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La Mamounia Celebrates Reopening With A-List Celebs and Thankfully, No Lohans

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Avenue Bab Jdid, Marrakech, Morocco
November 30, 2009 at 10:52 AM | by | Comments (0)

While hotel opening parties stateside seem to be a thing of the past, in Morocco the parties seem more lavish than ever with a mind-boggling amount of celebrities in attendance.

We were just recovering from the Lindsay Lohan-Gerard Butler possible hook-up at the Mazagan Beach Resort last month when we heard that the famed La Mamounia Hotel threw an opening party with Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adrien Brody (who played the piano for guests), Juliette Binoche, Dree Hemingway, Paloma Piccaso, Jose Carreras, Glenda Bailey, Colin Cowie, Matthew Williamson and Salma Hayek in attendance.

So, what happened to Lindsay Lohan's invite? Well, considering that the hotel took about three years to renovate (done by internationally-acclaimed interior designer, Jacques Garcia), we guess they didn't want Lohan sullying up the opening festivities.

But the hotel has already had a long history with celebrities. In 1956, the hotel was the setting for the Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic film The Man Who Knew Too Much, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. And according to hotel staff, Hitchcock found inspiration here for his other iconic movie, "The Birds" while staying at La Mamounia. That's because one day he opened his balcony door and was startled by the pigeons.

La Mamounia now has 136 guest rooms, 71 suites, a new 27,000 sq. ft. Mamounia Spa, and three signature restaurants, but thankfully retained its legendary 200-year-old gardens, originally given as an 18th- century wedding gift to Prince Moulay Mamoun by his father, King Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah.

If you are a non-celeb, room rates will cost you $745 to start. While you're there, peruse the hotel's Livre d’Or, a guestbook featuring notes from the hotel's celebrity guests.

Sidenote: Looks like Orly is having a month of hotel opening appearances as he's set to be at the Vanity Fair party tomorrow night for the opening of the Vdara Hotel and Spa in Las Vegas' massive CityCenter.

[Photo: People]

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