Taj Palace Marrakech Marrakech, Morocco Starring Role: Sex and the City 2
Though the bulk of the film is set in Abu
Dhabi , the movie was actually made inMarrakech, Morocco, and the loation crew came to town
looking for the perfect hotel for the characters' exotic, over-the-top getaway.
At the time, the five-hectare property that would become the Taj Palace
Marrakech was not yet open to guests, but most of the elaborate areas were
finished, from the impressive driveway and the swimming pool covered with green
marble imported from Guatemala, to the ceilings lined with nearly three kilometres
of gold leaf. In love with the opulent setting, the producers made the Taj
Palace their Abu Dhabi stand-in. All the main actresses were on hand for the
shoot at the hotel, which took place in areas like the 600-metre driveway, the
entrance and reception, the Jade Room, the guest rooms, and the Royal Suite,
among many other public and private spaces. Because the hotel was closed to
regular guests, the crew had their pick of locations around the whole
property. In scenes set in the Royal Suite, the ladies are seen chatting over
breakfast and being greeted by their butlers, while in one scene filmed at the
reception, the characters are welcomed by the General Manager; though the
manager is played by an actor, the hotel's real-life owner, Mr. Jawad Kadiri,
and his wife, Ms. Priti Paul, appear as hotel guests, and can be spotted just
behind the lead actresses.