Mamounia Hotel Marrakech auctions 5000 lots of colonial history

The Mamounia, one of the world's great old hotels, is selling off its furnishings -- curtains, crockery, sheets and all -- at a four-day auction in Marrakech in May expected to bring in 5.5 million euros.


The hotel frequented by the rich and famous since opening in 1923 has been closed for three years for a revamp and is due to reopen next summer or autumn.

Auctioneer Claude Aguttes said Tuesday that 5,000 lots representing 99.5 percent of its contents will go under the block at the May 21-24 auction.



Winston Churchill, who liked to stay there during the European winter, is among its most celebrated guests along with Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston, Omar Sharif, the Reagans, Nelson Mandela and Princess Caroline of Monaco.

Scenes from Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 movie "The Man Who Knew Too Much" were shot there.

A second sale of 3,000 lots is to be held in June.

Thanks to View from Fez