A Starry Night in Morocco

Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Orlando Bloom, and other A-listers spent Thanksgiving in Marrakech for the re-opening of the legendary La Mamounia hotel. VIEW OUR GALLERY

This weekend, a galaxy of international stars—including two of Brad Pitt’s exes—feted the rebirth of Marrakech's La Mamounia Hotel, the legendary North African grande dame that was already seriously grand back when Winston Churchill called it "the most lovely spot in the whole world."

They were there to celebrate La Mamounia's return after a three-year, $165 million makeover by French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia. As a phalanx of security stood guard, Garcia led La Mamounia's red-carpet march, flanked by his outlandishly coiffed muse, Tess, and quickly followed by a succession of Arabian/American/Iberian/Anglo/Gallic celebrities. "I've had a longtime love affair with Morocco," explained a radiant-in-red Juliette Binoche. "My father spent much of his childhood here, my grandfather is buried here—so the country is like a heart beating inside of me."

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The après-red-carpet scene quickly commenced after the last Gwyneth photo-op. Under a cloudless sky, more than 1,000 guests—served by what seemed like an equal number of La Mamounia staffers—inhaled Gauloises and sipped Champagne as Spanish tenor Jose Carreras performed a few opera classics. They were beautiful and haunting, but felt like a mournful misstep amid La Mamounia's palatial pomp—overshadowed by the towering palms and shimmering surface of the hotel's massive pool and gardens.

Both venues served as backdrops for Cirque du Soleil, which performed a brief version of its acrobatic revue complete with fire dancers, illuminated wall climbers, and costumed contortionists, as the crowd grew hungry. Well after 10, the party descended on La Mamounia's four new restaurants—including two by Michelin masters Alfonso Iaccarino and Jean-Pierre Vigato. The fashion crowd, however, clearly preferred to go local, as designer Cynthia Rowley and Harper's Bazaar Editor in Chief Glenda Bailey cozied up in the resort's riad-like restaurant. Meanwhile, back by the pool, chef Michel Roux served a buffet of roasted meats, poached seafood, and fresh pastries.

Things have always skewed regal at La Mamounia—which takes its name from the 200-year-old gardens presented as a wedding gift to Prince Moulay Mamoun by his father, King Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, namesake of Morrocco's current monarch. Filled with 400-year-old olive trees, those gardens now sprawl for 20 well-manicured acres, setting the scale for the hotel itself, which opened back in 1923. Equally favored by both noble families and Hollywood royalty, La Mamounia has long served as a formal counterpoint to the hippie-chic vibe espoused by the likes of Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech's ancient Medina, a short stroll away.