MARRAKECH RESORT SPA KATIE BARNES » MANAGING EDITOR » SPA BUSINESS
DEEPER UNDERGROUND
Renowned French designer Jacques Garcia has created a magical, mysterious spa in the basement of Marrakech’s La Mamounia hotel. But how well does his spa work operationally and how’s the business measuring up?
designers. His career took off in the early 1990s when he established a relationship with the French hotel group Lucien Barrière. He went on to renovate some of the groups most prestigious properties, including the Hôtel Majestic in Cannes and his crea- tions stood out because of their personality and opulence, at a time when minimalism was all-pervasive. Garcia is still well known for his outstand-
W
ing designs and spas he’s worked on include those at the Hôtel Metropole Monte-Carlo (see SB06/2 p44) and the U Spa at Hôtel Fouquet’s Barrière in Paris.
ith more than 40 large-
scale projects completed each year, Jacques Garcia is one of the most sought- after French interior
He also specialises in rejuvenating iconic
places, with his most recent project being La Mamounia in Marrakech. Famed for being Winston Churchill’s favourite hotel, the property reopened in September 2009 fol- lowing a major three-year renovation.
Against the grain Situated towards the centre of Marrakech, on the edge of the walls of its old city, La Mamounia is named aſter its 200-year-old gardens which still surround it today. The city is certainly in demand: there
are currently 15 luxury hotels in various stages of development (see p44). However, La Mamounia captures attention with its impressive Moorish architecture and the way that Garcia has recreated the luxuri- ous mood of Oriental palaces.
Te opulent style of the hotel continues
through the 27,000sq ſt (2,508sq m) spa which is situated in the basement (see p42). Intricately craſted lanterns and archways add authenticity, while black marble floors and dark blue walls create a sensuous and alluring atmosphere. Marianne Nielsen, the Danish regional spa
director at La Mamounia says: “Being given an underground space must be a tremendous challenge for a designer. Garcia has changed the way we look at spas by creating an inward, instead of outward, journey. From a young age, he travelled with his family and experi- enced old, mysterious hammams, and that’s where his inspiration came from. “Te spa guests love it. Tey say they find it
extremely calming and the low lighting gives it a subdued but cocooning sensation.”
While paying homage to traditional Morocco with features such as two hammams (leſt), the spa also has a many modern touches (above)
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