La Mamounia vs Palais Namaskar

Our editorial take

La Mamounia is established prestige, a century-old palace with global name recognition. Palais Namaskar, which opened in 2012, is its modernist answer: lotus lakes, three hectares of garden, and an East-meets-West design language that reads closer to Bali than Marrakech. For photographs, Namaskar is the more unusual of the two. Its floating pavilions, reflecting pools and spare architecture produce images that do not look like every other Marrakech wedding. La Mamounia has the grandeur and the stronger sense of place, and its gardens and interiors are unmistakably Moroccan. Namaskar is fifteen minutes from the medina in a quieter setting; La Mamounia is steps from the Koutoubia. Both cater well, though La Mamounia's kitchen has more depth. Namaskar typically runs 20 to 30 percent cheaper.