so I an intrigued by some of the comments here. I wouldnt have dreamed of asking to be shown around, rather we were welcomed into the lobbly bar, bought our cocktails and then the waiter kindly carried our drinks to the Churchill bar . On the way he pointed out all of the architecture of the hotel and the boutiques. It was a delightful experience and he treated us very well. As we left I told the wonderful doorman that I would love to come back " You will come back , this is your home " he said with a flourish. Fabulous!! I like to think that I can appreciate and value the finer things in life, though sadly I can't really afford them. High prices are designed to keep out people like me I guess. If I was uber wealthy I wouldnt want people like me prowling around either :O) I would think thats why they charge £150 for lunch, otherwise we'd all be in there.

We were here for 4 nights on a winter weekend break away from London. While the nights can be cool, it was never cold and the warm sunny days only 3 hours flight away from London make this place the perfect getaway even if you are not interested in all the sights and charms of Marrakech itself. The hotel is 10 minutes walk from the center of the Jma el Fina square - a world heritage site.The hotel is a destination unto itself and is as exquisite as the hype suggests. It oozes luxury from the moment you pass through the well-guarded gates into the cosseted grounds of the walled estate and Moorish-styled with a splash of art-deco hotel beyond. The service is impeccable. Hotel employees are obviously handpicked for their good looks as much as their ability to converse fluently in English, Arabic and French. The hotel is set in beautiful private gardens and the 40 foot walls of the ancient medina that border the hotel effectively keep the paparazzi, general busy-bodies and sightseers and tourist rif raf out while ensuring exclusivity and privacy within. The Moroccan restaurant in its own building on the hotel’s estate is beautiful with great fresh local food and service to match. The gym, also in its own separate building next to several tennis courts, is huge and better equipped than most gyms you would probably belong to back home. The hotel’s spa is by far the most beautiful and luxurious I have ever seen, and that’s saying something! It’s worth staying here just for the spa! The pool is huge and you will always find a sun bed amongst the verdant tropical greenery tucked away from the tall, slim, chain smoking bikini-clad French ladies-who-lunch, who each look like they have stepped out of French Vogue with matching perfectly styled children and husband in tow. The rooms are large, dark, comfortable and well accessorised in the luxury amenities you would expect in a hotel of this standard. Sleeping in may not be possible though as the Imams call to prayer at sunrise can be heard as loud as if the guy was standing next to you in your room. Nevertheless, staying here truly makes you feel like you are a special guest of the royal family in a Moroccan palace. However, all of this comes at a price that makes one feel somewhat uneasy about committing to a return visit in a time of belt tightening and recession. Needless to say, it is eye-wateringly expensive. How those beautiful French guests can afford it, especially after an economic downgrade in their homeland, is beyond me! Breakfast at Euro 100 per person and lunch at around Euro 130 per person excluding tip is, frankly, a shock if not expecting it - considering the monthly wage of the average hotel worker (which I suspect is several multiples of workers outside the hotel gate). Bar cocktails start at Euro 18 each. As part of a party of 10 people in 5 rooms celebrating a birthday on this trip, we asked the hotel to book a minibus to take us to a pre-arranged dinner at a restaurant in town. The price was Pounds Sterling 50 each way for a 5-minute ride or a distance we could have walked in 15 minutes! To top it all off, our final night's experience in the hotel’s fine dining French restaurant was not a happy one. We attempted to make reservations for 8.30 pm but were told we had to come at 7pm as the restaurant was fully booked – In fact, the restaurant was mostly empty until after 9 pm, and even then it was hardly full. Then the female French restaurant manager said that they could not accommodate all of us at a single table and we would be split into 2 tables of six. When we said we would go elsewhere, all of a sudden it became possible for us to all sit together. Not quite the service expected or appreciated at the prices we were paying. However, this was the only sour note of an otherwise wholly enjoyable and pampered few days. My advice – avoid the French restaurant here… the food isn’t worth the prices anyway. To sum up, I share the sentiment of many of the earlier reviewers of this hotel. It is a big luxury to stay here and the prices ensure that it will remain the exclusive domain of the privileged few. Only come here if money is not an object as the beautiful hotel and the luxurious pampering and service is a wonderful treat. Don’t complain about the hotel’s apparent “nickel and dime-ing” and outrageous and apparent unjustifiable prices if that matters to you - you have been warned! This is definitely an experience of a lifetime for most of us in an exclusive domain of the rich and famous.

La Mamounia is either great fun, or simply overwhelming; you just need to approach it with a sense of humour and relax into it.

The service is amazing, the food is excellent, the rooms are beautiful and absolutely sparkling clean! On the other hand, it is far too expensive, the incredible service can be overbearing if you aren't used to it, and some of the other guests are a little snooty.

If you approach it as an experience and relax into it, it is immensely fun. All your needs and cares will be taken care of. It was the first time I've been completely relaxed and forgotten the stress of normal life within a day of arriving on holiday.

Do make friends with the representative from "Guest services" who welcomes you - they are incredibly helpful.

After a week in Marrakesh eating in some lovely restaurants, i was advised to try this hotel for amazing cocktails and food. I took my better half and tried the hotel, which i must say is beautiful. I was taken to the pool restaurant, where i paid in excess of £150.00 for a buffet meal that would not have been out of place in a four star all inclusive resort in the carribean. The meat was luke warm and peices small, the wine at approx £15 per glass was nothing but local wine availiable at most hotels at less than a third of the price, a bottle of still water will set you back a fiver and a champagne cocktail, £30 ish (thats a 125 measure by the way). Even if i were a billionaire, which I am not, I would still be outraged at the cost of this less than average meal, which consited of light salad, two peices of meat and a glass of wine each. If you must go here make sure you are very hungry and eat as much as you can.....even then i'm not sure it will be value for money!