La Mamounia vs Mandarin Oriental

Our editorial take

La Mamounia is heritage and the Mandarin Oriental is modernity, and the gap is wider than the twenty-minute drive between them. La Mamounia's century-old gardens and Art Deco interiors have hosted Churchill, Saint Laurent and a long line of royal weddings, and the terrace looking towards the Koutoubia at sunset is among the most photographed spots in the city. The Mandarin opened in 2015: 54 villas across twenty acres of garden and olive grove, contemporary lines, and far more private space per guest than La Mamounia's rooms offer. Its event spaces are newer and take large sound and lighting rigs more easily. La Mamounia's kitchen has the deeper Moroccan repertoire. I ask couples one thing here: will your guests want to walk into the medina, or stay by a pool all afternoon. La Mamounia serves the first, the Mandarin the second.