Walkways at the entrance to the spa and hammam at La Mamounia hotel are marked with Morooccan-style lamps. ISABELLE LAFLAMME/QMI AGENCY

Elegance of Morocco's La Mamounia hotel

I fondly remember my first visit to La Mamounia. My boyfriend had invited me to have mint tea in the garden of the historic hotel. Flowers, warmed by the early afternoon sun, perfumed the air. It was wonderful. My dear friend was fiddling with a napkin on which were written words of love that I will never forget.

A few years later, I'm back in Marrakech -- this time alone -- to report on La Mamounia's extensive $165-million renovation. The hotel -- which has welcomed everyone from Winston Churchill to Sarah Jessica Parker -- reopened its doors in the fall of 2009, after a three-year facelift.

I'm running 12 hours late, thanks to a strike at the Paris Airport. Yet, despite the delay, a car, chauffeur and bell hop from La Mamounia are waiting for me when I arrive. One of them takes my bags. The driver opens the door. I climb inside the pale-coloured Jaguar, and there I am -- in a carriage for a modern-day princess. The Jaguar gathers speed and we quickly leave the airport -- and other travellers -- far behind.

At the hotel, my bags disappear as the door opens and I am welcomed by traditionally clad men, who greet me warmly by name. A few steps and I am inside a true palace.

The atmosphere is colourful and perfumed. The delicate babbling of fountains -- there are 27 -- can be heard. Warm tones and soft lighting make me fall in love with this place all over again. I am quickly directed to a small salon -- an intimate area enclosed by red velour curtains -- where you can see without being seen. Forms are filled out on soft, comfortable couches while I am served a glass of almond milk with honey and a plate of dates, pastries and macaroons -- a true Moroccan welcome.

But the fatigue of travelling is winning, and it is time to retire. My suite features high green ceilings, heavy wooden bed posts and antique sculptures. Glass-panelled doors lead into and out of the room. Everywhere you look, there is beauty. The entrance is a spacious and luxurious. The living room is furnished with wine-coloured Moroccan-style sofas and ochre cushions. Arranged with care, white roses, champagne, a plate of delicate pastries and a bowl of fresh fruit await.

Warm and white, the bedroom is beautifully simple. Nothing is over-done or too heavy. A band of stucco adorns the tops of the walls, engraved like a fine lattice. If these walls could talk, they would likely tell great tales of starry nights in the Sahara.

The bathroom is amazing: Immense claw-footed tub, dark wood-trimmed windows, soft wraps, colourful slippers, separate rain-style shower, luxurious oils and soaps, warm towels. From the double balcony, I can see Koutoubia mosque and its majestic, illuminated minaret. Below, is La Mamounia's legendary park, and further on, the High Atlas Mountains and Agdal gardens. After taking it all in, I crawl between sheets that are so soft and comfortable that sleep comes quickly.

The next morning, I slide into a robe and open the curtains and doors wide. The day is starting and a line of gardeners head silently, but purposefully, to the gardens. Soon, we will hear the call to prayer, but for now bird-song erases the sounds of Marrakech waking up. I savour a perfect cup of coffee.

Prince Mamoun -- for whom the hotel is named -- held costume parties in the garden. Today it is filled with 400 olive trees -- many more than 100 years old -- 25 types of citrus trees, 10 types of palms, Barbarie fig trees and exotics such as East Indian baobabs. A huge vegetable garden helps supply the hotel's four restaurants.

It is easy to like the attentive staff, who are knowledgeable and distinguished without ever being snobby or arrogant. A daily meeting makes everyone aware of guests' special needs. (When they learn of my food allergies, they ensure everyone knows so I can eat anywhere in the hotel without worry.)

Many dignitaries and celebrities have stayed at La Mamounia, including Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, Edith Piaf, Josephine Baker, Marcello Mastroianni, Marguerite Yourcenar, Colette and Mick Jagger. When the 6-foot-5 General Charles de Gaulle stayed, a special bed was made to accommodate his height.

One of the most notable guests was Winston Churchill, who stayed for many weeks each year. Churchill loved to paint at the hotel, and once said that from his balcony he had the "best view in the world." Legend has it he would follow the light from balcony to balcony to finish a canvas. (In 2006, some of Churchill's paintings of the Moroccan countryside sold for more than $1 million at auction in New York.) La Mamounia still maintains a Churchill suite, which features a self-portrait of the British leader, and a mix of Moroccan and English styles.

During the filming of Sex and the City 2, Sarah Jessica Parker and her family stayed in the Majorelle suite, so named in honour of the Marrakech painter who created the instense but clear ultramarine shade of blue called Majorelle.

The hotel's massive outdoor pool is based on Menara gardens, a 700-year-old Marrakech site developed to collect water to feed the olive trees. All around, a constant ballet of men circulate to meet the smallest needs of guests: Towels, drinks, snack menu. Bird song is constant and the sun heightens the scent of orange trees.

In a riad at the heart of the garden, diners can experience the flavours of Morocco at Le Marocain, where Chef Rachid Agouray greets each guest personally. Small private diningrooms with moucharabiehs -- windows that allow air and light through but maintain privacy -- occupy three levels. In the kitchen women make bread, which is served with precious argan oil. Fleur de sel, cumin and pepper sit on the table in small containers that allow you to dress your own meal.

I choose chicken and lemon Tajine. Delicate couscous, small tender eggplant, white raisins and rutabaga are served with my main course. A divine orange granita, subtly sweet and beautiful scented, caps off the meal. Even alone, the meal is great. Musicians play throughout dinner and the manager asks me to dance.

La Mamounia is full of beauty, stories and legends. It is also an integral part of the historical and architectural past of Marrakech. Past guests often say "I went to La Mamounia," as the hotel is the destination in itself.

As time goes by, I think back fondly on this special place. It stays in the heart like tender words written on a paper napkin that you find years later in a secret drawer. It's a memory we keep forever, regardless of how the story ends.

MORE INFORMATION

La Mamounia has 236 rooms, 71 suites and three separate villas. Room rates start at 5,000 Maroccan dirhams per night ($620). See mamounia.com.