Morocco Hotel Reopens After $175M Revamp

MARRAKECH, Morocco (TheStreet) -- Hotel La Mamounia, the opulent Moroccan hotel that has hosted Charlie Chaplin and Ronald Reagan, reopened last month after a $175 million renovation.

La Mamounia, also known as "the purple palace," can trace its origins back to the 18th century, when it was a garden that Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdallah had dedicated to his son. A hotel was built in 1922. It thrived as the place to stay for heads of state and celebrities, but has been closed for three years while undergoing a makeover.

The lobby of the upgraded Hotel La Mamounia.

La Mamounia rises above the city wall at the edge of the Medina, just high enough to take in an unobstructed view of the High Atlas Mountains from upper-level rooms. Doormen in pantaloons and pointy slippers greet guests at the entrance of the lobby, a sweeping space with coffered ceilings, marble floors and thick columns adorned with hand-carved woodwork. An ornate fountain, a new 25,000-square-foot spa and a labyrinth of exotic gardens add to the luxury.

The hotel was completely gutted by French architect Jacques Garcia, a meticulous and expressive designer who had some of the hotel's previous furnishings for revived and reproduced to strike the right chord of elegance and stylishness. The result is stark white walls and antique carpets and red velvet chairs.

It's possible to check in to La Mamounia and never venture out of its doors. The lobby and pool are home to five bars. While most have been completely remodeled, The Churchill retains its original 1930s decor of wood and leather.